Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-02-06
GENERAL MARCH
And PROVOST
Gen. CR0NDER

ULN. UAVWDLN
Sioux CITY Journal;-The public air.
ing OF the long standing feud between
Cen. March, chief of staff Of the Amer:
lean army, and Gen. Crowder, provost
marshal, in which the latter was Off
cially reprimanded by Gen. March
probably will lead to an investigation
of the conduct of the two officials by
congress. On the face of he facts as
they have been disclosed. Gen. March
appears in the role of a military marti
net little short of the kaiser Standard
The secretary of war is disclosed as Q
superficial executive unable to d.rec.
She policy Of the great war machine O
to present reports, was the result OF in
formation given the senate military at
catrs committee by Gen. CroWder when
it was considering the enlarged man
power bill to extend the draft ages aft
ter the first draft of June, 1917.
- SIl.. % ~ JCCaiIlC EsSOiSlllSCa
that the mobilization of the entire mar
power of the nation was essential to
convince the central powers that
If necessary the nations last resource
would be drawn upon to crush the enc
my. To this end he prepared a com
~prehensive scheme for the mobilization
OF all men from IS to 10 years Of age
other than those from 20 to 81 who
were included in the first draft. The
senate military affairs committee called
him before that body to explain thu
reasons for his plan. and in his test
mony he disclosed some of the weak,
nesses which were apparent in the ad
ADMINISTRATION of the war department,
Gen. March, as the superior officer. or.
dered the provost marshal before HIM
and administered the r~eprinandee
which may lead to the investigation.
Eacl Of the differences over the en-
llarged draft lies a hostility between
the two men which may have has
something to do with the result. Gen
Growder was d~esirous of entering the
active service overseas. But later ht
Iasked to be retained in the position o.
provost marshal. 1t has been learned
that Gen. March sought to send him
on a diplomatic mission to a neutra
country, which would meet the am
buttons of a real soldier in time efaRa'
about the same at attending q seWinf
circle would. Whether this desire @,
t,.4N5&.LsA III -, ~ NTornl - 10 EhiaUn his
enemy was based on jealousy or en-
mity is not disclosed and probably viii
not be. But it forms what n law
yers in criminal cases call the motive
for the act.
The departments objection to th.s
Crowder plan was that it was too large
1 for that department in its .iumbleo
i condition at the time to digest. Time
has proven the wisdom of the enlarged
man power plan. 1t was one OF the
elements which threw CONSERVATION in;
to the German government and brougllf
the military leaders of that country te
La realization Of the magnitude Of the re.
u sources Of the United States. It was
Lone Of the elements which destroyed tho
morale of both the German army ant
the German people. Gen. Crowder
may have erred in refusing to acknow
Hedge the right of the chief Of staff Y
pprove transfers in the provost mar
halls office. But 1t would seem to TIL.
civilian that when officers and mef
we're eliminating red tape on the firing
Inc and were enforcing only that dis
sipline which made the American sol
lers and Their officers the wonder .
she world as fighters. two swivel chat
GENERALS. 1000 miles from the battli
inc. could afford to forego the unwind
rs of rcd tape over the approval %
he change Of positions of men Win
ere nothing more than clerks.
tn tkeIdneoIn adrninistratssn ii con
SrcpeTsys once arpse between pcstu,as
var sra11fon over mail fcr bprdel
tates held by ire union armies. stan
on opposed the restoration % snsSssef
ics untiI thesspsopis ~ q serxed swer.
eady To ssveaf allegiance tpths ia
on. The dsarrA VA carrsed b th
president. The postmaster genera
hcwsa he VA seslsng u carry ID
sne law and hat StanSon v ID Isl
~aresidcnt Linrgln Heard Nfe Ssstsnaen
md replied Ia Wh.Iis BIaf - ral
eEording fhe ME1Hnias BE Eeliervne
9Ered alfSs caUuuId 81 ia5td Nhl1e tf
arnniissss EsafElSd t0 saves tns
Yas the spirit which