New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09

few times you realize how tremendous
part it plays. The average man,
when subjected to discomfort, fatigue
and extreme danger, likes to idealize
his loyalty in something tangible. That
something is usually a military or
ganization-his company, his regiment
or his DIVISION
All For Sentiment
at is remarkable what a man will
do over and above his mere duty in
furtherance of this sybolical idealism,
this sentiment. We found that the
men who did the very remarkable
things were actuated by the sent-
mental side. The majority of our men
when hit struggled on. They had to be
hit second time, and | have seen
many hit three times and totally in
capacitated before they could be
stopped: Soldiers don't do that for
any ordinary reason. There must be
something soul stirring to drive them
on. While our cause and physical fit
ness had something to do with it, |
believe it was loyalty to their outfit
that drove our men,
Under fire you see how men with
sentiment act and how those who are
without it do no more than their job.
TO keep this sentiment up we must
have ceremony at times to impress it,
heretofore we never made ceremony
over our heroes. man was awarded
a Congressional Medal and about two
years afterwards he got it through the
mails or some one dropped around and
pinned it on him. When in Europe we
conformed to the European plan, and
watched closely to see the effect.
All Out For Medals
"Once our division had eightv-six
men to be given American decorations.
The whole division was dress up for it;
every man spick and span, every rife
SHINING, every harness polished. That
itself was impressive. The eighty-six
men to be decorated were drawn up
at the right of the division. The COM
mander-in- chief was there to make the
presentations personally. The bands of
the division were massed as one. The
massed colors of the division were
paraded in front of the division to
where the eighty-six stood. Then with
$4,000 men at attention, the massed
bands broke forth and the heroes
marched before the division to the
commander-in chief with the colors be-
hind them, and their crosses were
pinned on their breasts
The effect was tremendous. Each
OF the men decorated realized that he
was distinct from the remainder of
the army and that he had a tremend-
Gus obligation never in all his life to
dlshonor the medal gwen him. They
never will forget that Obligation.
Twenty three thousand others saw it.
Most of them determined right then
to get medal the next fight thew
were in.
ANY army will get through if it is
led right. In all life 10 to 20 per cent
lead the others. The more you increase
those leaders by sentiment and deter
mlnatlon, the better army you can have.
Thing That Keeps Men Going
when you go into battle-I mean
when division goes in for three or
TOUR days, when every man is ex-
hausted and when only about 20 per
cent can get to their feet-the things
that make for non-success are not
technical The men fall down in re-
atlon to their moral side. Men quit
and crawl into a she'll hole under the
smoke screen and let the rest 20 on.
They don't quit because they can't
shoot or because they are not conf
dent of holding their own with the
bayonet. They quit because of lack
of responsibility. They would let their
pals go on, but call it day themselves.
Two patrols go out. One comes
in with valuable information. The
other goes hundred yards, craws into
a she'll hole for an hour and comes
back with a fairy tale. One has res
possibility and the other has not. One
has moral dependability and the other
has not.
"You must teach morals to your
men. This is hard sometimes. They
say, 1 came here to learn to kill some
body. But you must develop their
moral side and talk morals to them in
such way that they do not know YOU
are doing it. Then give them regi-
mental esprit, divisional esprit, with
good bands, decorations and cere-
monies, give them some technical
training and you have an organization
you can depend on
Colonel Fredsam, who formerly was
quartermaster general of the Guard
paid tribute to General Sheriff., who
ne said raised, equipped and made
ready Tor service force of $4,000
men under extreme difficulties.
General Sheriff. was presented with
New York State flag by the officers
Of the Guard. letter from Provost
Marshal General Crowder, declaring
that General Sherrill's work as draft
director for New York was a brieht
General Charles w. Berry, General
George R. Dyer, General Cornelius Is
Vanderbilt ord Coloro1 Coov~. wy D.