The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-18
WORK, THAT'S ALL

WORK, THAT'S ALL
Since the beginning of the world war writers Of unusual
brilGance have flashed across the horizon like a meteor, and most.
OF them have faded from sight like the vanishing trace of a
shooting star,
The difficulty with them was that they lacked the funda-
mental training, The history OF Europe and Of European and
other wars was not within their grasp, They wrote brilliantly
perhaps OF the activity on some sector, but the grasp OF the con-
fct as a whole was lacking.
The lesson of Frank H. Simonds. who was last week deco
rated a knight OF the French Legion OF Honor, is one that should
be learned by every young man in this country,
Simonds is no stranger to the people Of this territory. Since
the beginning ofthe war The News Scimitar has printed his
articles on the war, and it has been the invariable rule to print.
everything that he has written for publication.
He was one Of the first men in the world (outside the Ger
man empfre) to foresce the gigantic conflict, The country was
startled when this unknown man wrote along in July, 1914, that
the world was on the verge of the greatest war ever known to
history, Some scohed, some thrust the article aside without
consideration, and a few %pondered over his words. When war
was declared in August the newspaper for which he was writ
ing reproduced the prediction made month in advance.
Simonds is the greatest writer the war has produced, He is
believed to be the best fitted person to write its history. The
secret of his success is his application. That is the thing for the
youth of today to ponder over.
He knew that the trend OF the time was toward war. He
did not merely survey the vast military machine Of Germany
and stand amazed at its immensely as so many did. He analysed
It and found its purpose, The purpose was to fight, and fight
it did.
simonds was ready when war was declared. He had fol-
lowed in the footsteps of the great military leaders of the past.
He knew military strategy, and he walked over the fields of
waving grain, and measured, in peaceful Flanders among an
unsuspectlng people, the weight Of advantage that would accrue
to eontending armies when the cannon began to belch forth
destruction.
warning nations, their resources and their ambitions. He became
within a week the foremost writer on military subjects in
America, and he made clear and simple the maze Of mystery that
obscured the real causes from the mind OF the average American
If any young man despairs of becoming an adept in his
profession, and ditierenuates between others and himself by
attrlbuting to them some superior qualities, let him remember
that hard work and constant application will overcome any
natural difference that may exist.
The work that Simonds is doing today is the result of
application for 20 years. He was not born with a knowledge Of
history. He consumed all the books that he could fine. He was
not given the faculty OF understanding the terrain, the lay of
the land, we might term II, His acquaintance with the NOOd-
lands, the rivers and the natural barriers and the natural advan-
tageS was gained by walking over the land and personally
inspecting IL
Everyone cannot do as well as Smonds has done in his
chosen field, but there is no reason why anyone who studies as
hard and applies himself as diligently should not meet success
beyond that OF the person who works without any definite aim
Our legislators are commercially modest. They appropriate
$1,000 TO entertain the soldiers on their return from overseas
and never a dollar to entertain themselves on their return during
the recess, Such Selt-etiacement is admirable.
PsderewsN, as president of Poland. ought to 90 to Yer
sahles and attend the peace conference, II there should come a
or one OF his famous concerti.
The loss Of one young American soldier in Russia willie
tighting the Bolshevists suggests the question: as the whole
miserable country worth it"
Gov. Cooper, OF South Carolina. looks for SS-cent COTTON
The bulls have an open road to fortune if the governor is guess
ing right.
A WhitevdLe farmer raised so chickens and received s,no
ior them. This ought to put Miss Biddc in the social swim
France must keep a watch on the Rhine. The rest Of the
world must keep a watch on the Hun.
When the boys retusn from the war let ,bs ,,,,tr +. .
real home to them. N""! w "