The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-06
DISCIPLINE WILL
WIN THE WAR. SAYS
BRITISH OFFICER

Nearly every officer in Camp Wads-
worth, including the 500 young men
OF the officers training school, heard
lecture by Lieut-Col. George APP
pin, of the 14th Hussars. British
army.
The vast auditorium of Converse
College was filed when Maj.-Gen.
Organ introduced the speaker. But
many officers had arrived late.
Col Applin looked at his watch as
he faced the audience. TT is now
four and a half minutes aften ten
o'clock he said. IF, when you get
over yonder. you are ordered to go
over the top and you start four and
a half minutes behind the appointed
time, you will be wiped of the face
of the earth. 1t is much easier to go
to lecture than it is to go over the
top. If you can't get to a lecture on
time, what is going to happen to you
when you get orders to go over the
top at certain hour?
THE old adage that time is money
no longer applies. Time is life. 1t
is human life. And every day that
we delay here is costing lives over
yonder. Every day that the people
of America delay backing up the
army that they have sent across,
! means the loss of lives in that army.
I'VE have come over here to help
you, il we can. We want to help and
advise with you. SO that you may
avoid the mistakes that we made,
the mistakes that the French made,
so that you will not have to pay the
price that we paid.
There never has been such a war
/ as this In the summer of 1914 the
Germans had the most perfect war
machine the world had ever seen. 1t
was not merely an army; it was a
whole nation. 1t was organized and
disciplined. There was not only in
telligent direction, but there was alb
solute obedience to order all along
the line. I say it was the most per-
feet war machine the world had ever
seen, and it was. You notice that
use the past tense For it is no
| longer the most perfect We have
| lust as good discipline. it is even bet
ter. We do the same things Germans
/ do, and do them just as well, only
we do them quicker. That is the ad-
vantage we have, and will keep. And
it is the thing you must do. If you are
to be effective in this war
The Germans think the United
States cannot have discipline in their
army because this is democracy.
| The kaiser says he does not fear the
entry of American army into the war
| because the American army will
never have discipline. And if the
kaiser is correct in his view, then
| tell you frankly that the sooner you
| get out of the war the better.
THE Germans discipline is that
| Of brute force, but there is another
J and better kind of discipline. 1t is
the discipline of democracy. 1t is
| founded on mutual confidence and re-
spect between officers and men. The
British army has it, the French army
has it. I don't know just how we
| got it. but we've got it
Discipline and efficiency mean the
same thing. Or putting it different
ly, discipline is the instant and will
, ing obedience to every order. and in
| the absence OF an order to what you
| believe that order would have been.
| The obedience must be instantaneous,
and it must be willing. Tardy obedi-
ence is not discipline, and it can never
| bring efficiency. Discipline, instant
and willingly discipline, is a means
! to protection of life, and that is a
| thing We are striving for as we go
along.
The man whoswill win this war"
| the speaker continued, will not be
the officer who gives the commands,
but the officer who executes them.
This applies to every officer, of every
| rank. on down to the platoon COM
mander. Discipline, prompt and will
! ing obedience to orders. rests with
| equal force upon all of US.
And let me tell you, you can
| never lead men unless you have
trained them. 1t is a great privilege
| you young officers have of training
men. You must make them respect
you and love you il you would get
the full measure of discipline, and
you can do that if you try Begin
| by respecting and loving your men.
| and observing a rigid discipline OF
yourself, and it won't be long until
| you will find them responding to you
| They will give you just as much as
you give them. and more. Would
you know the secret OF command, I
will give it to you, and l want you
| to memorize it and carry it with you
| always:
STRENGTH OF CHARACTER,
| MULTIPLIED BY DETERMINA-
TON. PLUS TACT. EQUALS pow
Err TO COMMAND"