Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19
Supplies and Leadership
Were Most Difficult
Problems as Actual
Work Abroad Began.
SPECIALLY FITTED
MEN WERE SOUGHT
Aided by Opening
Their Staff Schools
to Train Officers for
Duties in France.
CHAPTER VIII.

I the war our Government had
done little or nothing toward
Il the organization or equipment
OF an Army, not to mention its
transportation beyond the sea, was a
most tremendous handicap which few
OF our people realized then, and which
is not generally understood as this is
written, Is years later.
AS the details of our mission abroad
| developed it soon became evident that
| in all that pertained to the maintenance
and supply of our armies as distinguish
ed from the purely military task, men
with expert knowledge and broad ex-
perience in business, industry and
| transportation would be needed.
In the technical branches of the Army
there were many officers with theoreti-
cal training in special lines, but with
some notable exceptions they generally
lacked broad constructive or admin
iStrative experience. From the very
start I determined to obtain the best
talent available, and WaS fortunate in
practically every field to find able men
who were anxious to do their part.
Can for Lumber Enormous.
The earliest application of the prin-
ciple was In connection with timber
and lumber procurement. The call for
lumber would be enormous and since It
would be impossible with our limited
tonnage to bring a great quantity across
the Atlantic, most of 1t would have to
be obtained in Europe.
A cable to the War Department early
in July recommended the immediate
organization Of a forestry service con-
SiSting of Sawmill units to be composed
of experienced lumbermen and eight to
ten thousand unskilled laborers TO build
roads and transport lumber. Special
request was made for the appointment
of Prof Henry Graves, chief Of the
United States Forestry Service, who was
then on the ground, as the man to take
charge Of this service. A number OF
uuested as we entered the task of build
ing up the supply service, but as this
was the first intimation given to the
War Department that such force
would be needed, naturally 1t was some
time before it was actually at work.
STAFF Required Attention.
Coincident with other immediate
questions, the development Of salts
factory general staff system to meet the
demands Of modern warfare required
my special attention. The history OF
our Army offered no guide to the or:
stan under conditions involving the
handling Of millions Of men in great
war.
When Congress created the general
staff in 1903, it was done upon the
Recommendation of Mr.. Elihu Root, then
Secretary Of War After that for vari-
Gus reasons, considerable hostility grew
up against it in both House and Senate.
Moreover, there existed no little opposi-
ton to it within the Army itself, espe-
cially in the intrenched supply depart
ments and bureaus at Washington.
A certain limited class of line officers
who regarded their commissions as
SUFFICIENT evidence of superior qualiflca-
tons and as carrying a vested right TO
live at the expense Of the Government
with a minimum of exertion also decried
it. But the main thing that retarded
its evolution was the lack OF clear
conception of its proper functions and
the consequent Capitalization OF its
direction in the hands OF successive
chiefs Of staff.
Building q General Stah.
1t required no genius to see that the
coordination and direction Of the COM
bat branches and the numerous services
Of large forces could be secured only
through the medium of well consti-
tuted general staff, and determined TO
construct it on the sound basis Of actual
experience in war of our own and other
armies.
our most highly trained officers as q
rule came from the STAFF College at
Fort Leavenworth and the Army War
College, but the majority Of the rela-
lively small number of graduates from
these schools were scattered throughout
the United States and colonial posses
sions.
During the first two months in France
the work imposed upon the few stan
ohicers who had accompanied me was
very heavy. After urgent and repeated
requests ! was fortunate In having At
my disposal later in the Summer q
small group of men which included
some of the most brilliant and highly
educated officers in our Army.
In addition to those already with me,
| the officers included in the following
cable I regarded as especially fitted for
the duties for which they were desired:
Request Robert C. Davis, adjutant
general, be sent these headquarters
earliest date. Request Frank Norman
| or j. o. Mauborgne be sent these head
| quarters earliest date for duty as code
expert. Request Samuel T. Hubbard,
| jr., Signal Corps, now here, be called to
active service and ordered report to me.
Request 10 Of following named officers
be sent TO report TO me by second con-
voy for general staff duty: Frank r.
Mccoy, George Van Horn Moseley,
Malin Craig, Alfred w. Bjornstadt,
H. B. Fiske, Allen ]. Grear, Paul B.
Malone, Edgar T. Collins, Samuel r.
Gleaves, Laurence Halstead. Nicholas
| w. Campanole, A. r. Moreno, Preston
Brown, LIE Roy r. Eltinge, w. B. Burtt,
Frank T. Hines, Edward L. King, j. p.
McAdanas, w. G. Sweeney, j. B. Barnes,
Kerr T. Riggs, w. H. Winters, Wait
G. Johnson, Stuart Heintzelman, Up
ton Birrie. Kirby walker, Berkeley
EnochS :" "a
Model for Future Guidance.