Evening star., 1932-10-16
Shanks Assails March for Criticism
OF Perslling's Record During War
Continued From First Page)

him the fruits of his valor. 1t was
most unfortunate idea. and worked
great harm to the Regular Army.
When the war was over 1t was
inevitable many emergency officers
should want immediate discharge. the
War Department should have provided
accordingly Many of the officers were
business men who haG made great sac
rifices when they entered the war. The
handling of these applications fc& DIS
charge was such that We no. only lost
many friends, but MADE many bitter
enemies
A large number of these applications
we're made from the port and were
forwarded by me Whoever handled
the applfcaCN-s in the War Depart
ment st emed to carry In his mind the
thought that a brusque denial would
indicate unusual efficiency. If there
was ever a time when patience, tact
and kindly human feeling toward
emergency officers were needed 1t was
when they we're leaving the service.
Needlessly. many left with bitter
taste in their mouths.
Every day I had in my office throngS
of public men who had come to the port
to welcome homecoming soldiers of their
own community. Many of these public
men were Congressman, and often they
made strenuous efforts to obtain the
QlSCIldISb Vi SOlllt VI AAA
whom they were especially interested
Blaze cf Animosity.
The scant courtesy they received laid
the foundations for that blaze OF ami
mostly which scorched the War De-
partment and the Regular Army at the
following session of Congress. Tact and
patience would have been a solid asset
of the War Department at this stage,
but these qualities were not on display.
An astounding thing was to observe
Just as much bitterness among regular
officers as volunteers. The treatment
of some regular officers was heartless.
Some who had won promotion in cam
spaign came home in command OF divl-
Sions and were denoted before they
could come down the gangplank. The
major general who was commanding
division of twenty-seven thousand men
became a colonel before he could kiss
>lis wife waiting to greet him. Just
a little touch of the human element
would have been of more value than
all the driving force in the world. but
the human touch was not there.
Is it so long ago that the country
doesn't remember the acrid protest that
arose over the order that discharged
soldiers turn in their uniforms? Knowl-
edge of human nature would have pre-
cluded any such plan.
In substance Gen. March makes these
specific claims: That after reaching
Washington to become chief of the gen.
eral staff he made complete reorgani-
cation of the embarkation service and
relieved the officer in charge and de-
tailed instead Capt. Frank T. Hines,
Coast Artillery Corps. thereafter pro-
NOTED until he became brigadier gen.
eral.
March's Claims Disputed
Gen March effected no reorganiza-
ton of the embarkation service he
had nothing to do with selecting Capt
Hines He relieved nobody to put Hines
in. for Hines had been chief of embark
alton several weeks before Gen. March
arrived in Washington.
The facts follow: The first chief
of embarkation was Col Chauncey B.
Baker, Quartermaster Corps, and he
chose Capt. Hines as assistant Hines
began his duties August 5. 1917. seven
s1nonthS before Gen. March arrived in
Washington December %, 1917 Maj.
Gen George w. Goethals retired, was
appointed director of storage and
traffic. and the embarkation service
was placed directly under him.
Early in January, 1918. Gen. Goethals
felt it would be of great help if he
OF practical shipping man. He there
fore appointed Joseph T. Lilly chief
of embrakation. Mr.. Lilly retained
Hines as his assistant. After a few
days trial Mr.. Lilly saw he was labor
ing under great disadvantage in at
tempting to master the maze of War
Department orders, routine and red
tape. At his own request he was re-
lieved Hines succeed him. January 26,
1919 y,hi1a Maroh cti1 in,
Europe.
February 4. 1918, l submitted an
official recommendation for Hines pro-
motion. At the same time I wrote Gen.
.Goethals- bringing to his attention the
fact that his chief of embarkation.
carrying one of the big jobs of the coun-
try held only the rank Of major.
had line from Gen. Goethals thank
ing me. Hines was made a lieutenant
colonel February II, a colonel March
%, brigader general April 18. This
was rapid but we'll earned promotion.
Gen. March's claim that he COM
pletely reorganized the embarkation
service is preposterous. 1t will make
the older officers smile. and the reason
is this: When Gen. March returned,
the embarkation service was already un-
der the direct supervision of Gen. Geo.
thals. Gen March certainly would have
. bCCIl al lOl lIcCIlC CllIlc WIcIlSNCI IIC
started in to reorganize what was un
der Gen. Goethals' charge.
Look at Gen. March's claim, that
before reaching Washington he knew
precisely what reorganization he pro-
posed to effect in the general staff;
how he proposed to discard the system
used in France and substitute one of
his own. wherein the names Of the
various divisions would indicate to all
k@ -
handled My" new divisions we're
termed l. operation; 2, military intel
ligence; g. purchase, storage and traf-
flc; 4. war plans.
Then he goes on to relate how. in
developing his work, he selected able,
loyal assistants-Brig. Gen. Henry
.Jervey at head of operations: Gen. !
Goethals at head Of purchase, storage
and traffic.
Questions His Accuracy
The reader who relies upon Gen |
March's statements caLnot fail to be-
lieve that it was he VINO reorganiZed |
the general staff and gave the various
divisions the names indicated Nothing |
of the kind. He found every one of
those divisions in active operation |
when he returned, and they were oper- |
ating under the names gwen. Later |
he did issue an order consolidating the
purchase and supply with the storage |
and traffic division and placing the |
whole, now termed purchase, storage |
and traffic, under Gen. Goethals.
Nobody relying upon Gen. March's |
story can fail to believe It was he who |
selected Gen. Goethals and Gen. Jer-
vey and assigned them to their i'm
portant jobs. Nothing Of the kind.
When Gen. March reached the War
Department Gen. Jervey mad been act
ing as chief of operations since De-
cember II. 1917: Gen. Goethals had
been director of storage and traffic |
since December %, more than two |
months before March arrived. Goethals, |
Hines, Jervey. They all rendered
splendid service But why should Pey-