The Delta independent., 1917-05-25
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 VIII Find
Plenty of Work and VIII Release
Soldiers for Fighting.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.

Washington.-lt may be that Gen.
Hugh l.. Scott, chief of staff, United
States army, will be the commanding
officer of the first great expedtionary
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-
tion work.
Hugh l.. Scott will retire from active
service because of the age limit on Sep
tember % next. This is one reason
why rumor may be wrong in assigning
him to the command of the expedition
AIRY force. but II must be said that
ruInor in the present case seems to be
fairly well substantiated.
Another reason which would stand
in ordinary times as 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
and who are younger than he. OF
course 1t must be understood that in
cases like this rank does not neces-
sarlly count. man is picked for job
and that ends 1t.
Through nearly forty years of serv-
ice General Scott was n cavalry officer.
He graduated from West Point. in 1876
and entered the Ninth cavalry as n
second lieutenant. From that day un-
Ill a few years ago. when he was given
general rank, he served solely with
mounted troops.
II Not Scott, Perhaps Bell.
There is a story today TO the effect
that n General Scott is not given the
command OF the expeditionnry force it
viii go 10 J. Franklin Bell Bells ca
reer has been given prior 10 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 last.
Gen. Thomas IL. Barry. now sta
toned In Chicago, like Bell. ranks
Scott. Barry will be sixty-two years
old on October 13 OF this year. He is n
noted officer OF fine service and is one
of the men under whom Roosevelt said
he would like to serve as n Junior Off
Ger. The other one mentioned by the
colonel was Leonard Wood, now "se-
questered" or "sequestrated." which,
ever is better. Mt Charleston. S. C.
Already they are beginning TO gossip
in Washington about the possible or
even probable intention of the authori-
ties to keep General Wood where he Is
and to send n Junior officer with the
first expeditionnry force to France.
Wood Is the youngest Of the major gen
erals. Even Pershing. who is regarded
generally as one OF the youngsters. is
three weeks older than Wood. II looks
today as IL General Wood was to be
kept where he is until n much bigger
force shall go abroad than the one
which apparently 1t is the intention to
send quickly.
Nothing positive rs yet can be said
about the composition of the eroops
which will form the first expeditionary
force. OF course II will be balanced
force with Il proper representation of
the cavalry. artillery. infantry and the
other branches. Judging from what
seems to he the logic of things the ex.
pedition will be about equally divided
between regulars and National Guards
men.
Plenty for Engineers to Do.
Americas first contribution of sol
diers to the allied forces in Europe
was made up of hospital units. They
are ms much n part of the army as is
the cavalry and taking things alto
gether they are In their way the more
useful. The engineers next will lie
called upon to contribute to the cam
paign In France. or course there win
be n sufficient force of engineers with
the first division which goes over to do
the divisions work, but Uncle Sam will
send TO France as big an engineering
force as possible. and send 1t quickly.
There Is plenty OF work for Ameri-
can engineering troops In France at
the present moment. work which II is
essential should he done to maintain
lines of communication for the allied
armies and to prepare the way for the
coming of the American soldiers OF the
line.
The railroad system In France today
Is an intricate affair. Hundreds of
short lines of road have been built to
make communication easy with the diff
fcren; sections of the army. There is
not enough rolling stock, however, In
France. and II has been necessary to
detach men from the fighting line to do
the railroad work. The regiments OF
American engineers will MI n want In
France that has been sharply felt for
the better part of the year.
Might Crush U-Boat Bases.
Rear Admiral William s. Sims of the
American navy has been in Paris In
with naval boards repre-
senting Great Britain and France. The
II is understood. had to do
with the submarine menace. While the
In Paris was going on