Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-01-17
Privates Who Show Right Timber
VIII! Become Officers Under
Pershing.
MANY LIEUTENANTS NEEDED
Promotional Scheme Outlined at Head.
quarters Which Paves Way for
Rapid Advancement of Men
From the Ranks.

With the American Army in France.
Apparently the humble doughboy is
coming into his own in this war. A
promotion scheme has just been out
lined at headquarters in conformity
with a recent general order from
Washington which paves the way for
rapid advancement for men from the
ranks who display ability for higher
icOmmands.
Arrangements are already made
whereby noncommissioned officers who
look like they are made Of officers
timber will be sent to the army can
didates' school on recommendation
from their superior officers.
If they make good they will be as
signed to vacancies as second lieuten-
ants in replacement divisions advanc-
fng later to combat divisions where
promotion may be expected to be rapid
I'm the event Of heavy casualties among
the officers.
Many Lieutenants Needed. =
In order to have sufficient officers
In readiness at all times no limit is
placed upon the number Of second lieu
tenants in replacement divisions, it be-
ing recommended that they have at
least three times as many as combat
divisions.
Under the new general order divi-
.sionak anY other unit commanders are
to consider "only fighting efficiency
units" in recommending temporary APP
pointments for promotion to line Off
GERS.
The general order makes it plain
that such recommendations must be
based solely on demonstrated fitness
and ability to command. Divisional
and other unit commanders are in
structed to investigate carefully all
officers records.
All recommendations must be SUBJ
mitted to the commander in chief for
approval.
The six Hooverites who are visit
ing the American camp awoke the
other morning at reveille, after spend
ing the night in hay lofts and bar
racks, somewhat better acquainted with
conditions under which the American
soldiers are living.
Too Cold for Pig.
To begin with, this was to have been
the story of how Everett Colby of New
Jersey, slept with pig. Mr.. Colby
and the other representatives of Her.
bert Hoover wanted to sleep and eat
under exactly the same conditions as
the doughboys. Thereupon the press
officers in charge of the arrangements
FRAMED it up on the New Jersey
man.
They happened to know that in
certain village wherein militiamen were
Iquartered there were ideal advan-
tages for roughing it. Ten soldiers
were billeted in a certain barn owned
by an old villager who obstinately re-
fused to allow the Americans to dis
lturb his pig, which had been occupy
ing the same hay loft with them for
some time.
The press officers arranged to have
one soldier move for the night to give
Mr.. Colby accommodations next to
the pig. Then the following morning
the correspondents were to interview
the Jeyseyan on his impression Of the
pig and the pig on his impressions Of
his fellow ledger.
But the pigs owner had been left
out of the calculation. The night was
cold so the villager moved the pig into
his own quarters, where there was fire.
So the world will never know what
MFR. Colby thought Of the pig and vice
versa.