Bennett Champ Clark letter to Champ Clark - March 18, 1918
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[Fort Sam Houston] [Texas] March 18, 1918 Dear Little Things: Well, we are through with another week without anything of any special note happening. We are getting very close to the end of the school and expect to return to our regiments about April 3. I understand that both General Wright and General Berry have been called on by the War Department to submit explanations in writing of why they allowed the base hospital to get into such shape. The truth is they were so busy trying to roll National Guard officers that they didn’t have time to attend to their duties. I have been much
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[page 2] interested in all the clippings you all have sent me. There is nothing definite about when we will go to France. One day we here that we will go in April and the next day we learn that the Division is to have 10,000 drafted men added to it and that we won’t be able to leave until we have made soldiers out of them. So you needn’t be surprised at anything you hear – either that we are going right away or that we will be at [Fort Sill] for several months yet. I noticed a steadily rising tide of sentiment that the Administration is making a mess of the war – that [Woodrow] Wilson is a fine speech maker but not an able
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[page 3] war executive. Just sit tight in the boat and watch it go on. I saw the picture of C.C. Thomson and his grandsire in the Ladies Home Journal – an excellent picture of both which I enjoyed very much. Governor Ferguson was here today making a speech to the State Federation of Labor. He seems to be making a good deal of headway in his race for reelection. Governor Hobby, who married one of Sam B. Cooper’s daughters, is his leading opponent. We are still studying Letters on Applied Tactics by Major General Griepenkid of the German Army most of his problems are laid in the vicinity of Metz but he always
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[page 4] takes good care to treat Metz as an unfortified city so as not to tipoff anything about its defenses to inquisitive foreigners. I haven’t heard anything from Genevieve since she left here to return to the bosom of her family. Governor Bob Williams was down here last week inspecting the Oklahoma troops at Camp Travis. He seemed in high feather and asked to be remembered to both of you. General Murray’s son – in – law and Col Pratt is down here in command of one
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[page 5] of the aviation fields. I ran across him the other day and he was exceedingly cordial. Take good care of yourselves, dear Little Things If I go to France soon I’ll get word to you and you can come to New York to see me. I’m mighty anxious to see you both. With lots of love to you both, I am your devoted son, Bennett
Details
Title | Bennett Champ Clark letter to Champ Clark - March 18, 1918 |
Creator | Clark, Bennett Champ |
Source | Clark, Bennett Champ. Letter to Champ Clark. 13 March 1918. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
Description | In this March 13, 1918 letter to his parents, Bennett Clark speculated when his regiment would be sent to France and discussed public opinion on President Woodrow Wilson and the War Administration’s handling of the War. Champ Clark, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Missouri, was a politician in the Democratic Party. He served as a representative of Missouri from 1893 to 1895 and from 1897 to 1921. From 1911 to 1919 he served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Bennett Clark served as a Colonel during World War I and was Missouri State Senator from 1933 to 1945. |
Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; Clark, Bennett Champ, 1890-1954; Missouri. National Guard; Fort Sam Houston (Tex.); Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924; World War, 1914-1918--Political aspects--United States |
Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
Site Accession Number | C0666 |
Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
Date Original | March 18, 1918 |
Language | English |