Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1917-09-21
Men Recently Appointed 10 High
Rank WIN Be on Trial
In Camp.
none But BEST Will LEAD
Work In Training Camps VIII Decide
Who Are to Command Troops
on Fighting Line IN
BY EDWARD Q. CLARK.

- BY EDWARD Q. CLARK. :
Washington. - When the training
camps for the men Of the new National
army are pitched and tho young Amer.
leans march In to begin their military
studies, every one Of them can know
that the officers who are in command,
particularly those Of the highest ranks,
also are Just entering school to learn
lessons.
/. II may not be that the officers Of
the service who are to rule over the
new camps either as major generals or
brigadier generals have full realization
that such Is the case, but the fact is
that In q large sense these officers
themselves are entering into camps
where, like the young civilians who
Joined the officers reserve camps, they
must either make good or get out.
There are many general officers ap-
pointed to high rank recently who must
center their bodily and mental efforts
on the work ahead. With the officers
Of regulars who have been appointed
there are the brigadier generals Of the
National Guard and the two major gen.
erals Of the same organization who
also must make good or step down aud
out before the times comes to 60 to
France,
The reasons for this ought to be ap
parent. The United States has en-.
tered upon war which Is to be car
'ried on after new military methods
Few Of the men. II any. who now hold
major general rank ever have had 40
opportunity 30 much as to see o divi.
sion Of troops in the feid., let alone
opportunity to command q division. |
I Must Make Good
Tho work which these major gener
als and brigadler generals Of regulars
lnd Of National Guardsmen do In the
training camps will decide whether or
not they ore to be allowed To continue
their work In command of large bodies
of troops on the fighting line La France.
II takes only O reading Of the list
OF the names Of the officers recantly
given general rank N tho army to
prove that the United States finally
has an army In the field none Of whose
commanding officers received promo |
ton because Of political influence. ID |
1893 when the Spanish war began, men
with political pull In some instances
were given high commands The 70 !,
suits In a number Of cases we're disas, |
trous The general staff Of the army,
aided by civilian officials Of the war
department succeeded In preventing
political influence from taking effect
In tho recent promotions to high army
rank.
There are yet to be appointed a good
many men to field work service in the
new National army. that is to the
ranks Of colonel and lieutenant colo
mel and major. Il 10 not believed that
political influence win avail to affect
these promotions any more than II
ayailed In the naming Of major gener.
ais and brigndier generals. The war
department has realized. and has said
cd, that II may have to 60 outside Of
the army and the National Guard to
secure the services Of some officers
for comparatively high rank. There
Will not be enough material IN the
service TO supply all the fleld officers
needed II must DO remembered that
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