Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-01
Appointment
Of Somerven
AppIauded
Shining Light in Army.
johnson Reveals
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

Il Brehon Somervell as Ga of
the whole army passed with
little notice. Perhaps it is as
well. It is lot better to save
the plaudits for the end of the
chapter than to get the red fire
first and the dead cats last. I
ought to know. The latter is
the way it happened in the
MIRA.
One reason for the lack of
public attention is the peculiar
way of naming the biggest OF
army jobs.
CD means the division of
four of the general staff which
is charged with the procure
ment. storage. transportation
and delivery of all supplies for
the land forces and for much
construction.
1t is about the biggest job Of
its kind in the world.
THE World War general staff
our army didn't use=the
&c" nomenclature on this side
of the Atlantic. 1t was copied in
the AEF from the British sys-
tenn but the matter Of names
was of small moment.
7 ALSO know something about
i Somervell. He succeeded me
as administrators Of WPA in
New York City. Just before
that, he attracted the attention
of the President by his work in
the planning and construction Of
the Florida Ship Canal.
He got his orders one morning
and before Congress could get
around TO stopping the project
he had that great ditch well
along in construction in a mat
ter of few weeks. / doubt if
there are many equals TO that
-performance.----=
His work on WPA in New
York City was equally remark
able. We hastily put 10000
men to work in about six weeks
before he arrived. but lit was
naturally a helter-skelter sort
of a job.
He organized that effort so
that toward the end it was
nearly the equivalent of civilian
engineering projects. although
there have been few 10 equal
it in size and complexity Of
administration.
CINCE that time, and during
~ his increasing war response
bilities, his record has shows
no downward dip. In short.
what we have here is one Of the
first psoved shining lights of
our top-side army command. II
/ am any judge, he will do one
of the outstanding jobs in its
Observation-Disclosures
OF even more significance is
the healthy tendency shown by
this appointment and the con-
centration of all construction
work in the engineer corps.
We are moving towards CEN
traliZation of power in the
ablest hands and with the most
direct responsibilities. Consid-
ering the confusion. overlapping.
ineptitude and uncertainties of
authority In so many OF the
other government efforts this is
highly encouraging.
ESPECIALLY is this true in
~ view of the fact that il is
well known that il is only part
Of well considered plan in both
the army and the navy TO apply
similar principles throughout.
1t must be kept in mind that
the general staff is not an OPP
Grating agency. 1t plans things.
keeps wires from crossing, sup
cruises their execution and must
be regarded as part of the few
powerful units. not of he hands.
but Of the composite brain of
the commander-in- chief. and Of
the chief Of the general staff
acting for him
Somervell will dig no more
bitches like the Florida Ship
Canal bur will see mat they are
dug in the best and most eco
nomical manner possible. That
kind Of thing is not tho one
hundredth part Of the things for
which he will be responsible. He
must sec that the army is
clothed. fed. housed and moved
better than any other army in
the world. wouldn't know how
10 pick better man.
Distributed by King Features synd Inc.
Reproduction In whole or in part