The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-07-06
AMERICAS FUTURE GREAT COM.
WANDER PROBABLY AMONG
NEW GENERALs.
PROMOTIONS SEEM JUSTIFIED
Personal "reminiscences Of Morrison,
sIbert, Morton, shanks, sturgls,
Bundy and Hale-Their Careers
Will Be Watched With Interest.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

| LHc army
Somewhere in the list Of officers
who We're designated by the president
for promotion recently probably Is the
name of an American Haig, Joffre,
Petain or Nivelle.
The American people will watch the
careers of these general officers or
their army. There probably will be q
personal interest in them that was
shown by the people of Great Britain
in their general officers during the
first year of the hostilities In France.
The British knew that commanders
were to be made and unmade by the
force of battle events.
Your correspondent knows personal
ly many of these newly made major
generals and brigadier generals. With
some of them he has a close personal
friendship dating back to West Point
days. Several of the men soon to see
service in France were classmates OF
mine and a majority Of those named
were students at the academy during
| the time OF my cadetSnlp.
New Generals Have Fine Records.
There is perhaps not one of the new
ly appointed general officers whose
army record does not give justification
for his advancement. Opinions on
this, of course, will differ in the army,
but in the main the list is one which
shows more careful selection and an
avoidance of that army devil, favorit-
ism.
| The three new major generals of the
army, John F. Morrison, William L.
Sibert and Charles G. Morton, all were
at the academy together, although no
two of them graduated in the same
year. Morrison was an 81 man, Nor
ton an '83 man and Sibert an "a man.
Let us take them In the order of rank.
John F. Morrison was known at the
academy as Babe" not because he
was babyish, but because he was small
of stature, a characteristic Of physique
which has not changed with the years
except little literally.
Maj. Gen. William L. Sibert was a
classmate of mine at the Military
academy, and for years he has been
one of my closest personal friends.
; Sibert, because of his size, was known
as Goliath" So soon, side by side on
the battle front Of France, will appear
two American major generals who re-
ceived their cadet niRknames for dia-
metrically opposite physical reasons.
AS a cadet Sibert stuck to job I'M
til he finished it, and it made little diff
ference what it was. He was peril
nacity In person and he was one Of
the most brilliant students the acad-
envy ever had known. One Of the rea-
sons probably why Sibert was pro-
NOTED over the heads of other officers
was the knowledge Of the officials of
the war department that he had been
insistent from the beginning Of his
career In putting into instant operation
the things that he had learned.
Maj. Gen. Charles G. Morton, who
has received his promotion with Nor
rison and Sibert had nickname at
the academy, which was dropped, as
soon as his young irresponsible class
mates graduated. Morton was known
as "Beak," for, with the usual way of
youth, which is not always kindly, al
though probably meaning SO to be,
Morton was given the name because he
had, and doubtless still has, big
nose.
Morton a Hard Student.
For years Charles G. Morton has
been more or less Of marked man in
the army because Of his constant and
hard study of army problems.
Of the 18 colonies who were pro-
noted to be brigadier generals two
were classmates Of mine at the acad-
emy-David G. Shanks and Samuel D.
Sturgls. Shanks Is Virginian. He
is an outstanding mountaineer. I can
see his face and his tow head today as
they appeared on the day Of his report
ing at the Military academy in the
year 1880. Shanks Is one Of the army's
favorites. He was popular as a cadet
and there is every evidence of his pop
ularity in the army.
Brig. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis is a |
son of General Sturgis Of Civil war
fame, who, after the war, commanded |
the Seventh cavalry. One of Samuel |
Sturgis' brothers was killed under Gus
ter in July, 1875, in the fight with the
Sioux. Sturgis is an artilleryman,
young-looking and man of extraor-
binary vigor.
Omar Bundy Of the class of '83,
who has just been made brigadier |
general, distinguished himself in the
Philippines, particularly in the fight at
the Crater. Bundy is "far from TALL"
being Of a stocky and yet wiry con-
struction. If the cadets in his day had
been as familiar as they should have
been, perhaps, with certain lines of
poetic endeavor, Bundy might have &C.
quired some other nickname than the
one which was given him, but the
cadets knew little Of Omar or of the
annexed surname, and SO Bundy was
dubbed "Bije," and today he is still
"Bije."
Harry G. Hale, now brigadier gen.
eral, has the brightest pair of eyes that
the army possesses. Hale's eyes, ID
SnarkIo means ANYTHING in the way OF