The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-08-01
SUPPLIES FOR THE ARMY.
Young West Pointer is Accomplish
ing Wonders.

ing NOnuerS.
Those who profess to believe that
the so-called swivel chair" warriors
who occupy desks at Washington are
ell rubber stamps should study the
career of Hugo St. Johnson, who has
risen to the rank of brigadier gen.
eral at the age of 81. He is the
youngest brigadier since Civil war
times.
Johnson was born in Kansas in
1881 and appointed to West Point
from Oklahoma. He entered the
military academy in 1900. The story
is that he narrowly missed securing
the coveted admittance to the acade-
my because he was only an alter
nate and it was discovered that the
other boy had falsifed his age and
was really over the limit. Presenta-
ton of this evidence to the young
man caused him to withdraw.
In 1903 we find Johnson second
lieutenant of the old 1st calvary, pa
trolling the border in the southwest.
It was 1911 before he advanced to
first lieutenant, for promotion in the
army in those days were slow.
It is said that Gen. Crowder, also
an old calvaryman, and now judge
advocate general of the army as we'll
as provost marshal general, recog-
nized the inherent agility of the
young lieutenant. At any rate, he
induced him to take the law course
at the university Of California in
1915 preparatory to assuming the du-
ties of Judge advocate under General
Crowder. Johnson secured his A. B.
degree at the university and complet-
ed the three-year course in eighteen
months.
In 1916 we find him on Gen. PERISH
ing's headquarters staff in Mexico. In
1917 he was back with Gen. Crowder
in the Judge advocates Office. When
Gen. Crowder was assigned the great
task of raising an army by the draft
he took with him to his new position
his brilliant young administrative Of
ficer. Gen. Crowder in his report
gives johnson credit for working out
the registration plans and draft reg
ulations. Some of the memoranda
which Johnson prepared on knotty
questions came to the attention of
the general staff, and the young cap
tain who meantime had become Col.
Johnson, was being closely watched
by those higher up"
When the pinch came in March and
the war department was reorganized
with division of purchase, traffic
and supplies, Johnson was seized
upon as the ideal director.
1t is around this young brigadier
that a wonderful machine revolves.
The shipment of troops overseas
would be impossible without the sup
plies of guns and other equipment
keeping pace. 1t is Johnson's work
to coordinate the vast war industries
Of the country so as to get the sup
plies, get them on time and get them
to the docks ready to be loaded onto
the ships. Any one who thinks this
is not a mans size job ought to see
General Johnson go through one days
performance.
If a great order for steel comes
from General Pershing to be manufac-
tured into ordnance in France, John
son has to see that there is not the
slightest hitch in getting it turned
out at the mills and getting it 'over
there" If it is locomotives, steel
rails, horses, uniforms, in fact every
thing, it is Johnson's, particular re-
sponsibility to see thatAit gets there,
and all this involves scores of other
problems. He must see that the
cars at the factories to get the ma
serial to the seaboard and that the
ships are in port to start the. ma
terial overseas. 1t was principally
Johnson's genius for organization
which made it possible to equip and
maintain three army corps in France.
Meantime, rumor has it that more
than one cable has come from Gen.
Pershing asking that the former cav
alryman be sent to him. His admin
istrative ability is known far and
wide in army circles and more will
be heard from him before the war is
over. |
In his spare moments Johnson
writes books of western life for boys t
and INDUCES his talents as an ANA
teur playwright. But he won't have
any more spare moments until the |