Evening star., 1943-03-28
McKelway
Continued From Page BID

quately supported by astonishing statis-
tics on tonnage, road space required for
a motorized division and the preparat ton
and time involved in a movement of
medium tanks from Point A to Point B
without exposing a flank. Members of
this school of thought maintain that
when the boys finish their four weeks
course they will look down their noses
at anything less than two-star general
and will stand in front of the mirror at
home, addressing themselves in the re-
spectful, yet explicit terms of CO. In
reporting to Gen. Marshall on civilian
morale in Hindustan.
The opposing school of thought arrives
at contradictory conclusion. Its ad-
vocates see, as one benefit of the course,
marked decrease in armchair strategy,
resulting from a daWning conception of
the vast intricacy of the problems of
running a war. They believe the grad
yates, instead of spouting their knowl-
edge, will be so appalled, by what they
have learned at LeavenWorth that they
will maintain strict silence on military
problems, only rising to shake warning
and emphatic finger at the gentleman
who wants to know why we don't 90
ahead and land an army of 100000 men
IN France and march on to Berlin. He
will occupy himself with writing letters
to the editor, assaulting any editorial
which fails to show comprehensive un-
derstanding of the problem involved in
the simplest military movement.
Aside from all this, however, is the un-
denlable fact that the Army has hit upon
an excellent idea in public relations,
taking the sound view that before any,
body can understand what the Army is
trying to do, some instruction in the rudi-
ments, at least, is necessary. The Army
recognizes the potentially valuable sup
port that can come from citizens, exer-
cising some influence in their own COM
modities, who understands what the Army
is facing in fighting the war. The knoWl-
edge is of value to the citizens. 1t is too
bad there are not more of them who can
get the Army's point of view of the things
that must be done to win this war. Per-
haps if 50,000000, instead of the handful
of 500 citizens, could learn more about
the grim business of war as it is taught
at the Command and General Staff
School, there would be the united civilian
effort that the Army, and all the rest of
us, must have if we are going to carry
through successfully with what we have
taken on.
The students attending the course pre-
sent good cross-section of American
business executives. They form an in
terested, intelligent group, are surpris-
lngly d-in-earnest about getting some
real benefit from their attendance at the
school. What they will do with the vast
quantity of notes they take in class, or
the intricate tables they arrange in sup
plying gasoline, food and ammunition to
their combat forces, remain to be seen
But they attend the classes, seven hours
day, without cuts. They study for at
least three hours at night. They ask
lnnumerable, and unusually pointed,
questions. They are quick to see a flaw
in professors outline and insist upon
removing it. They have the benefit of
excellent instructors, carefully selected
for conducting the Arny's nine-week
course in the Command and General
Staff School given to the regular student
officers. What the civilians receive is
a condensed and simplified version of the
regular course. The little knowledge they
gain may be dangerous for some of them,
but not for the Army. And if Gen.
Marshall could arrange to have the
course attended by selected members Of
the House and Senate, he would really
have something