D 570 
 .P35 
 1919 
 Copy 1 
 
D 570 U. s ' ~ 
 
 .P35 
 
 1919 
 
 r , * s ' I HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I Document 
 
 ^opy 1 I JNo. 153. 
 
 PERMANENT RANK TO CERTAIN OFFICERS OF UNITED 
 STATES ARMY AND NAVY. 
 
 MESSAGE 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 'RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 
 RECOMMENDING 
 
 GRANTING TO JOHN J. PERSHING AND PEYTON C. MARCH THE 
 PERMANENT RANK OF GENERAL AND TO WILLIAM S. BENSON 
 AND WILLIAM S. SIMS THE PERMANENT RANK OF ADMIRAL. 
 
 July 18, 1919.- -Ordered printed, and so much as refers to military matters to the 
 Committee on Military Affairs and so much as refers to the Navy to the Com- 
 mittee on Naval Affairs. 
 
 To the Senate and House of Representatives: 
 
 I take the liberty of calling your attention to a matter which I 
 am sure is at the heart of the whole country, and which I have had 
 very much in mind throughout all these months when we were 
 trying to arrange a peace that would be worthy of the spirit and 
 achievements of the men who won the victory in the field and on 
 the sea. After mature reflection, I earnestly recommend that you 
 give the permanent rank of general to John J. Pershing and Peyton 
 C. March, expressing the law in such a way as to give precedence to 
 Gen. Pershing; and that you give the permanent rank of admiral 
 to .William S. Benson and William S. Sims. I take it for granted 
 that I am only anticipating your own thoughts in proposing these 
 honors for the men upon whom the principal responsibilities devolved 
 for achieving the great results which our incomparable Navy and 
 Army accomplished. 
 
 Woodrow Wilson. 
 
 The White House, 
 
 18 July, 1919. 
 
 O 
 
LIBRARY OF W«u" 
 
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