the commander of the best trained army America ever had
should lead it in a spirit of determination that cannot be shaken.

Underneath this firmness is an unfailing spirit of fairness. After seven
years of hard work he established in the Philippines a new record in
diplomacy by winning the complete confidence of the natives. Said one
man, "In all the Philippines there is no one so beloved for his gentle
yet unrelenting manner, his absolute fairness and justice, as this
soldier who had the unusual power of instilling love for himself and
fear for his enmity at the same time."

In his boyhood his close friends report that this same quality often
made him the protector of the younger boys when they were the victims
of the school bully. "As a young fellow," states one of his early
friends, "he was accommodating and never pushed himself forward. He was
always ready to help other fellows who were not able to work out their
problems. As a boy his decisions were always quick and accurate."

Of course the spirit of fairness implies the possession of a kindly
nature as well as imagination. One cannot be fair or just to his enemies
unless he can first get their points of view. This was the underlying
quality in the work Lincoln did. He saw what his opponents saw but he
also saw more. It is the quality which makes of a man or a boy "a good
sport." He appreciates his antagonist and also--in the end--is
appreciated by his antagonist.

A writer in the _Missouri Historical Review_, whose words have before
been quoted, pays the following tribute to this quality in General
Pershing:

With his scholarly attainments, his ability as a
writer and speaker and his grasp of big problems,
Pershing might have developed into a statesman:
he certainly would have succeeded as a business
man if he could have contented himself with the
humdrum life in a downtown office; and with his
attractive personality he might indeed have led a
successful career as a politician, except for his
unfortunate modesty which even in the army has
frequently delayed for him a merited promotion. As
a soldier, Pershing's methods are those of
clemency rather than ruthlessness and he makes
personal friends even of his enemies.

Writing as he did before the declaration of war with Germany he adds:

Since the death of General Funst