Evening star., 1915-01-03
A&
GEN. HUGH L. SCOTT THE NEW CHIEF OF STAFF, AND
,cH BA5E ~ BdM5AR0 GE1M7N 57Ron6H01z

ord. But the fact that he has won
eminence in scholarship and in the pro-
fession of arms illustrates the many
sidedness of the man. His military life
gave him exceptional opportunities TO
become d student of humanity, and his
attainments as scholar won him a de-
gree and also fitted him for his greater
work as a soldier.
1t is admitted that no man living
knows the American Indian more thor
oughly than does Gen. Scott He has
fought the Indian and conquered him.
but many times more he has reasoned
with him and conquered him even more
completely. The pre-eminent master of
Indian sign language, theauthor of
standard scientific works on American
ethnology. Gen. Scott is quite as we'll
konwn in the field of scholarship as in
his profession.
Lacking political influence or power
full friends, Gen. Scott was thirty years
in the army before the country at large
came to know his name at all. His
work, remarka BILE as it was, was done
out of the public eye. He did not have
the faculty of pushing himself forward
But in recent years the reward has
come. Promotion, SO long delayed while
younger men leaped over his head, has
been rapid. And now he heads the
army.
Observe him at his desk in the War
Department, his bullet-torn hands, shy
several fingers. busy with the multi
ing his orders in gentle, conversational
tones, his appearance, his manner, his
attitude precisely the same as when he
was a major of the line those few
years ago. modest, democratic, kindly.
The erect head, the Keen searching e
eyes. the strong jaw proclaim the man
who is master of himself, fit for COM
mand.
4
Sam know him even better than the
civilized folk know him. With the
Indians of the west and with the saw
age peoples of the Sulu archipelago
the name of Scott is held in reverence
Their faith in him is absolute, their
devotion answering.
Away back in 1891. when occurred
through all the west the last serious
Indian outbreak, when, in some mys-
terious manner the Indians from the
Canadian line to the Mexican border
suddenly fell victims TO the Messia h
craze, went to ghost dancing and left
their reservations for the warpath. the
grim Jest that was banded about
through the army posts ran:
THE United States Army is holding
down the Indians in the northwest
Scott is holding them down in the
southwest"
1t was generally admitted that Scott
did the better job of the two.
Ever since then, whenever the In
dians anywhere get restless and trou-
Bile starts, both the Interior Depart
ment, which has jurisdiction over the
Indians and the War Department set
up the cry Send for Scott
Experience has shown that 1t is far
better. cheaper and more efficient &c
put Scott on the job of bringing peace
10 the troubled Indian souls than tc
send out a squadron of cavalry, as was
done in ancient days.
Back in 1908, when Scott was serving
as superintendent of the Military
Academy at West Point. the Navajos in
New Mexico and the Mexican kicka-
poos in Arizona. started trouble. Scott
was yanked away from West Point
sent among the hostiles practically
alone, and presently the trouble was all
over.
Again in 1911 when the Hopi indians
in Arizona flew the track Scott wen,
down and brought them back. Only a
year ago, when more of these sporadic
disturbances started, this time in the
Navaj 10 country, Scott had to leave his
cavalry command on the Mexican bor-
der and adjust matters. These are bu
few instances.
How does he do it? Because HI
knows the savage and the savage