Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-30
EXPECT GEN. KUHN
TO JOIN PERSHING
Commander of Little Penn
Knows Much About Ger
man Army Machine
WAS OBSERVER AT FRONT
By a sta1 Correspondent


CAMP MEADE, Admiral. Md, oct. 30.
Although official confirmation is lack
ing Il is virtually certain that Major Cen
eral Joseph Il. Kuhn, commander of the
seyenty-ninth Division, soon will go to
France as an active commander in the
Pershing expedition.
Al Little Penn, which today Is deluged
In a heavy rain, the absorbing topic of
conversation concerns the transfer of the
can,n's commander and the identity of his
s,,ccessor That Brigadier General w. j.
Nicholson, senior brigadier, will succeed
General Kuhn as commander of the Sew
ertv.ninth Division is the opinion shared
NV ranking officers.
they make no secret of the fact that
General Kuhn, owing to his experience as
an observer when attached to the German
army at the beginning of the war, is needed
nv General Pershing, and that he can rem
der more valuable service on the battle
front than at any of the American canton
nents Two weeks ago General Pershing,
In letters written to the War Department
and General Kuhn, expressed his desire for
General Kuhns services
General Kuhn is eager to take a fling
at the Boches, and in talks with newspaper
men, has made the statement that he would
rather lead a division against the Germans
than be President of the United States
At the beginning of the war he was at
taChed to the Kaisers army as an Amer
lean war observer and knows more about
the methods of the German war machine
than any officer in, the American army.
TOO ACTIVE FOR KAISER
His activity during that period dns.
pleased the Kaiser to such an extent that
General Kuhn was characterized as
scheming American spy and forced to leave
the battle fronts.
As commander of the Seventy.ninth Di.
vision, he has been very successful and de-
spite the late start which the division OBJ.
talned, because of labor troubles incident
10 the building of the cantonment, General
Kuhn has made wonderful strides in the
development of the citizen soldiers.
He feels that the big problems have been
mastered at Little Penn and that General
Nicholson Is amply qualified to take over
two years service in the army and, like
his chief, is rated as one of the best Amer
lean authorities on modern infantry tlctics
He has made special study of modern
warfare and particularly the trench prob
lens that have arisen during the war.
General Nichosons career during the
present year has been spectacular. In six
months he has risen from the rank OF
colonel to that of senior brigadier in the
army. As colonel, Nicholson was in com
mand of the officers training school at Fort
Sheridan, ILL.,, from April to June.
He came to Camp Meade early in Sep
tember as brigadier general and so rapid
have been the promotions because of the
has held the position but few weeks.
General Nicholson Is exceptionally popu
lar among officers and men. AS General
Kuhn is a remarkable personality who EN-
bodies the idea of strict discipinariaT
with his own conduct as a real democrat
so does General Nicholson never relax fol
an instant the discipline which, he asserts
is the basis of a soldiers training. In hi'
social relations with the civilian world
General Nicholson is the essence of affa
bilty. Tall and slender and as dapper al
only a West Pointer can be, there is M
mstaking him-he Is the real soldier.
Owing to the severity of the rainstorm
oil drills were cut today. There were tn,
usual lectures, however, in the barracks
largely on hand grenade work and rift
practice at sighting.
One hundred and fifty men left camp TO
a point of embarkation, preparatory Il
leaving for actual service in France. Thes
were of the highly specialized grades II
civilian life for whom General Pershing ha
asked to aid in the work of his force
abroad.
Twenty more PhUadelphans were dis
charged today for physical defects.