Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-12
PERSH|NG HONORS
MAJ. J. \. MERRILL
Young Officer, Known in Whining
ton, Selected for Important
Foreign Post.

Major John Nelson Merrill, young
American officer, whose sister Mrs.
Maude A. Brattan, is teacher in the
Wilmington High School, has been sig
nally honored by General Pershng. com
mander of the American troops in France
lie has been chosen to take charge of the
Central War Office, near Tours France,
and has Just assumed his duties While
still retaining the rank of major. his
work and responsibility are equivalent
To those of an adjutant-gencral Before
sailing for Franco. a few weeks ago, to
take this new post Major Merrill spent
4 short time in Wilmington He has visit
ed this city on Il number Of occasions,
however. and is quite we'll known here
\ West Pointer. young Merrill who Is
now only 81 years old, spent eight years
In the Philippines General Pershing then
being his commander-in-chief, Following
that service he spent SIN years IN Persia,
during the rehabilitation period there. He
was ono of II american officers who went
to Persia under General Morgan Shuster.
Merrill was made colonel Of grndarmes
and later was selected to instruct the
Persian soldiers. The southern part OF
Persia being overrlln by brigandS, Col.
Merrill was under fire many times. pom
completion of this tour of duty he came 10
America, and soon after his arrival Cen
eral Pershing ca5led for him TO take the
new post in France. Accordingly, n the
end Of three weeks, following his return To
America. he was on his way 10 France and
is now there Major Merrill is married
His wife accompanied him on his Persian
campaign She Is noX at the home OF his
parents. in Skowhegan. Nc. but shortly
will visit her people II San Francis ..
GIGANTIC TASK
The Stars and Stripes tells Of Major
Alerrill's task rs follows:
The Central Records Office recently
moved from G. IL @. to the little village
of 81 Pierre dc, Corps, not far from Tours
rs gradually absorbing some Of the paper
work that used To harass the separate
units of the g. +. f., and Is likely. as time
goes on, To absorb good deal more. 1t IS
an Office so large that 1t makes the big
geSt newspaper city room IN America
look like hall bedroom and makes the
office of the Stars and Stripes look like
window ledge Within this one room ware
house. "a feet long. IN which. rs You look
in from the main entrance, the rows upon
rows Of typcvriterS and filing cabinets
stretch far away in the distance, are kept
OF the \ T.. + 1t Is the tendency OF the
A. f. +. 10 draw in toward the headqaart
ers. the great burden Of the armys paper
work, on the theory that work will be
better done there than in the crude ana
temporary quarters of moving companies
and that the records will bC clearer and
more accurate the less they are left to
men selected not for their clerical talents
but for their gifts as commanders Of
troops, for their fitness rs fighters
There is great likelihood, for instance. |
that before long the service records which |
are forever going asjray or being crafty |
indorsed, will be kept 81 headquarters |
They may be kept at this Central Records |
office-OT for the purposes Of pay calcula- !
tions-more nearly within the reach OF the /
chief quartermaster. Already, service !
records innumerable do pour into the !
Central Records Office. those OF men n /
hospital or of soldiers killed III action. and /
service records that have gone astTay |
But In other wavs this bureau Is Of great /
Importance IN the life OF every man III the |
4 +, F.. from the most high and mighty |
officers to the lowest form Of human lie |
extant in the utteTmoSt base section /
There. no matter how much he may move |
about. are recorded his whereabouts IN . !!
card catalogue that compares faVorably |
in size with big public Libraries The ac- |
cUracv Of this catalogue depends on the /
faIthfuIness with which the various statIS- |
tical sections and sub-sectlonS do their |
work As the army poStOffice depends on |
this catalogue for ali redirectIng Of mail, !
the speed with which a wandering letter /
nurSues and catches UP with a wandering |
soldier depends on the accuracy and speed I
OF the statistical clerks scattered through /
out the A. f. f. This catalogue tells |
when you arrived In France and marks |
each move you have made since then. |
There are other catalogues there III i
which various events, fascinating about /
you, are gravelv recorded.
The National Army boys, for instance, |
are all recorded according 10 their qualiti- |
cations If yOu are an expert piano !
tuner, but also a pretty good chir0p0dist |
and can play wind instrument, your |
card saws so. Each card In this qualifca- I
ton index is further adorned with a
little red or green clip 1t the top, 80 placed /
as to tell an index expert at a glance 4
whether you are dentists assistant or an /
able bodied seaman, or q second tenor |
and q cabinet maker. BY glancIng at the /
drawers assigned 70 this or that division
the librarian can tell immediately how
many chautfeurs such and such a regiment
has, or in what regiment there might be
aD oversupply Of horseshoers much needed
elsewhere. Move on TO the next desk and
YOU will see the records of the soldiers
who have died in France and, further on
the casualty records. You will even find
''buck" department, where are settled
the knotty problems that arise when
some unit cheerfully passes said buck
to the Central Records Office
Some officers are attached here and
some field clerks, but for the most part
the work is done by enlisted men Prob
ably most Of them sigh for more adven-
turous work, and no doubt one Of thcln
who has toiled over the hill with q type
writer under each arm feels like writing
home: II brought down TWO machines
today" and let it go at that. However. +
they re cheered up when they remember (
that the major in command Is fresh FROM +
nearly two years Of active service with the /
cavalry Of the British and Persian armies /