Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-26
SUPPLIES FOR THE ARMY
Young West Pointer is Accomplish
ina Wonders.


Those who profess to believe that
the su-callrd "swivcl chair warriors
who occupy desks III Washington are
all rubber stamps should study the
career ui Hugh =. Johnson. who has
risen to the rank of hrigadirr gem
| rral al The age of 81. He IL the
Youngest hrigadirr sine" Civil war
times.
Johnson was born in Kansas In lSNl
and appointed To West Point from
| Oklahoma. lie entered the military
academy in 1900. The story is that
he narrowly missed securing the Gov
ctcd admittancc tn IN" academy b"-
cause h- was only an alternate and
his principal WAS ready tO enter when
il was discovered that the other hoy
had ralsiird his age and was really
over the limit. Presentation Of this
evidence to the young man caused
him 10 withdraw.
In 1903 we find Johnson II second
lieutenant OF the Did lst cavalry, pa
trolling the border Ia. the southwest.
t 4 Wa III sefss spasdnce Sasdsances .5nist
lieutenant. for promotion In the army
in tho$. days were slow.
II Is said that Gen. Crowdcr, also
an old cavalryman. and now judG"
advocate general OF the army as well
as provost marshal general, rccogniZ-
ed the inherent agility Of the young
lieutenant. At any rate, he induced
him to take the law course at the uni
vrrsity oi California In 1915 prcpira-
tory TO assuming the duties Of judge
advocate under General Crowdcr.
johnson secured his \. B. degree at
Ih" University and completed the
three year course in eighteen months.
In 1911 We find him on Gen. Perish
ing's headquarters staff in Mexico. In
1917 he WAS back with Gen. crowder
i'm the Judge advocates Office. When
Gen. Crowdcr was assigned tho great
task Of raising an army by the draft.
nc took with him to his now position
his brilliant young administrative Of
iicer. Gen. Crowdcr In his report,
gives Johnson credit for working out
the registration plans and draft reg
ulatiOns. Some of tho memoranda
which Johnson prepared on knotty
questions came to the attention of the
general staff. and the young captain
who meantime had become Col. john
son, was being closely watched by
those higher up"
When the pinch came In March and
the war department was rcoraanizcd
with a division OF purchase. traffic and
supplies, Johnson was seized upon az
the ideal director.
II In around this young brigadicr
that wonderful machine rcvOlvcs.
The shipment OF troops OVERSEAS
would he impossible without the sup
plies of guns and other equipment
keeping pace. II Is Johnson's work
TO CO. ordinate the vast war Industries
OF the country so rs to get the sup
plies, get them on time and get them
to the docks ready to he loaded onto
the ships Any one who thinks this
is not "A mans size job ought to sec
General Johnson go through one days
performance.
II a great order for steel comes from
General Pcrshing to be manufactured
into ordnance In France, johnson has
to see that there is not the slightest
hitch in getting 1t turned out at the
mills and getting IL "Over there" IL
| il is locomotives. steel rails. horses.
uniforms. In fact everything. 1t is
Johnson's particular responsibility to
see that 1t gets there. and all this In
| wolves scores OF other problems. He
must sec that the cars are at the fac
tories to got the material to the sea-
board and that the ships arc in port
to start the material overseas. II was
principally Johnson's genius for or
eanization which made 1t possible to
equip and maintain three army corps
| in France.
Meantime, rumor has 1t that more
than one cable has come from Gen.
Pershing asking that the former cav
aIryman 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 and in
dulges his talents as an amateur play
wright. But he won't have any more
spare moments until the war Is over.
New York World.
| uNth , tan, para t,,ro ~ oA da0raaa ~