The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-25
HISTORIES OF THE WAR
BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN

Washington. d. c., July 22.-Thost
many fronts of Europe are already be-
] ing re-enacted in innumerable studies
A., of men whose business or pleasure II
is to write history. The strategy, the
| diplomacy the tragedy, the romance.
| the results of the stupendous struggle
| are as grist to the mill of the historian
| and he is busy making his record for
posterity.
The literary talent Of the nation
| which heretofore burned its midnight
electricity composing poems or moving
| picture scenarios returns to interpre-
tations of the war as an outlet for its
emotions and the call Of the divine eff
flatus. Soldiers returned from the
front who have found their best stories
are growing stale in their narrow So
cial circle, seek larger audience via
print; while there is scarcely college
professor or teacher of history, but
has a half finished Complete History
of the World War" tucked away in a
hidden drawer.
In this last scholarly group may be
included President Wilson himself. The
president has not yet announced wheth-
err he win write war history or the
story of his own war experiences. but
mas De6n TuIIlOItu llIllo " tliiiC
that he Is considering the matter and
that he will make it his chief interest
after retirement.
A war history by the president would
undoubtedly be a record of great pos
sibilities, for President Wilson is al
ready historian of recognized ability.
a writer of very excellent English. and
one who would bring to the task I'M
usual training and talents. Never be-
fore has historian been so closely in
touch with the inner workings of 80
great war. julius Caesar Is the best
example in the past of one who gov
erned nations, fought wars and made
the record of them from his own exper-
fence But Caesars wars sink into in
significance beside this war OF twenty
seven nations in which ten million men
were killed and in which late entry
like the United States spent 100000, 000,-
900.
II the president is expected to write
the most remarkable war history, the
historical section. of the general staff
of the army is at work on the most
exhaustive. One thousand steel filing
cases. each containing four drawers.
hold the army war college records of
the war. Using this mass of informa-
ton, the historical section expects to
turn out a seventeen volume official
war history to include all phases of
the conflict as far as the army. is con-
cerned.
The historical section OF the war COL
lege that depository of the secret ar
chives of the nation which sits in SOL
omn isolation on its point of land jut-
ting into the Patomac a mile below
Washington, is composed of a group of
carefully selected specialists. The his
torical officers overseas were chosen by
General Pershing and are attached to
Ill r. u
trips to the front to study the field I'M
der varying conditions; they have col
lected original documents and maps,
have made records in the very midst
of great events. At all times they have
maintained close relations with the all
lied general headquarters and the Eng
fish and French historical bureaus.
This is the first time In the history
OF the United States that an Official
history OF the American war is to be
written. Records pertaining to wars
In which the United States has taken
part have been kept by the war de-
partment, and some have been gathered
into book form and published by the
government as in the case of the Civil
war records. These ponderous works
are not, however, histories. They are
merely compiled records. uninterrupted
Other countries have for decades
maintained official historians attached
to their armies to write authoritative
stories of their wars. Besides decord-
ing her own wars, Germany went a
step further and adopted the policy of
having general staff historians repre-
sented on each side during wars be-
tween other countries. Germany's Off
cial accounts of her own wars are re-
garded by other nations as pieces of
propaganda--facts correct in the main,
but with distorted conclusions. On the
other hand, the German military his
tory OF the Russo-Japanese war is con-
sidered by army officers as an I'M
prejudiced account and the most au-
thentic published.
The value of army histories lies In
the fact that they are written from
first hand information, or from govern
ment records, and specially selected
army officers. Private individuals en-
gagged in writing history ordinarily
have to depend on source books and
others persons accounts for their data,
and the results are often far from ac-
curate.
This is plainly illustrated in our his
tories OF the American revolution. Most