The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, ID. C.
ONE GENERAL TOO MANY.

ton which just now is causing much
perturbation in high army and adj
ministration circles is that Of properly
assigning a General commanding the
armies OF the United States"
BY grace of an appreciative congress
this nation now has an official of that
rank and title, but neither congress
do.
General Pershing is the highest
military dignity in the United States
today He has back of him such a
military experience as has come to no
other man. But a peace-time organiZa-
ton provides no work for him to do.
He is a general without an army,
which is a. good deal like being car
penter without tools or a cowboy with
out a pony.
this country. In the recent war there
were three Americans who ranked as
general for the mergency-Pershing,
March and Bliss. OF these three con-
manent. Pershing alone energies as
general for life. In the Civil war
three men attained this coveted rank.
They were Grant, Sherman and Sheri-
dan. Before that, but one man in the
nation had ever ranked as general
and that man was George Washington.
When congress conferred the per-
manent rank of general commanding
the armies of the United States on
Pershing, 1t seems to have done so
without taking thought of the situa-
ton it would create. 1t is not the
first time that ranks conferred by
congress have created embarrass-
ment. There was Maj. Gen. William
l. Sibert, for instance, who had a
long career of usefulness back of him
as an engineer officer. He built
Gatun Dam, at Panama, and congress,
in apprecition, made him major gem
eraL 1t happened that the engineer
corps OF the army was SO organized
an officer who ranked SO high. So
Sibert's profession was taken from
him and a situation created that made
the utilization Of his services difficult
until the war presented the task of
organizing the chemical warfare serv-
ice.
Congress made Rear Admiral
Dewey, of the days of the Spanish
American war, the admiral of the
Navy" This was a special post Gre
ated in his honor. Yet as admiral of
the navy this popular hero found his
occupation gone, and the navy de-
partment was at a loss to know what
to do with the doughty fighter. The
final solution was to make him chief
OF the general board of the navy, an
agency which, happily, came into be-
ing at about that time.
When General Pershing came back
from France he opened up offices in
Washington and there held court for
a few days, ostensibly completing the
rehabilitation. Then he went on a
long deferred vacation, and shot a
deer in the Adirondacks. Returning
to Washington he went, or was sent,
on trip of inspection of all the posts
in the nation. Most of these posts had
been created since that date in 1917
1 rHrIon n lad he
American expeditionary force. PERISH
ing was to see what he could of the
work done at home in making his
army. 1t Is not known that there is
any other object in this trip than to
give the general a trip. 1t was tenn
what to do with him. The trip is
drawing toward a close and the diff
Guilty will again be thrust to the fore.
The problem arises chiefly because
OF the present organization OF the
army. If there were a field army, the
general might be placed in command
of it, and there the matter would rest.
But there is no field army. The army
is divided into departments. The COM
manders of the different departments
are of equal rank. There is no in
dividual who exercises authority over
them all. The departments are di-
rected from Washington by the COM
mander In chief. who is president of
the United States. He works thru a
secretary of war. The secretary of
war has a chief of staff appointed by
the president. He is the immediate
adviser of the secretary of war on all
matters relating to the military estab-
lishment, and is charged by the secre-
tary of war with the planning. de-
velopment and execution of the army
program. According to the old regu-
lations he takes rank and precedence
over all of the other officers of the
army.
This job of chief OF staff seems to
be the only berth that would suit the
Pershing is mentioned for It. 1t is al
ready snugly held down, however, by
Gen. Peyton c. March. who Is six feet
three in height and descendant of
the family of Washington. March has
something OF a reputation as a holder
down. He was sent home from
France with the approval of Pershing.
on whose staff he served as artillery
chief. and it is understood that the
commander of overseas forces was
quite satisfied with the cooperation
| he received. If March Is satisfactory
as chief of staff is it fair to remove
him and to give General Pershing his
! Job?
General Pershing and General
March met the other night at a re-
| ception in Washington. Their greet
| ing was cordial, and General PeFshing
produced a newspaper clipping from
his pocket. The clipping dwelt at
| length upon the friction between the
two. March asked Pershing IL he had
suffered much inconvenience because
of that friction and the man from
overseas chuckled and said 'Not yet"
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