San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-29

removal to make room for favorites.
That is the sole conclusion possible.
After the armistice, the heroes from
"above" came out from behind their
swivel chairs and began to hunt for
ribbons and higher salaries.
On November 20, at general head
quarters after the armistice, q letter
was written, addressed to me as COM
mander Of the Thirty-third Division,
which reached me three days later.
SCORES "HIGHER-UPS."
If any one bad told me prior to the
receipt of the letter that such a mis-
sive had actually been written, l
would have ordered up such a person
for mental examination by a board Of
medical officers and even after l re-
ceived and read the letter I was won
dering whether my eyes had gone back
on me, or whether there was not some
horrible mistake, a delusion, or in
sanity, war psycbosis, as our medi-
cal friends would term it.
The letter was in indited as a de-
liberate rebuke of the most singing
character, charging that some Of the
troops Of the Thirty-third Division
had left certain billets on certain dates
in a most miserable condition, that
the state Of affairs was intolerable
and, finally-the GROWING glory CT
this literary effusion--I was forbid
den to make reply at all. No, ! ex-
aggerate--I was permitted, most gra-
ciously so, to acknowledge receipt of
the letter, with the strict injunction
o. odd onatbar xrnrI
All of this would have been ridicul-
Gus If it were not SO sad. l have
heard Of men gone drink with power,
second lieutenant for example, for
getting that he was a fellow Ameri-
can merely directing temporarily the
military destinies of fellow Americans
in uniform, suddenly gone mad with
imagined autocratic powers granted
him by his government. l knew and
heard Of these excrescences in the
army and crushed them out in our di-
vision, but l never believed that the
same initiation of swelled head trans
formed through the fortunes-misfor-
tunes, would be a better term-of
war into an "officer and gentleman, I"
could affect men high up on the mill.
tary ladder.
LETTER FROM CHIEF.
The letter was an official commu-
nication from the highest ranking
American officer in France. That the
contents of that letter were nothing
more nor less than lie from alpha to
omega does not change the situation,
for it is not the man as such l am
after, but the underlying condition
which makes such men possible, anil
this 1 intend to discuss frankly and
freely, much as a surgeon exposes u
rotten sore in order to rid the body
of it.
(As has been noted heretofore, Gen.
eral Bells Memories carefully avoid
all mention of General Pershing's
name. But every intelligent reader
will discern the identity Of the COM
mander-in-chief to whom Bells de-
scriptiOn refers, although he does not
name him.-News EditOr.)
In any civilized army, officers in the
permanent service know each other and
have regard and respect for each
other.
SCORES JEALOUSIES.
As a matter of fact, nothing is more
conducive TO the undermining of the
morale of troops than an inkling that
all is not well with the leaders. Per-
sonal prejudices and petty jealousies
should have no place in the field, and
the highest commanders should know
that every subordinate who cares some
thins about his career, especially in
the regular army, would uphold all mil
itary traditions and military law to
the utmost, irrespective of whether the
seniors happen to be admired and re-
spected or not.
But where such confidence is lack
ing, methods creep in which remind
one of the political spy system in car
istic Russia. agents provocateurs
are sent out to gain and later betray
the condolences of those who did not
learn the wisdom of holding their
tongue, and at headquarters willing
cars listen to reports amounting TO
common, vulgar scandal, and worse.
On cannot understand the morbid
psychology which makes a man misuse
his temporary powers in one breath
and in another fear that he is not
regarded with respect or confidence by
men whose judgment is worth while.