The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-19
tONNOR RETURNING
To BOYHOOD HOME
UPON RIVER POST
New Chief of Barge Line
Swan in Mississippi as Kid,
BoSsed Things for Years
and Wed Memphian.


The assignment Of PlSg Gen. W. D.
Connor ~ arny chief of the Missis-
sippi river barge line returns that Off
Ger 10 duties amid scenes of his boy
hood Gen. Conner swan in the Mis-
sissippi when KID directed river har-
Dor work in the Memphis district for
years after graduating from West
Point and eventually married a Mem
phis girl--Miss Elsie Van Vleet.
He thinks It's provincial idea that
freight moves faster by rail than by
river, and he intends to use his new
position to educate the public to the
advantage Of river transportation.
Cites Europe. r.
THE waterways Of this country have
never been given a fair show" says
Gen. Co0ror, "Nou have only to exam
Inc the sta,istics 4 shipping on the
Rhine and the Saine 10 see what the
possibilities are.
.',The MssissrpI river system to date
has been aperat tod under adverse con-
ditions, with makeshift equipment
After our new equipment comes into
service expect very shortly to see
balance on the plus side OF the ledger
This waterway movement Is here
to stay What We We got to do Is con
vince shippers that 1t is to their adj
vantage 10 use the waterways. We
Hitlhi SNOW iittIit tilti idIkfa ItdNN
packages Of freight can be handled by
water as fast rs by rail, and with
greater economy
People need to understand that when
they put parcel Of freight IN the
freight house ~ an East-and- West
railway. il Is not going 10 be- deltv-
cred 10 its destination Ike letter. A
little investigation may show that GER
tain kinds OF freight would go to New
York more quickly and Cheaply by
water from St Louis to New orleans
and IN the eastern coast than they
would go across country by rail.
gen Conner expects to make an in
spection trip up the river from New
Orleans to st. Louis the latter part of
September Preceding this he will look
oyer the operations on the New York
barge canal which also falls under his
jurisdiction in his new capacity as
chief OF transportation of the army
and chief of the inland and coastwtso
waterways service. Gen. Conner has
lust taken over" the task from Brig
Gen Frank T. Hines, who resigned to
60 into commercial work.
Knows Conditions.
A citizen of the Mississippi valley
born In Wisconsin, reared. In Iowa,
married in Tennessee--Gen. Common
hrings 30 his new assignment first
and knowledge of valley conditions. He
wan In the river when a boy, and
a 1905 as an army engineer with a
West Point eduoation>he. came back
u II to take charge OF the Memphis
district for the Mississippi river com
mission. In the four years he was
here he learned the river so well from
Cairo to the mouth OF the Arkansas
that he could wake up at any point on
the route and know where he was.
Gen. Common, then a major, did har-
Dor work at New London, Conn. and
Portland. ore, and subsequently, from
1879 TO 1915, had a tour Of duty, on the
general staff in Washington, He was
In the Philippines when America en-
tered the world war,
Going to France in JULY 1917, he held
successfully a number of important
posts As assistant chief OF the staff
OF the A. +. f. at Gen. Pershing' =
headquarters. II fell TO him TO organize
the supply system Of the army. He
was then colonel Of engineers.
Promoted to brigadier- general, he com
naanded the sixty third infantry brigade
OF the Thirty-secoud tMiChigapl diVi-
sion. In the Chateau Thierry operations
Duties Performed in France.
Under Gen. j. G. Hartford, he was
chief Of staff OF the service of supply
I'LL May, 1919 having charge Of The
dispatch OF nearly 100000 American
soldiers back 10 their homes. Later
ne, aucceeded Gen, Hartford as the COM
manding general of the s. O. s., and
after Pershing. came back to America
he became the commander Of the
American forces remaining in France,
In this post Gen. Conner was the Off
ser In charge Of the Cleanup in
France Besides the task Of returning
the troops from overseas he had in