The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-12-03
General Pershing Is Quick on
Trigger; Sibert a Tire
less Worker.
EACH HAS Big MANS Job
Commander In Chief Forces Thinqs
Along at Top Speed, While Sibert
Watches Details and Insists
on Accuracy.

both efficient, both trained In the same
school, both In the same line of serv-
Ice, probably never offered stronger
contrast than Gen. John ]. Pershing,
commander Of the expedition, and Maj.
Gen William l.. Sibert. division COM
mander. Working as a team, whip
ping our troops into shape for the
grueling struggle awaiting them. 1t
would be hard to find a better COM
bination. Each has a heroic-sized mans
Job and leading a great army In these
days offers many man-sized Jobs,
writes Junius B. Wood In the Chicago
News.
Pershing is Of the quick-on-the-trig-
ger style.
Sibert vii be sure that the powder
Is dry.
Pershing is of the dashing type,
nervous, always on the go, like a Jul
charged battery, stirring everybody he
In contact with. forcing them
along at top speed. He tells what he
wants 1t Is up to the staff he has
picked to see that II is carried out.
He'll be sure to know and they'll know
IL 1t isn't He gives a sharp glance at
q company at attention, picks out a
man whose eyes are wandering, tells
the company commander what Is
wrong-a few crisp, pointed words
which are not forgotten-and the CON-
mander knows how to bring the 9TH
ers up to standard. He also realizes
that he had better. Pershing fought
Moros, administered provinces when an
iron hand was necessary, rides day
and night In the field and In the Office
holds his conferences through the day
and reads reports most OF the night.
sibert q MethodicaI Worker.
Sibert Is deliberate. methodical, a
t~ireless worker. watching every detail,
lnsistent that reports of his under ON
GERS be accurate, comprehensive, COW
ering every angle, of the type that is
persistent and sure. His voice Is sell
dom raised above its quiet, even tone.
He walks through the village street
from his headquarters to his mess each
day ut the same gait and the same
hour. 1t may be a momentous incl
dent that will delay him a minute, or
prevent him from being back at his
desk at the minute he calculated on.
When he inspects a company he stops
In front Of each man. His comments
to the commanding officer are fatherly
In tone. Sibert helped build the Pan
anna canal. He is an engineer with a
training for accuracy that figures
down to thousandths Of inches.
Once when General Pershing was
making his flying trip Of inspection on
his first visit to the American army
zone, a smile twitched the OF
his stern lips. A sergeant, one Of the
old-time ''non-coms" who knew army
regulations like his Hoyle, was drilling
a platoon, mostly gawking, raw re-
cruits. Out of the corner Of his eye
he saw the general and a following Of
officers striding across the field in his
direction.
Attention" he shouted in stem
toriAn tones and the men made their
best efforts to assume a military poise.
Brace up, yer standin' like a lot o.
old wimmen," growled the sergeant In
q tone meant only for his men. The
general, half a dozen strides ahead OF
the rest Of the party, caught 1t. His
iron gray mustache could not cover
the smile. He did not criticize that
company. Instead he veered OF to
another with a less exacting drill
sergeant.
Pershlng Was Interested.
On the same field q sergeant who
had won honors In bayonet fencing
was drilling a company In the art.
General Pershing was interested. He
wanted to see that. It appealed to his
love for action.
A colonel Of marines who accom-
panied him carried a natty bamboo
cane. That was Just what the gen.
eral needed. He took the a Then
to the ~edifcation Of the officers, also
such Of the men as dared glance up
from their work. the general gave a
demonstration Of fencing, the life and
death style of a battlefield. With the
little cane In his right hand he jabbed,
lunged, plunged. jumped forward,
skipped sideways, each thrust impal-
ing an imaginary foe.
vicious, vigorous, that's what's
wanted" he said. SECT the man and
on to the next one. Theren not be
time In a battle to practice the fine
points of fencing"
General Sibert says that two-thirdi
Of the time Of the staff officers OF any
expedition. IL 1t is run properly. is de.
voted to planning for the comfort and
health of the men. He can tell you
how each company II billeted, how
many cases Of sickness there ars
among the expedition. what proper
ton Of their increased pay the mer
are saving and how the expedition Il
equipped for fighting.
There are two big Jobs with two biz
men to I'LL them. The dashing Perish
ing and the methodical Slbert make I
team that will be hard to beat wh9G
their machine once start.