The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-04
.LIGGETT'S LUCK IS ANOTHER NAME
 FOR HARD WORK
American Commander Al ways Serious Student of
 War Problems.

4 fortuftous allitereation has un- derscored the 1ocution "Liggett's Luck" in the martial lexicon" says the New York Times. We like to think of the successful warrior as having been born under a special star, guarded by a special god, of Napoleon as a man of destiny, of Hannibal as designed from birth for armed re- venge; and so the phrase was heard | again on every side when General Pershing, in his first communique Of | the new American drive west Of the | Argonne, told how troops of hggetts First Corps had stormed and taken four towns in their seven-mile ad- vance: "Liggett's Luck" As a matter of fact there has been less luck in Hunter Liggett's career than in the careers of most army men. He has fought Indians and Moros and Germans, and his fighting has always been based on an unusual faculty for concentration and hard work. If 1t be true that a well trained mind is one that can bend itself assiduously to any task, however, distastefuls Hunter Iieett has a we'll trained mind. He has been known, for instance, to study a map unremittingly for five hours. If you will try to do that you will find out what kind of mental discipline It requires.
 It was hard work that distinguished Liggett at West Point, hard work that marked his part of the Mexican border campaign in charge Of the Fourth Brigade, which dug up nearly all of the Lone Star State" the scene of his operations! hard work that caused him to be put at the head of the War College in Washington; hard work that won Pershing's re- gard when the two were in the Phil Ippines. Major General Hunter Liz gett is a good fighter because he has never been loafer.
 Liggett is a Pennsylvanian, and Pennsylvania troops aided the drive last week which brought their com mander into the spotlight. He was born fn 1857 and went to West Point from Reading. After his graduation in 1879 he served in the Fifth In- fantry against the India S. Those were busy days for the Fifth, but there is little to record of them, be- cause little attention was paid to the campaigns.
 In the early days of the Spanish American war Captain Liggett, as he was then, served on the adjutant gen. erals staff in Washington, and when the chance came for active service with the army of occupation in Cuba he had a stroke of bad luck which is worth mentioning to offset the fallac5 of the current phrase. He had ty' phoid fever, and was invalided home from the island.
 But after Liggett recovered hi! health he was detailed to the Philip pines, and one of the favorites tories about him concerns that journey. l was made in the 1mmanuense, a some what unseaworthy tub. and it wa marked by a storm of such violenc as rarely rages across the Pacific Buffeted by mountains of water, tn old Immanuense had a hard time 0 1t. There are those who say that Ma jor Liggett alone is responsible fo saving the lives of the men in tn Third battalion of the Thirty-frs United States Infantry, who wer aboard.
 The City of Picking, bearing tw other battalions of the Thirty-firs had gone on ahead, and those aboar her expected that the storm must b playing havoc with the Immanuense but that was before the days of wire less. and the only way of finding ou was to put beck. The storm ha somewhat subsided when the ship pr over lifeboat, having come withi ha1ling distance of the other craf which was wallowing half full ( water.
 Down in the hold were half make men, bailing for their lives, and their midst, weary but sleepless we Major Liggett, by his presence stin ulating them to greater effort. Ths was why, when he was sent to Franc a gray-haired retired army man ol served of him: He can lick an. thing from an army mule to the P; cifc ocean,
 For two years Major LAggett was C duty in the Philippines, and at or time was Adjutant- General of Luzo His forces during most of the tin were on the Island of Mindanao, (
 
 capital, and 1t was while he was the that he formed a lasting friendsh with ''Black Jack" Pershing.
 Returning from the East, Maj Liggett was detailed as Adjutant-Ge eral of the Department of the Lake and after four years there was sent Leayenworth for two years. The pu lie heard nothing of him in those da! nothing good or bad. He was wor ing. He was fitting himself f France, as it proved.
 In 1909 hard work began to be fruit in promotions. To begin wit Major Liggett was sent to the w College as e student officer, and or officers who have qualified by ha work receive that distinction. In M of that year he was made Heutena1 colonel, and two years later a colon for at the War College his work W conspicuousiy good. He became
 director of the institution, and then
 president.
 The War College is the home of { war game. It gave to the future COT commander the theory needed
 round out his practical experien
 There he fought battles on pap
 caBpaigned on maps. Until 1913
 was quite out of the public eye but
 was absorbing knowledge at a gr
 rate. And as the head of the collt
 he elaborated certain courses
 study, and broadened the curricul,
 In way to win the approval of otl
 experts.
 In 1915 Colonel Liggett had cha
 pk the veterans camp at Gettysbu
 but it was not until he took part