Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-04
PERSHING'S MEN
REAL AMBITIOUS
Professionals" in France Are
Eager to Get Training for
Commissions.
WORKING ENTHUSIASTICALLY
First Into Trenches Will Be
First to Become Instruc-
tors Later On.
WORKING ENTHUSIASTICALLY
(By GEORGE r. BYE)

WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
IN TIT FIELD IN FRANCE (via
London), oct. l7.-There is only one
place in England or France where !
have found positive wishing FOR
the unconditional continuance of the
war. | cannot tell you the exact place
because they won't let me, but it's
where | am and these friends of war
are none other than Uncle Sans
young men whom l see hopping
around in their great coats today, just
as enthusiastically as if there were not
one of . those accidental California
floods falling out of the skies.
Being enlisted men, some of them
of many years service, our boys III
France believe they will take precc
Gence over drafted men in recommen-
dation for officers commissions They
realize. as does every visitor, that
General Pershing is in the process OF
building a magnificent war machine
of which the seasoned first eXpedi
tionary force is the foundation. A few
of the high h-steppers actually see the
"Pershing professionals" as they
sometimes call themselves, as a legion
of officers More than that-they
have visions of themselves strutting
back to their humble gray homes in
the west" as captains, majors, colonels,
generals, the degree depending upon
the glory of individual imagination.
The one and only apprehension is, if
the war will last long enough. Sup
lose Germany should lie down before
we hit her?
To BE Instructor.
The process of singing out the best
men is proceeding now. Any day |
can see increasing or dwindling
~ oil yntt ti.,.,. aial
training apart from the main bodies.
They are to be the first to go into the
trenches and when they have had a
certain amount of experience, back
they will come to act as post graduate
instructors for the hosts expected
from over the seas They they will
have such topnotch non-commis-
stoned officer standing that a climb
to commission will be but one short
step This Will partially explain the
high voltage of zeal that animates our
fighters in training. When class In
bayonetting or bombarding or mark
manship notices that the most profi-
cient of its number are absent when
they fall in of a morning only to turn
up at mess and explain, with outra-
geous elevation of chin, that they are
in advanced classes, why it stirs a
fellow up; but, once having attained
one of the select groups, you have to
push even harder to hold your place.
Just let your craftsmanship get a
bit off or fail to show enough jumpi-
ness when in the hands of those light
ning-q quick British sergeant instructors,
or be guilty OF conduct not becoming
to an American soldier, and back to
the ranks you go, so suddenly that one
of those five-second bombs might be
moving you. The watchful eye of a
lieutenant colonel is upon YOU and
what he wants to see is the stuff that
officers are made of-mainly atten-
tions and quick omprehension-be-
cause you have to follow swiftly before
you can lead.
There's one body of our forces that
needs little foreign instruction, and
don't know about field telephones and
wireless and other means of military
communication can only be learned
in action. However, they have a few
newcomers in their midst who are In
the most exacting school of their
young lives. Didn't | see one student
army telegrapher sitting out Oh a rain
swept hill this afternoon and over him
no conpanionable umbrella but n
stern, sharp-ea young lieutenant?
The sender's arm was so painfully tired
because he had dot and dashed the
same doggoned field message eleven
times and yet the last thing I heard
was that severe young lieutenant snap
ping, Somewhat better, but you're
still forty-three seconds slow. Shoot
it again"