Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-22
GENERAL CURR|E
ONCE WAS BROKER
..
Ability to Deliver Goods Wins
Him Command of Army
Corps.
SAVED BRITISH At YPREs
Methods of Taking Soldiers Into.
Confidence Makes Him Pop
ular With Men.
SAVED BRITISH AT YPREs

LONDON, July 21.-Following a toor
Of the Canadian sector on the western
front. F. A. Mckenzie gtves his impres-
sions OF Sir Arthur Currie. new chief
of the Maple Leaf contingent, and tho
reasons for his popularity.
Pointing out that but three years
ago Sir Arthur was broker in Can
ada. the writer adds that his appoint.
ment to the command of a British army
corps Is due solely to his ability 10
deliver the goods"
There is full confidence among All
who know his work that Currie with
the Canadians. like SHUTS with tho
South Africans, will prove the right
man for the post" says Mr.. McKenz1e.
This confidence 10 greatest of All
among the Canadian soldiers o6 all
ranks who now serve under him. -.
Here is big man, giant physft.:
cally. with big, clean-shaven faee. Tho
eyes are laughing eyes. and his face
has tho freshness and clearness or
youth. A quiet man he is. neither fussy
nor blusterer. genial. man to mako
friends and to keep them.
That Is ones first impression. R,,t
takes stern mould. For tho ultfn,ate
impression of the man is ono OF
strength. man with a punch. \
soldier who gets there with a xnriIat
II smiling docs It. but gets there an
the time. ~
Arthur Currte Is III. Outnrbo x.zn
He settled in Victoria first m a school,
master, made a record in life insurance
even for the west, and developed tnta
the real estate business. ~
In the days before tho war tho sver..
Canadian did not take soldering ssri-.
ously-Currie did. He save tho best
OF himself to the efficiency OF hts NIL,
ina, and that at time when most
mcnt gave tho possibility of serious
war scarcely-a thought. 80
Inen came the great days OF Auxux4.
1919. Canada sprang to arms. In Tia
second battle of Ypres, whore Canada
saved the entire British line, Curria
proved himself practical soldier
When General Anderson was promoted
from the First Canadian Division tn
inc command OF the Canadian Corpe
Currlc succeeded him as majo--seneraL,
Ihat was in September 1915. Hero mo
westerner had his opportunity and
made full use Of it,
What is General Curries secret n.
soldier? First comes the quality OF
the man himself. He is a big magnetic
personality. His men serve him to the
end because they love and admire him.
His methods center around four
points-the elaborate organization OF
intelligence: the complete co-ordina.
ton of all arms; the development to its
utmost point of the platoon systom:i
and tho cultivation OF responsibility II:
the individual soldier. =.
Every part of his unit moves ON =
great occasion like a section OF n bi.
machine. Guns. Infantry. aircraft work
together to the second. He has brought
the platoon system to perfection.
Each platoon Is a complete unit IN.
itself. taught TO act by itself and WIN
all weapons at its command to do
everything necessary. And he trusts
the mon in the ranks. The private
soldier is told fully and frankly what
ne is TO do when great move Is on,
and why he is to do 1t. He Is ahown,
maps and plans and photographs. ana
reels that he Is taken into the conf
dence OF his general
AS commander of the First Canadian
Division. General Currie has UNDER
taken some of the most arduous enter.
prises of tho war. The brigades under
him accomplished more than once the
seemingly IMPOSSIBLE" =.