Evening star., 1919-09-17
GEN. PER RSIING'S CAREER IN LIFE
SF1APEDBY CHANCE OR DESTINY
Story of His Choice of West Point Cadet
ship and of His Subsequent Steady
Progress Upward.

Gen. John J. Pershing is a living
exponent of the maxim that 1T pays
to advertise" for that is how the
Army got its famous general. the
fourth man to hold such a commits
sion.
Not quite forty years ago a young
Missourian named Pershing was
studying at the normal school at
Kirksvile, Mo-, in the fond hope of
qualifying as a teacher in the public
schools Of the state. when chance-or
perhaps destiny-directed his notice
to an announcement that an examina-
tion would shortly be held for en-
trants in the Military Academy at
West Point.
Right there pedagogy lost a disci-
pie and Mars won a worthy recruit.
For young Mr.. Pershing took the ex-
cadet. though not until the normal
school had given him a degree of A. B.
He graduated from West Point in
1886 and was soon thereafter assigned
to the 9Th Cavalry. then campaigning
against the Indians. He was then
just twenty-six years old. having
been born in Linn county, Mo-, Sep
tember 13. 1860.
Moves Steadily Upward.
In the years that followed he moved
steadily upward, serving first in the
southwest and later being sent to the
Dakotas, where the Sioux were CIV
ing trouble.
1t is recorded officially of him that
at the beginning his career Lieut..
Pershing was complimented by Gen.
Miles. his commander -in- chief in the
Geronimo campaigns. for marching
| his troop. with pack train. over
bringing in every animal and man in
| good condition" Until he reached
| command rank Pershing always was
! cavalry officer and the records of
| the War Department show more than
one honorable mention for his con-
duct during his ten years of service
| in the Department of Arizona. In the
| Spanish war was an officer of the 10th
] Cavalry he was promoted for gal
antry at the battle of Ell Caney to
and after short detail in Washing
ton in the bureau Of insular
affairs was sent out to the
Philippines as adjutant general of
| the Department of Mindanao and
| Jolo
That was the turning point in
| Pershing's career. He bagan to take
\ his profession of arms more seriously
! and to display the powers OF concen-
! tration upon different problems that
stood him in good stand in the great
campaigns that were to follow in
Europe. Attracted by his earnest
ness and soldierly qualities. Gen.
| Leonard Wood who was his superior
officer at the time. selected Pershing
| to organize and conduct campaign
against the Moros, who for centuries
had successfully resisted all attempts
| of the Spanish army to subjugate
them.
Parallel in Two Careers.
Up to that point something of a
parallel may be found in the careers
of Wood and Pershing. Each had
made brilliant regulations as Indian
fighters and each had been picked
by President Roosevelt for extraor-
dinary promotion because of their
high promise Of military ability.
Roosevelt had made Wood brig
, adler general in 1901. and he made
Pershing, then a captain, brigadier
general in 1906. to the absolute con-
because it involved the jumping"
Of both officers over many hundreds
Of their seniors.
Pershing justified the confidence
that Wood had imposed in him in his
Moro campaign. There was a Sultan
Of Bacalod with unknown thousands
Of followers intrenched in the
marshes and mountains of the tropi-
cal islands behind heavy forts of
palm wood, logs and giant creepers
and thorn bushes woven into what
was supposed to be impregnable de-
| fanses Pershing had made a study
of the conditions and SO well had he
organized his little force, consisting
of a battalion of infantry, squadron
of cavalry and a section of artillery
that in tive days the Moro's strong
holds were cleared out and the Island
| of Mindanao soon was placed under
| Pershing's military governorship.
~ When he returned home in 1914 he