Dignity

Brasshats and Personal Dignity

ONE hears frequent comparison of American and Australian Brass-hats in New Guinea—and the verdict is usually in favour of the Americans.

The Australians, recruited to a large extent from among officials and bureau crats, are so sensitive on the matter of their dignity that they unintentionally give offence to men who, on their part, are born and bred to hatred of bureau crats; whereas the Americans treat' all men alike, and subvert all considerations of personal prestige to that of getting on with the war.

Here is a typical incident.

A really hard-boiled old civilian, who had been out for months in territory occupied by Japs, finally came into an Allied base, and placed his “intelligence” unreservedly at the disposal of both Aus tralians and Americans. The Americans, at once recognising his unique value, instructed a high commissioned officer to work with him; as a result of which some maps were ruthlessly altered, and some very successful operations initiated.

But the Australians passed him over to a corporal, under whose tender care he was invited to examine certain maps. He discovered serious errors in a map delineating a place from which he had just come; and so he took a pencil and very prominently marked an alteration, as he had seen the Americans do it.

The corporal yelped in consternation. •Here. You can’t go around altering maps like that,” he said. “Must consult the OC. Are you sure you know this place?”

Mr. Hardboiled looked him over. “No.

I don’t know anything about it,” he growled. He stamped out, and .nothing would induce him to go back.

But the Americans, working closely with him, brought off some famous coups.