The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-09-27
Intimate Sketches OF Sibert and
Pershing by One Who
Knows Them.
THEIR RECORDS AS FIGHTERS
Both Generals Careful Planners and
Each Has an EnvlabIe Record for
Getting Big Results by
Hard Fighting. N
BY EDWARD o. CLARK,


In France, there was given study OF
the temperament. characteristics,
methods and personal attributes Of
Maj. Gems. John ]. Pcrshng and VIII
4 liam l.. Sibert.
Here is one thing that was said Of
the senior major general.
"Pershing IL of the n-the.trig-
I ger style. He is Of the dashing type,
nervous, always on the 90, like sur
charged battery, stirring up everybody
he comes In contact with, forcing them
along at top speed"
Here Is what Is said OF the junior
major general, who commands the d.
vision in the field:
"Sihert Is deliberate, methodical,
tirelesS worker watching every detail,
insistent that reports SDf his young Of.
ficers be accurate. comprehensive. COW
ering every angle--of the type that IT,
persistent and sure He Ia an
engineer with n training for accuracy
that figures down to thousandths OF
an inch"
Now, in order to show that there is
no thought on the part OF the writer
that he has appraised these men too
lightly, he says this:
"There nre two big Jobs with two
big men to FIJI them The dashing Per-
shing and the methodical Sibert make
a team that will he hard to beat when
their machine once starts"
American military officers from
Pershing down to the last second lieu
tenant realize that this Is war OF
method. a methodcal war In other
words, and that II Is also largely an
engineering war. The picture that one
gets Of Pershng from the cabled ar
ticle Is just such as one carries In his
mind Of Custer on the plains, his yell
low hair streaming In the wind, a Colt
revolver in his left hand dazzling
saber in his right hand, charging head
long, regardless Of bullets, into the
heart of Sioux horde.
In a methodical war army men say
that this daredevil gallantry does not
win, and nobody knows It better than
Pershing. II the war department had
believed that Pershing was quick on
the trigger" In the sense In which that
expression usually is employed. he
would not have been sent to France.
The campaign which John J. Per-
shing led against the enemy In the
Lake Lanac district I'm the Philippines
was methodcal campaign. II was
conducted on strict military lines, and
there was no forcing them along at
top speed" II was this campaign
which promoted Pershing from cap
taincy to brigadier generalship. He
will not sacrifice American lives In
France by recklessness which IL for
eign to his nature, and absolutely for.
eign to modern methods Of fighting.
Now as for William l.. Sibert, ] have
said what have about Pershing from
n study of his career and from hum
dred or more expressions Of opinion
which, concerning him, have come to
me from army men who know him well
personally.
In the recently printed, and think
although unintentionally
s0 description Of Sibert's characterize
tics as man and a soldier, he is de-
scribed as deliberate and methodicnl,
giving close attention to the tiny
things and In fact having purely
and mathematically methodical mind.
Bluntly speaking, II makes Sibert
student rather than a soldier.
Now for the truth Of this thing.
When William l.. Slbert was junior
officer Of engineers serving I'm the Phil
ppines he did both engineering and
lighting work SO well that II called
'orth the praise OF the general COM
Theodore Schwan. The rec
,rd Of II Is In the war department
oday. General Schwan said that this
.ngineer insisted on having place
N the firing line at all times
II was William l.. Sibert who stood
llongside Of Reilly's battery, the Reil-
v who afterwards was killed at Pc
ling. at the front OF battlefield In
he Philippines and there stood like
rock against the furious close-range
Ire OF the enemy. II was Sibert who
Inder fire on this same battlefield,
melt beside the gallant Maj. Wood
ridge Geary. who fell at the first fire
nd died within a few moments.
The methodical Sibert IL az quick on
he trigger az any man ought to be.
lie IN fighter OF the first rank. do
OF think that contradiction will como
rom the war department II should
ut into words something which long
ave suspected. II is my belief that
certain military report, fighting
rogram report which In effect de-
Jared that there was no such thing 40
be impossible where real military
nd Is to be gained. a report which
Is said was made by Sibert,
aused this fine junior brigadler gen.
raj to be jumped over the heads Of
even men TO q major generalshiD
nd then sent to France In command q
We nrst division.