Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-03-27
U. S. Army's
Top Men Are
Regular Guys
Macarthur Only Genius
in Military Setup
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

four-star. generals, 1t is very
hard to regard them with the
awe with which the world re-
CARDS them.
My early time in the army
was one of slow but certain
change from an older order
left over from the Civil War.
Nearly all the regular field Off
GERS were old Indian fighters.
Promotion was painfully slow.
Some lieutenants were grand
fathers, and a man hardly ex-
pected his captaincy before 40,
except for lucky few that got
the little squirt in advancement
due TO the Spanish-American
war.
THE rest Of us-and this in
cluded nearly every one of
the army's big shots today
expected to serve 40 years and
retire as majors and colonies if
we were lucky.
But there were great forces
moving under the surface toward
tremendous change. One OF these
was. of course, aviation.
Most of the great flying fields
were named for my buddieS-
which means that they lost their
lives in pioneering days of flying.
The first man ever killed in any
airplane accident--or even hurt.
was a claSSmate of mine, Tom
Selfridge.
A handful Of junior lieutenants
attended the first American air.
plane meet at Tanforan, Cali
fornia. The pioneer fliers of the
world were nearly all there.
Most of the bunch who went
up that day, teXcept MYSELF
Joined the air department of the
signal corps and because they
gave their lives. have air fields
named for them today-Love,
Kelley, CriSSy, McChord, etc.
MEN like Lieut.. Gen. Delos
A'A Emmons were comrades of
a slightly later crop. l once
pinch-hit TO command Billy
Mitchells signal corps company
while he was away flying some
where.
Active generals like Mac
Arthur (who was a classmate of
mine) or like McNair. Vain
wright and Stilwell (who were
contemporary SchoolmateS al
West Point were comrades in
the army afterward.
Recalling them fondly TO men,
DRY as awkward, gangling kids.
frequently under the terrible
embarrassment of the old West
Point hazing system, it is diff
cult to realize that they have
developed into great world
figures with terrific responsible
ties for the fate and future of
the nation in their hands.
THERE was little enough on
Il which TO forecast such
career then. Marshall was not
so close. We entered the army
at about the same time, but only
served together a short while in
the humble position of sand
rats" or target markers at a
rifle meet.
And yet, I can remember
quite clearly that there were two
things which, without a single
exception, they had in common
rather rare things in those
days of the army.
For want of better words let's
call them extreme simplicity and
sympathy for the other fellows
position and point Of view-es-
pecially if the "other fellow"
was of lower rank as an officer
or was an enlisted man.
THERE waS-and there still
Il iS-no brass-h hat side"
among these mpn-no Strutting
insistance on their Importance,
not because of anything they
have done, but because they are
Officers and gentlemen by act
of Congress-"
This outstanding quality, plus
the fact that they were happy
to be soldiers and had faith that
hard work and effort with every
job well done would some day
win recognition, even if that
day were as distant as doom.
are the distinguishing marks of
every single one Of these men.
Not one, except Macarthur, had
any boyhood advantage of
wealth or distinction.
With no exceptions, soldiers
love them. Every year, or on
every change of commanders
throughout long years, officers
have submitted to Washington
efficiency reports on the con-
duct of their work. 1t doesn't
take many bad or Indifferent re-
ports 10 kill a career.
A single spiteful or biased
commander may do a lot of
harm, but if the average from
all kinds Of authorities is very
high you may be pretty sure the
CtIbiart ic an tIpncnol rNroJuct