The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-08-07
Better Army Leadership Needed

chain can be no stronger than its weak
est link.
An army can be no better than its leader
ship.
If the United States is going to continue to
keep old men at the head OF the army VINO
have neither the inclination nor ability to keep
in step with modern warfare then we would
be much better off if we didn't build an army
at all
We can have an army in this country COM
posed of millions our best and finest young
men. Yet we might as well shoot these men
down in cold blood as to place over them
outrnoded or incapable leaders mentally ana
physically unable to lead them to victory in
battle.
One tiny mistake made by an incompe-
tent general can cause the needless loss OF
thousands of lives. Thus it would seem That
every citizen in the country could see the vital
necessity for having only the best leadership
in our rapidly expanding army.
That we do not have leadership is ap-
parent.
CONGRESSMAN Ross Collins, Meridian Mis-
sissippi fifth district is recognized as the out
standing military authority in Congress. For
years he has advocated the building OF
against building up mass army that could
be moved down by a smaller, more COM
pact, mechanical unit. sensational article
written by Mr. Collins appeared in the June
issue of the Readers Digest That article has
done more to stimulate thought about Wnere
we are headed with the same old type army
we used in the World War than anything
that has happened since we started build
ing another army.
That article is followed by Mr.. Collins in
the July Readers Digest with piece suggest
ing now we can achieve the youthful leader
shin we need in the new American army by
doing away with promotions by seniority
and promote officers and men only on the
basis of their individual merit.
That our system should be changed i'm
mediately to get the best brains and leader
ship possible goes without saying. Along
these lines Congressman Collins makes ten re-
Communications that should be carefully
studied by our Military authorities and our
Congress. Each suggestion has merit and
Should be considered seriously:
/. Lower the age of retirement for all army Of
fcers to 55.
2. Abolish the seniority rule altogether, all the
way down into the ranks; and make promotion de-
pendent wholly merit. Merit should be demon
strated by exactng physical and competitive eX-
annations and by competition in the field, with due
emphasis on brains, initiative, imagination resource
fulness and all that il takes to be leader OF
g. Eliminate the bottom five percent every year, of
officers OF all ranks. Why should the government
be the Great White Father of everyone who has OBJ
tanned a commission? The government discharges
civilian employees for incompetence So does every
corporation. Nothing, believe, would do more to get
our officers their than the everlasting threat
of discharge.
a. Give up calling retired officers back to service
even in times of crisis This would be aid toward
dscardng outmoded policies and training.
VII all
ional Guard which represents important part of
our military defense and should be kept just mod
err, prov.aed with just modern weapons and
training, the Regular Army
6. Apply these recommendations to the Officers
Reserve since about three fourths of present
officers are drawn from this important reservoir.
7. Study the promotion methods of Of our
most alert corporations with view to lettering
methods in army The wise corporation leaves as
little possible to chance avriism 1t bases adj
vancement of distinctive young largely the
recommendations of trained personnel experts who
keep tabs every junior executive from the time
he enters the company's employ. This system would
give the imaginative, inventive and hard-workng
young officer chance. 1t would help to discover
born leaders-one of the arTny's greatest needs
s. Relieve army officers am, troops from all ae-
tvities which civilians do we'll better, a.
less cost. About half of officers ard men
usually are concerned with other things than COM
bat training Their time should be spent in battle
practice.
8. Abolish the arsenas and get the army out OF
research and manufacturng-for too many valid rea-
TO be set down here.
10. Eliminate the traditional barriers between the
different branches of the army, such as the lines
separating the infantry from the air corps, the
tilery from the engineers, and so