The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-06-02
SCOTT WILL LEAD?
RUMOR is HE WILL COMMAND
FIRST AMERICAN ARMY THAT
GOES TO EUROPE.
BELL ALSO A POSSIBILITY
Big Engineering Force That Is to Be
sent to France Speedily Will Find
Plenty of Work and Will Release
Soldiers for Fighting.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
westinghouse may be that Gen
hugh l.. Scott, chief Of staff. United
states army, will be the commanding
officer of the first great expeditiOnary
force TO be sent into France. This
takes no cognizance of the engineer
regiments which are to be sent into
France quickly TO carry on construc-
ton work.
Hugh l.. Scott will retire from active
service because Of the age limit on Sep
TENDER % next. This is one reason
why rumOr may be wrong in assigning
MIN to the command of the expedition
airy force, but it must be said that
rulnor in the present case seems to be
fairly well substantiated.
Another reason which would stand
In ordinary times as a deterrent to the
plan to give Scott the command is that
there are several major generals on the
active list in the army who rank him
ana who are younger than he. OF
course 1t must be understood that i'm |
cases like this rank does not neces- |
sarily count. A man is picked for job |
and that ends it.
Through nearly forty years of sery-
Ice General Scott was a cavalry officer.
He graduated from West Point in 1876
and entered the Ninth cavalry as a
second lieutenant. From that day I'M
I'll Few years ago, when he was given
general rank, he served solely with
mounted troops.
IL Not Scott, Perhaps Bell.
There is story today to the effect
that if General Scott is not given the
command of the expeditionary force il
will go to J. Franklin Bell. Bells ca
reer has been given prior to this time.
he Is a medal-Of-honOr man and was {
attached to the cavalry during the most
OF his junior service. General Bell was
sixty-one years old January 8 last. t
Gen. Thomas III. Barry, now sta Ii
toned In Chicago, like Bell, ranks \
Scott. Barry will be sixty-two years b
old ON October 13 of this year. He Is a n
noted officer Of fine service and Is one b
OF the men under whom Roosevelt said Il
ne would like to serve as junior off I
GER The other one mentioned by the b;
colonel was Leonard Wood, now Use S,
questered' or "sequestrated," which Il
ever Is better, at Charleston, S. C.. in
Already they are beginning to gossip
IN Washington about the possible or as
even probable intention of the authori- is
les to keep General Wood where he is it
and to send Junior officer with the st
1rst eXpeditfOnary force to France. WI
wood Is the youngest of the major gen. tic
rails. Even Pershing. who Is regarded
as one of the youngsters, Is
hree weeks older than Wood. 1t looks oo
oday as If General Wood was to he 90,
.ept where he Is until much bigger T :
orce shall go abroad than the one 40
which apparently it is the intention to w.;
end quickly. '"
No.h;, ,., gu
Nothing positive as yet can be said e.,
bout the composition Of the troops
hitch will form the first expeditionary o
)rce. or course 1T will be a balanced a.
)rce with proper representation of ~,
lie cavalry, artillery, infantry and the ~ "a.
Their branches. Judging from what
GEMS to be the logic of things the ex-
edition will be about equally divided ,o,,
etween regulars and National Guards no Ia.
en-. ms
Plenty for Engineers to Do. Ia, ,"l'
Americas first contribution Of SOL A.
ers to the allied forces in Europe -
as made up of hospital units. They
e as much part of the army as is vii
e cavalry and taking things alto sus
Their they are In their way the more
eful. The engineers next will lie
lied upon to contribute to the CAM "
Ign In France. OF course there will
sufilc1ent force of engineers with
first division which goes over TO do
e divisions work, but Uncle Sam will am
nd to France as big an engineering rs
roe as possible, and send it quickly elo
There is plenty of work for Ameri- to w.,
engineering troops in France ot ,I;a
present moment, work which II is 49,.
'ential. should be done to maintain w.,
es of communication for the allied r..
MES and to prepare the way for the ;,a,
ming of the American soldiers of tho ~,
g. IL
rho ro;Irooa .,,,., proc
on ,n.r,oa.o -, "ice touay alOn
49,. L., g -, iuii''reuS or that
'rt lines of road have been built to 49,
Ike communication easy with the DIFF. 49,
ent sections Of the army. There is ~
enough rolling stock. however in 80 .',
lnce, and it has been necessary to ot..
ach men from the fighting line 70 do baa.,
railroad work. The regiments of -,
nao thot Las t VII, Ill want In ditto
nee that has been sharply felt for we'll
better part of the year. thn
Might Crush U-Boat Bases
.ear Admiral William S. Sims of tho -
erican navy has been In Paris in -,
ti,,,, c.. n"' u ooarus repre- solid
'ussion, 1t is understood, had 70 do tha
the submarine menace. While the tho ,
ference in Paris was going on q min,
plete plan for a preliminary cam noro,
IN with the United States and Rrit- 90 10
navies as partners was being drawn Storv
naval officers of the allied nations
ouncil assembled in Washington.