Leaves From a War Diary by James G. Harbord

Author:James G. Harbord [Harbord, James G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781258884291
Google: x6rSngEACAAJ
Publisher: Literary Licensing, LLC
Published: 2013-10-15T16:03:46+00:00

December 18, 1917.

The past few days have been interesting as well as filled with potentialities for the American Expeditionary Forces. The visit of the first seventeen Major-Generals called for perhaps more comment from our British and French Allies than any other event that has happened.

There is no general officer on duty with the British Expeditionary Force who is sixty years of age. There are few so old in the French service, and of the French it is said that no less than one hundred and thirty-eight general officers were sent to Limoges the first year of the war. It became the custom to order such officers to Limoges for duty, where there were no troops and nothing to do, and the exiles formed an excited and disheartened little community, no doubt gesticulating industriously and shrugging shoulders until their uniform tunics were worn out between the shoulder blades.

We have decided to adopt Cannes as the place we shall send them to. The Adjutant General is already there recuperating and John Palmer spent two months there. It sounds much more American, though doubtless less elegant, to say that a man has been “canned” than to say that he has been “limoged.”

Our first detachment of generals returned to our own country but the aftermath of their visit in the glimpse of physical inefficiency which would be fatal to our arms lingered in its effects. The C. in C. frankly stated his views to the War Department General Biddle, who had witnessed their inability to get around and to endure hardships, went back to Washington full of it. About that time General Mann, sixty-three and a half years, rather stout and inert, but a politician always, arrived with his Rainbow Division. General Blatchford, who was originally selected for the Line of Communications, had proved a failure, and though not really very old in years seems far gone in age. Liggett, who stands well with the Army, has a tremendous waist measurement which promises poorly for activity, though to do him justice I see him walking nearly every morning trying to walk it off, a very discouraging task, once it has arrived. Sibert has a fine reputation as a distinguished engineer, though there is something to indicate that Goethals considered him not entirely successful in his particular work in Panama, and it is said that only the marked conservatism of the Engineer Corps prevented his relief and possibly some disciplinary action. He was later made a Brigadier General for his Panama services.

When we left the United States no one in our party dreamed that Sibert would be made a Major-General, much less be sent over here in command of the 1st Division, but he was. He is without much training as a soldier since cadet days, has appeared somewhat indifferent, and has let his division run down. Two weeks ago, after an inspection of that 1st Division, the Inspector General recommended the relief from command of two officers, one being the Division Commander, the other the Colonel of the 28th Infantry.

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