The Delta independent., 1917-05-18

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so far as the commissioned ranks were
concerned. The army. 1t is held here,
however, will need officers and more
officers, and if all the willing men. and
men in whom the qualities Of command
are latent and can be brought out, are
sent out with the first forces, 1t Is
asked If 1t is to be expected that out
of the ranks of the unwilling the Unit
ed States can get officers of spirit and
understanding
SIackers Not Good Officers.
Here is what an American soldier
has said:
mo Stacker ever made n good col
Onel, nor a good second lieutenant, nor
good corporal, nor good private
Sometimes the Stacker is only indiffer
ent in temperament and when he gets
into the service he makes good sol
der, but he needs proper leadership.
He could get it from the men of will
ing spirit and adaptability to the les
sons of command. If all such men
had to be taken into the ranks at the
first and sent to Europe. there perhaps
to be killed or MANNED. who would be
lethargic the proper training to make
of him good first line fighter?"
Some of our troops probably will go
quickly to Europe, but enough good
soldiers will stay here for training
purposes. When the troops of our
army get into the instruction camps
they will enter school which is diff
ferent in its instruction and in Its
methods from the army schools of an
other day. On the continent maneu-
vers, tactics and strategy have shown
marked changes from the battle and
campni"nings of other years. Men
read daily of entanglements of barbed
wire and of obstacles to advance which
make the old pointed stake obstruc-
ton seem easy going. The American
troops will be trained to get over and
through things, no matter what they
are.
Wall-scaling is comparatively easy
practice, but wall-scaling is the cas-
lest of the things which the recruit
soldiers of eight weeks standing will
be taught at the American camps of
military instruction.
Generals in Their New Posts.
Mai. Gen. Leonard Wood has gone
into headquarters at Charleston, S. c.,
to take command of the Southeastern
department; Maj. Gen. Franklin
Bell has moved into the quarters just
vacated by General Wood at Govern
or's Island, and Brig. Gen. Clarence
II. Edwards has found station and
quarters as commander of the New
England department with headQuar-
ters at Boston.
So It is that May. the moving month
of Americans. has seen the first army
transportations probably solved. Cen
eral Wood. ranking officer of the Unit
ed States army. has gone to his semi
subordinate command at Charleston
with loyalty to orders and a cheer
fulness of demeanor that marks the
true soldier.
Major General Bell, who will find
that his predecessor, General Wood.
has set things in order for him In the
big New York department, is a soldier
of rare experience and rare attain
ment. 1t is understood that he feels
the responsibility which rests upon his
in which superior officer made good.
General Edwards, who left his for
mer command on the Isthmian Canal
Zone two weeks ago. stopped in Wash
lngton for day and then went to
New York to confer with General
Wood, and thence he went to Boston
to take up the problems which will
confront him In the newly made de-
partment.
Edwards. like Bell, will discover that
Wood has helped him much. General
Woods former command Included all
the eastern part of the United States.
The coast problems from the Gulf to
East Cape. Maine. We're solved in large
part by the man who has gone to
Charleston.
New Problems Confront Them.
II must not be thought. however.
that the three general officers now on
the eastern coast and the other gen
eral officers Pershing In the South
west. Barry in Chicago, Sibert on the
Pacific coast and others elsewhere
will not have new problems confront
ing them. A great army is to be raised
and trained. and detachments of It will
go into camp Mt different places
throughout the United States. The re-
sponsibility for the proper training Of
these men, for the proper care. and for
turning them ms quickly as possible In
to good soldiers will rest on the major
generals and brigadier generals In
whose departments the camps are
pitched.
The factors in the problem are many.
Some of them are prime factors and