Evening star., 1923-01-28

proper view OF the need Of o country.
being prepared.
What no! What are those two men
doing here? What business can
they have with the genera17 They
are not soldiers. past, present or
potential, they are what are known
to the world at large as politicians.
What can their mission be with the
leader Of cur forces? They state
their case In whispers, oId-time politi-
cal stun. but It doesn't go with John J.
He plays the game with cards on the
table. No joker up the sleeve for
him. and IL you have gathered the
impression that he is easy you
ought to look at him now. That jaw
is set, his eyes are cold as ice, and
while his manner Is courteous, it
would be a dumb individual who did
not realize that the fat was in the
fire Nothing doing; that is not for
the good of the country and the good
of the service. That was the sum and
substance Of his reply. Will they try
their luck over across the street at
the White House? Not If they have
any sense, for you can just see the
general sitting down to answer the
Presidents letter about the mat
ter, and you can not only see the fur
fly, but you can hear the hide coming
off of the ones who would use the
service for selfish ends.
In comes the aide once more. This
time he has in two shave tails" the
same meaning brand-new second
lieutenants. 1t is the first time they
ever have seen the general They look
white about the gals and solemn as
owls. They stand like twin ram
rods and say something, but you can
not get just what it is. The eyes of
the general are reminiscent for
moment. Thinking, no doubt, of the
time when he was a STRIPPING. he in
vites them to be seated and endeavors
to put them at ease; rather a hard
job, but he does 1t. On the brows OF
both are large drops of perspiration;
not the glycerine kind they use in
the movies, either.
The interview over, they make their
,, way out and you can bet that If
any one ever says anything against
the general he will have a coupe of
young officers to whip.
X
TN comes a rather fussy sort of
| i person, the kind that just can
| not get away from the old-fashioned
red tape that used to and, to an ex-
tent, still exists today. the kind that
binds up things when immediate
action is needed. A few questions
asked, the old-in-a-rut person does
not get the drift, and the matter is
postponed, but you can bet your last
dollar that somehow, somewhere, the
head of the fighting forces will find
| way to have the abuse corrected.
Real soldiers do not like red tape.
| Pershing, like all military men, does
not like war, but he believes in being
fully prepared for anything that may
! arise, and if war comes he believes
| in striking so hard a blow that the
| enemy will quickly realize that he
| has made a mistake in tackling the
sons Of Uncle Sam.
| The next man to enter the room is
announced with a grin by the major.
| for he knows that the visitor will be
heartily welcomed. 1t is an old ser
geant that served with Pershing in
! the early days. The handshake is, not
that of the general OF the Army or
! the retired sergeant, but 1T is the
grip that two strong men give each
other when they meet after a long
absence. You feel that you had better
take a smoke and you excuse your
self. 1t Is no place for you. 1t is all
right for You to be present when the
ordinary visitors come arouRd, but
when two Old comrades meet they
just want to be by themselves, and so
!, you leave, satisfied to know that as
long as Congress will do its part in
providing the money to properly equip
the Army the destinies of the country
are safe in the hands of John j. Per-
shing. the general of our Army.