The Colorado statesman., 1919-09-06

wartime period fast are leaving. Thou
sands Of men who wore the bars, the
leaves or the eagles on their shoulders
for long enough time to help thrash
the enemy, are going back into civil
life, but there is a goodly number OF
them left yet, for whom the knot still
is to be severed.
There was a large number of book,
magazine and newspaper writer's In
the United States army. They did all
kinds of work for which their training
fitted them. Some of them were In
the intelligence service. some of them
in the war history division. and many
more of them, who took camp training
were in combatant units.
In one little group in the army In
telligence service, working side by
side day after day, until orders sent
them elsewhere, were several men
whose names are known to the public
as writer's. Rupert Hughes. the novel,
list and playwright, was one or this
group. With him was Kenneth l..
Roberts. story writer, playwright ana
voluminous contributor to Life.
Others in the group were Richard
Aldrich, who has written standard
books on grand opera and is the music
critic of the New York Times; Arthur
SOmers Roche, the novelist, son or
James Jeffrey Roche, the poet, and
several other writer's of less promi-
nence and less merit, among whom
put my name.
Novel Writers and Good Fellows.
Now it happened that the least of
these was the ranking officer, so in
way while he did not attempt to eX-
ercise authority, for it was not neces-
sary, he learned much of those with
whom he was associated. People
know Rupert Hughes through his
stories. They ought to know him
through personal acquaintance, for he
is a man of the rarest charm.
1t was Hughes great dlsappoint-
ment in life that he could not go to
France to serve in combat unit. He
put in years of hard driving service In
the national guard and year or more
of grilling work as a line officer on the
border The fates decreed that he
should not go abroad. He took the
disappointment like a soldier and did
commanding service in that place In
which it was appointed him to work.
Kenneth L. Roberts is a rare. roll
licking chap, with a steady quality
somewhere within him which kept him
true to his serious task through all the
hours of grinding labor. Roberts was
ordered to Siberia and there he saw
hard service. He has just left the
army to go back to the work of light
ening mems lives by giving them to
read of the treasures of his exuber-
ance.
Richard Aldrich at the age of fifty
three volunteered in the service of
his country, was accepted and stayed
put through the whole thing, and then
some, for he did not leave the service
until nine months after the German
had concluded he had enough. 1t Is
| accounted a bromide to say that man
Is prince of good fellows, but this
Is what can be said of Capt. Richard
Aldrich, and to the saying may be
added that the captain himself is no
bromide.
Honors for Our Generals.
The generals are coming to town.
What congress intends to do for some
of these generals already has been dis
cussed In full. The only additional
proposition is that sword shall be
presented in the name Of the people to
Gen. John j. Pershirg.
T., hat In, ~
will be made a full general in the
regular establishment, and March a
| lieutenant general. This, perhaps some
congressman think. will be the best
way out of the controversy over what
honors should be shown the chief of
staff 1t is likely that so far as the
other general officers are concerned,
they will take their former rank In
the regular army, but will be given
as quick promotion as the law allows.
1t should be remembered that the
president of the United States, when
ever there is vacancy in the ranks
of the brigadier or major generals of
regulars. can promote thereto any sol
dier that he sees fit. This probably
will secure something commensurate
with their deeds for Liggett, Bullard,
Dickman and some others.
Mai. Gen. Joseph T. Dickman has
just been in Washington receiving his
final orders in connection with his
assignment to command the Southern
division with headquarters at San An
tonic. 1t is the intention, so it is un-
derstood. to make Dickman major
general in the regular army shortly.
Peculiar Case of Dickman.
For short time at the very end of
the war l was attached to General
Dickman's command, personally at
tached to the general, in fact, when he
was in command of the First corps.
There have been some curious things