Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-08

Uu dM, 0AO St4Aucb vxcCWtl 4AAW eAM4o buckled his cartridge belt about TT waist mounted Ills horse and pluno1 through the swamp. On the other slde he climbed up the bank, lathered with mud, and approaching General Mao Arthur saluted, saying, "Sir, I have the honor to report" and 50 on to the end of his story, while the general snsped In amazement.
 One of his troopers tells another sto- " of Bells quick action in an emer. gency. It happened after the rising Of fcer had become colonel of the Thirty sixth volunteer infantry and was pounding Porac periodically. Porac is a town in Luzon.
 to garrison Porac," says this trooper, "and do outside fighting, too. so VIC had habit O hikin' Into Porac about ever other day an capturin' the town, an nex' day the Gugus 'uld come in an capture it back. We used to say when things wuz slack-llke, We'll, we'll go in an capture Porac before break fast for exercise One day we wuz stripped, swimmin' ln a crick, and lot of Fillles begins operations on our right. Colonel Bell, who was swimmin' with us, jist buckled his belt an hol- ster aroun' his waist, mounted his hoss an tuck out after them Gugus. f1rin' as he rode. They thought he wuz a whole army, I reckon. for they scattered like a bunch O bay steers"
 The "Suicide Club"
 So dashing in his fighting operations was Bell that the other soldiers called his regiment the Suicide club" The colonel was dubbed "Daredevil'' Bell. At Manila a war correspondent an- nounced his intention to go out and get with Bells forces.
 You're foolish to do that" snid an old army officer. You just stay here in town and commit suicide. That will save you the trouble of the long trip, and the results will be the same."
 General Bell-he soon got to be . brigadier general of volunteers and then a regular army brigadier-believ- ed that the way to fight the Filipinos was to go after them and hit them hard They wouldn't stand up and fight he said. Accordingly he instruct ed his officers in his theory of fighting, and they put 1t to practice. One result was that more medals of honor and more promotions for merltorious serv- ice or gallantry in action came to Bells troops than to any other troops in the Philippines. Bell himself while still volunteer colonel received a medal of honor through congress at the sugges- ton of his commanding general and the president of the United States. In fight near Porac he rode far ahead of his command, chasing all alone two Filipino officers and i've privates. He captured captain and two privates and brought them into camp. General Elwell S. Otis in commenting him to the war department for distinguished bravery in battle remarked that Bell repeatedly had done things like this, "and the wonder was that he was stiIl alive"
 This recalls a little story that Is told of General Bell since he returned to the United States. In the army ma- neuvers at Fort Riley during a sham battle General Barry told his cavalry. men to keep sharp eye out for Gen. eral Bell "He will be sure to expose himself to danger" said Barry, ''and you must get him."
 General Bell did expose himself, the cavalry swooped down. and he was forced to fee precipitately. The um- plres formally decided that Bell had been captured. Bell objected with em- phasis.
 Possibly I was killed' he said, ''but I wasn't captured-neverw
 And 30 the man who at forty-one was disgusted because inc expected to re- tire at sixty-foury as a captain is now at fifty the chief of stan. According to popular conception. General Bell Is giv- ing orders to his superiors-the six major generals and Lieutenant General MacArthur. As a matter of fact, an age long precedent has been overturn- ed here, Bell being the first officer in the army even to have the appearance of giving orders to his superiors. Tn one sense this is turning military tra- ditions topsy turvy, though when the situation Is properly boiled down there is found to be much more fuss than feathers in the pot. Other interesting facts are that General Bell Is the first man without civil war experience to be chief of stan and the first West Pointer to hold that post. In fact. the general seems to have habit of getting there first.
 Captain Bells promotion to general without stopping at way stations was one of several recent instances of rapid transit to high rank which In their cumulative effect have tossed army tra- dltions to the winds. and the brign- dIer's assignment to the highly impor- tant post of chief of statf was another. This new order in our army means promotion by merit Instead of by seniority, or. to put it another way. it means the selection for high position and important work of officers who have shown their fitness for such e. lection by deeds done when opportuni- ty offered. as in the case of this Ken tuckisn. who may be called the Francis