Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1919 — MAP OF PERSHING NOW IN WASHINGTON MUSEUM. [ARTICLE]

MAP OF PERSHING NOW IN WASHINGTON MUSEUM.

There is now on exhibition in the United States national museum at Washington what is probably the most interesting and valuable single record of America’s part in the great war —Gen. Pershing’s own secret battle map, transported here from his headquarters in France and set up in the museum exactly as it was there. It was Gen. Pershing’s plea to have the map displayed to the public to show the people of the United States the actual military results obtained by their armies. For example, at the hour the armistice was signed, the United States forces were holding 145 kilometers of front, of which 134 kilometers were active. This is made plain on the map by the colored pins and tags by which the different allied and enemy armies are shown. The map itself shows the location of all divisions, both the enemy and allied, on the western front; the correct battle line, commanding generals, location of headquarters and boundaries down to include armies and various other information concerning divisions, as for example, whether they were ftesh or tried. The map was developed and kept 'posted to date daily by tihe third section of Gen. Pershing’s staff and used iby them and other superidF officers during the active operations for strategical studies and purposes of general information. It is evident that during the war the information which this map contained was such thlat the enemy would have spared no pains to secure it. Every precaution was taken to insure its secrecy sand to this end the map was always kept locked up, and in addition was kept in a small compartment formed by a closed screen. Furthermore, access to this may was had only by the half dozen chiefs of the general headquarters staff sections, whose work was directly affected by the changes shown on the map. This map appears to have been unique. The staff officers from the different allied headquarters, who had occasion to see the map, declared that it was the most complete representation of the opposing forces that they had seen. Gen. Pershing, in his letter to the adjutant general suggesting the public display of the map in the national museum, says: “It 'has occurred to me that this particular map, with its accompanying installation, will have a great historical value. It will be of intense interest to future generations, not only because it was the only map of Uts kind used at these headquarters, but because it shows in a vivid fashion the exact situation at the hour of the armistice.”