Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-09-19
Americas 0reat-
oct Soldier
by
Harold F. Wheeler

classmates, his instructors. talked
with several Of them, at West Polnt
and In Washington. Many many or
those men, the most of them. indeed. In
France fighting with the friend OF their
youth their friend of today, their
friend and more today-their general
There is building at Eighteenth
and f streets in Washington within
which is housed our country's insular
bureau-a bureau established, Incl
dentally, by Jack Pershing. But that,
too, is another story. The chief of that
| bureau today is Brigadier General
Charles C. Walcutt, Jr., son of Chas.
C. walcutt of Civil war fame and
who rose to be a brevet major gen.
eral at 26. Brigadier General Walcutt
was q classmate of General Pershing
at West Point, and roomed with him
there for time. young men together,
General" and Jack. For General" 1t
should be known, was the nickname of
the insular bureau chief in West Point
days Today it is his rank by right.
Visit General Walcutt with me He
| can tell much of Jack Pershing, ca
| Diet. And as one talks with him one
knows how he came to have his nick
NAME He Is a general, every inch Of
| him.
Tell you OF General Pershing =
| Jack 2" he repeated when l called upon
! him in his office on the sixth floor of
the insular bureau. Tell you WHAT"
! Anything memory prompts" I an
swered.
General Walcutt swung his swivel
chair outward from his desk. He tilt
ed back the tips of his fingers pressed
together, his eyes half closed, retro
spectively A moment more and recol-
lections Of West Point days of long ago
of the class OF 'S6--came as with a
tide at flood. Yes, a rare treat it was
to sit and listen.
II recall an incident" the general
told me. starting in the very middle OF
things, Which had to do with a reci-
tation one day in connection with a
book we had--'English Lessons for En-
glish People! We all hated the book.
John was called upon to define pseudo
metaphor"
| called to define" or recite at West
/ Point meant a BLACK board recitation"
Students went to blackboard, wrote
on the board what they wished, then
+ recited or explained the required sub
ject, using a pointer to follow such
recitation or explanation on the board.
mo one in our section" the general
continued. knew anything about 'pseu-
cd metaphor leastways Jack But
lack was the victim, and he stood up
before us. 1t was cold fess,'" the
general chucl1led, using the West Point
slang for complete failure
tpet NoIr
asked again: Now, Mr.. Pershing,
what is a pseudo metaphor?!
Il can see Jack yet.
There was no need for him to say
he didn't know 1t was obvious. There
he stood, perspiration standing out in
globules all over his face. He reached
for his hanokerchief-we carried them
up our sleeves, you know-secured it
at last and mopped his brow. Yes, it
was cold fess.'"
This anecdote recounted the general
! told of the old cadet days, more or less
chronologically
Jack Pershing," he said to be, was
n favorite from the moment he entered
West Point. He was almost %, older
! than the rest Of us and we looked up
to him. He was a young man of
great personal magnetism. He was a
IoyeahIe how And there AT Vast point
Won know" the general exnIained con-.
relationships are 90 close ono either
loves or hates man There 10 No
middle ground We arc thrown too
closely together for that
"Our feeling for lack was earIv dam
onstrated when as Plehes we .s.on,
bled m sffect a class ors,.,i,.t;o,, tn.
man who stood at tho be.d os an.
class Henry Newcomer fpr;yaaior-
General Henry CLAW Nawoomer baod
of the armv,s enpineerin1 don.rtn,ant
with offices at Seventh and q streets
Washington. presided Someone
probably Newcomer. supeestsd J.ck,s
name for the presidency OF our class
! The suggestion met with unanimo,,.