The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-31

I AAV NAt AlAltu 4lls A'hdN Nt Is AAil-
ing the role of "Lightnln' Bill"
made vacant by the untimely death
Of Frank Bacon. He is scoring a
big success.
man moves forward on his own foot
ing
An Army of Opportunity.
1T is this democratic spirit OF
West Point which pervades the
army and and makes it an army OF
opportunity. The West Point man
is always fair--he hates untruth, de-
spises cowardice or dishonor, and
the code which is drilled into him at
the academy makes his hand the
first to help the under dog. You
yourself, as an officer in the army,
know this to be true"
Indeed | did. Up from the ranks
myself, from corporal to first lieu
tenant. I many a time have found
this same spirit OF which General
Harbord spoke. and at his words
memory turned back to Camp Meade
last winter when old Jitney broke n
date with me to go to show. Jit-
ney, to give him his family name, 4"
is a West Pointer--one of the Keen
est you ever saw.
why don't you come along, Jit-
ney?" / demanded.
"Oh, ! have some work 10 do"
he responded. zone OF my corporals
wants to go to West Point and I've
agreed 10 coach him"
The corporal arrived and he and
Jitney went 10 work, poring over
some books which Jitney had
brought with him from the military
academy when he left it. AS the
general spoke, | recalled the scene
there in the old, rotting barracks.
and wondered to what good, hard =
working Jitneys from West Point
the general owed his own early sue
cess along the route up from private
to general.
"Oh, there were many who helped
me-" said General Harbord. Not
particularly in the coaching. for 1
was a college graduate and pretty
capable Of passing the examinations
myself, but they helped me with
friendship and with support.
I'm the old days it was much
more difficult than at present for a
man to progress. Usually most re-
cruits stayed recruits through their
first enlistment and well on to the
second or even third. 1t was unique
for a man to be made even corporal
before his second hitch. but / was
lucky, l guess. l was made qSar-
termaster sergeant after two and a
half years Of service. I was COM
missioned a second lieutenant In the
Fifth cavalry in 1891"
After being commissioned Har-
bord served IN the cavalry in the
West and in 1888 became a member
Of the Rough Riders with the tem-
porary rank of major. After the
Spanish American war he reverted
to first Lieutenant, and it was during
this period that he met the man
with whom he was 70 be so actively
associated-then lieut.. John J.
Pershing, also Of the Tenth cavalry.
General Pershing and ] occupied
the same tent and were assigned to
the same squadron in those days
just after the war. W" were both
lIeutenants, but even then the gen.
eral was an indefatigable student
OF military affairs and was laying
the foundation for his career Then,
as now, the army was going through
a process OF reorganization"
General pershing. Of course, Is a
West Point graduate There were
any number of West Pointers among
the first officers who wNnt to duty
overseas with Porshing's $ first force
At that time General Harbord was
a newly appointed lieutenant col
onel. He had served 12 years in
the Philippine COnstabuiary as cap
tain in the regular army and colOne.
OF cOnstabulary. He had taken his
natives wild and woody and had
trained them to be loyal, hard
shooting soldiers Of Uncle Sam At
the las, had it not been for tho Man
chue law which provided that only
field officers could he made chiefs
OF constabulary Harbord would
have held that position. "a iJ was
he was acting chief of the force for
years
The Great Test.
This General Pershing knew when
the great test of France came 10
hand. DisreEarding such West
Pointers as might have been avail
able he made HarbOrd his chief Of
staff. promoted him 10 colonel as a
result Of his excellent work and then
i'm quick succession made him bIiga-
der and major general
Harbord, Of course, had fully
earned his honory After the bat
lie OF Chateau Thierry which made
history, he was rewarded by pro-
motion to the command cf the di-
vision. But his original selection as
chief Of staff need not have been
made nor would 1t have been made
had those critics Of West Point been
right-had there been such "A thing
as a West Point clique In the army.
Pershiug--a West Pointer--gave
Harbord-the "ranker'-his oppor-
tunlty and General Harbord made
good. SO much for the talk OF a
West Point clique or snobbishness In
this mans army.
Any one who is at all familiar
with the regular army knows that
the opportunity and the success
gained By General Harbord Is in
measure Of his ability and luck Of
war in the hands of any man. The
writer is no longer an officer In it.
having been eliminated by his own
request--and therefore feels free TO
state the faCt-that every enlisted
hen IN the American army has the
chance for success equal TO that OF
General HarbOrd,
Indeed the army has progressed
. La rsH h "a