Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-11
No Wonder Germany Quit
By MAJOR FRANK @. MAHIN
OF the Army Recruiting Station

Some time ago 1 saw a very in
teresting write up in a magazine.
The subject of this article was gen.
eral damning of the American
Army for its lack of democracy. 1t
compared us most unfavorably, par
ticularly with the French. The
article was interesting, highly inter
esting as an exposition of the pro-
found ignorance of its author of the
subject he was treating. AS a mat
ter of fact, it was the democracy,
the feeling of square treatment, the
knowledge that officers and men
shared dangers, fatigues, hunger
and thirst equally, that made our
army the wonderful fighting ma
chine it really was. Any man who
has served in a good outfit will tell
you his officers never ate until all
the men of the company had been
fed, that on a march in France his
officers never looked for a place to
sleep until every man was fixed and
settled. He will tell you his officers
led the attacks, wandered from dan
ger point to danger point in the
defense to encourage and inspire
their men. And that these are not
wild statements, look at the casualty
lists with its SIS infantry officers
killed per 1000 to AZ enlisted men;
One-InlTu UDATe OlllCeTS hlliSu IIldA
men, proporIInately. Now take the
army that is held up as a model of
democracy, but without for one min
ute casting any aspersions on the
wonderful efficiency or Valor of the
French army. Their officers ate
first and got the best; they found
their own sleeping places and then
| looked out for their men. only on
! special occasions did they lead their
men into an attack. and on the de-
fensive the officer got into a place
of fair security and there he stayed
directing the defense from that
point. l served with the French and
know whereof 1 speak. shall
never forget being sent for by the
French general commanding and Sc
verely reprimanded for having ex-
posed myself He told me you have
been training for 15 years in order
to reach your present state of eff
cheney and military knowledge. If
you are killed who will take your
! place? Is there a man available in
| your battalion with equal expert
ence and knowledge to take your
| place? There is not, and, therefore,
! you are the most valuable man in
! your battalion and you must not eX-
| pose yourself" Now l fully admit
the logic of those sentiments, but it
| isn't the American method, my
friend the author to the contrary.
On several occasions the $4,000 in
fantry of division lost 5000 killed
and wounded. but lost everyone of
their twelve majors of infantry. 100
per cent casualties for the majors
as compared with 35 per cent for all
other grades. There is the American
method, be it democratic or not, but
we all felt that the men, the dough-
boys, should realize that their major
was right with them, sharing their
troubles in addition to his own re-
sponsibility for upwards of 1000
men. Ask any doughboy who has
| been in an attack where the first
German officers were captured and
he will tell you they were in a nice
their men were up on the surface in
front. fighting. ASK those who have
helped to stop a Boche attack IL
they ever saw a Boche officer in the
attack and they will tell you they
never have, because the Boche off,
GERS do not attack with their troops.
but follow them at a safe and con-
venient distance. We believe that
the fighting efficiency of an organi-
zation is directly dependent on it's
morale and that one of the most
effective means of building up a high
state of morale is to have the Off
GERS playing the game square and
fair. taking just what their men
take and maybe little bit more,
just to prove they are not shirking.
And that our method is right is
proven beyond a question of doubt
by the success we had in every bat
tie in France, the success which
tended so greatly to break up for
onaa apd ali fha raaisfa0ce 0f the
arrogant Hun. It was by leading
not by driving our boys that we got
that acme of military efficiency.
prompt and willing obedience to or
ders which insured smooth work.
ing, efficient army.