Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-16
Promotions
In Army Need
Better Basis
Author Was a General
Himself at IS
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

A HAS been stated here be-
"A fore. this new business OF
promotion TO the grade of briga-
der general by selection rather
than seniority is all right. This
writer shouldn't kick. He was a
brigadier general at 35-the
youngest between the Civil War
and 1918.
Not only that, but he declined
a similar promotion some
months before in favor of an
older officer whom he thought
more suitable 10 the specialized
Job in question. He was pro-
NOTED from a regular rank of
captain.
The recent considerable flock
of appointments to new stars, in
some cases is obviously war
ranted and in others, i dunno.
The trouble is this: Few OF
these appointees have ever been
put to any real test. The APP
pontmpntS are made on the eX-
tenSiVe and mcticuioHSly kept
records" that follow an officer
from his first commission TO his
last farewell.
LIVERY commander un er
II whom he has served has 10
report on his performance
whether he has observed him for
a month or a year. The method
of rating is quite arbitrary. The
highest that can be given Is
superior" If you haven't got a
consistent record of superior
YOU are out of luck and one or
two adverse reports, whether
from prejudice, favor or amply
justified can ruin you.
Now there is such a thing as
army politics. In more cases
than one, the -coloners lady If
not Judy OGrady has a finger
in that pie Kipling was right
when he sang, Make your peace
with the ladies and the men will
make YOU L. G..
Furthermore, there IS the
knowledge that changing {. O.s
have this power, month after
month and year after year OF
the moving finger which writes
and having writ moves on nor
all your piety nor wit shall lure
il back 10 cancel half line, nor
all your tears wash out a word
/ of H.
EXCEPT in the stern test of
IL war. there is a danger that
this system may become test
in Servility. lack of independent
opinion. and Misunderstanding. In
actual conflict, u IS different.
f. No matter what the moving
| finger has written. holiness,
leadership courage and ingenu-
| ity. producing results, stand out
! like Mars M Perihelion whether
on the battlefield or in the serV-
ices of supply behind the lines.
Another thing. there is no as
Surance that mere youth. with
out some added quality proved.
or mere age without some
known disability in courage and
vigor. is any universal touch
stone, II is true that the great
est world conquerors in history
were remarkably young.
BY all odds the greatest was,
and probably ever will remain.
GhengiS X han. (Spelled .
Ways He started at 10 But
let's not forget that his greatest
/ conquests and campaigns were
conducted after he was 81. In
the probable order Of their lesser
genius were Alexander. Caesar.
Hannibal and Napoleon. They,
too, were all young men for
their rank as was Scipio Afri-
canus in the campaigns that
defeated Hannibal, or yelling
ton who was only 46 at
Waterloo.
PUT these all-conquering in
- FAINT prodigies were rash.
Their cOnquests crumbled with
their deaths. They were all
ohSessed with decisions OF gran
deur and sophomore ambitions
10 run the world. In less spec
tacular but more profitable roles
we shall find Pcrshing, linden
berg. FoCh. Lee and. on the
more favorable side Of so. but
no children. Grant, Sherman
and Stonewall Jackson.
All Of us know plenty Of men
past middle age with far more
energy, initiative and even am
bition than some of lesser years.
II would be a shame in our
present dearth of professional
and experienced military minds
TO shelve completely so many
excellent soldiers and sailors as
seems 10 be on our program for
the SkidS.
Some may not be good for
active field service but when we
think of all the jobs that have
10 be done in training, supply
and other services equally neceS-
Sary. what kind of economy Of
man-power, trained intelligence
and federal investment in these
facilities is il 10 90 about 10
amateurs and let these experts
grow into human turnips on
government pensions? Surely
there is some sensible middle
ground.
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