Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-17

PROFESSIONAL jealousy is not limited to
L any one profession and appears in the
armies of nations both in time of peace and
in time of war. 1t entered into the attempt
to GUST General Joffre from command of the
French forces and was ably assisted in that
attempt by the impatence of the national
legislature with the slow progress in eXpell-
ing the Germans from the borders. Other
commanders -in-c chief in other wars have had
similar experiences. Washington, especially
during the first four years of the Revolu-
tion, was obliged to watch and circumvent
his enemies among the colonsts, among the
far-famed patriots of '76," as well as his
enemies Lord Howe and the British soldiers.
Indeed despite all that may be said about
the devotion of the colonists to the cause of
freedom they hampered him in the perform
ance of his great task to an extent utterly
unbelievable to a reader of school text
books. Patient he was, but If General Wash
ington flung savage oath into the face of
Charles Lee at Monmouth 1t was a natural
outburst of wrath for all that he had borne
of criticism and intrigue and insult ever
since he took command of the army at Cam
bridge from some of his hest generals and
from some of the leading lights of the Cont
mental Congress.
knows, was a farce until the battle of Sara
toga-Washngton, Lafayette and Baron Won
steuben put it on its feet. Unframed troops
and inexperienced officers were not the worst
of 1t, but they counted Nearly 10000 men
were enlisted during the war, but never in
the course of the whole struggle were more
than 1900 available for fighting purposes.
More than once Washington expected that
the end of the week or the month would find
his own immediate army dwindled to mat
ter of five hundred men so. It was an
unreliable, sometimes even a cowardly army
that he commanded, a constantly dissolving
army, augmented from time to time by three
months, six months and nine months en-
listments and by accessions from cities and
countrysides when these were closely ap-
preached or actually invaded by the British.
Again and again his own officers thwarted his
best-laid plans. Desertions innumer-
able. The people had an abject horror of a
standing army. These are but few of the
difficulties with which the commander-in-
chief had to contend. and yet on this show
ing it's no wonder that he put his whole
heart into his later public appeals to the new
nation in behalf of real preparedness for war
He knew very we'll. too. that the Revolution
was not won on American soil, Neither was
Napoleon.
A Nagging Congress
Congress nagged and nagged him. In those
first months of the war, many more than
twelve OF them, Samuel Adams could not
comprehend why Washington did not win
great victories and lay them at the feet OF
Congress. John Adams. also, was continually
finding fault John Adams, after the battle
of Saratoga. wrote to his wife that one cause
Of thanksgiving was that the tide had not
been turned by the Communicating chief and
the southern troops for the adulation would
have been impossible. Richard Henry Lee
of Washington's own State, was another pro-
life fault-nnder Congress hampered the
commander in other ways than by criticism
by failure to cooperate In making an army
and keeping it together. for instanee-but its
discomfort and impatienes furnished trouble
enough and the plotters against the ofieial
life OF Washington found "oodles'' OF aid
and comfort there.
James Lowell. member OF the Congress-
made for himself a little niche in the temple
of fame by his part in the intrigues against
Washington. He was one OF the most active
in the effort to ouat Washington ana make
Gates commander-in-c -chief-Gates, who. by
taking New England's view IN the Vermont
dispute. had won the regard OF the two
powerful Adamses; Gates, who In December
of 1T76 had failed to obey orders ana join
washington in the Trenton campaign, and
instead had ridden on 70 tell Congress OF the
foolishness Of Washinston's plans; Gates
who had preferred foolish, malicious charges
against Schuyler and Arnold, ana by spread
ing prejudice and Misunderstanding concern
ing the latter had brought upon that un.
fortunate man the Sights ana insults which
undermined his patriotism; Gates to whom
went All the glory Of the victory Of Saratoga.
rightly regarded today as the turning point