Generalship: Its Diseases and Their Cure

IN the summer of 1921 I was lunching at
the Restaurant la Rue with the Deputy
Chief of the French General staff when
he told me the following story:
At the battle of Waterloo, Colonel
Clement, an infantry commander, fought
with the most conspicuous bravery; but
unfortunately was shot through the head.
Napoleon, hearing of his gallantry and
misfortune, gave instructions for him to
be carried into a farm where Larrey the
surgeon-general was operating.
One glance convinced Larrey that his
case was desperate, so taking np a saw he
removed the top of his skull and placed
his brains on the table.
Just as he had finished, in rushed an
aide-de-camp, shouting : ‘It3 General
Clement here?’
Clement, hearing him, sat up and exclaimed:
‘No! but Colonel Clement is.’
Oh, mon general cried the aide-decamp,
embracing him, ‘the Emperor was
overwhelmed when we heard of your
gallantry, and has promoted you on the
deld of battle to the rank of Geueral,’
Clement rubbed his eyes, got, off the
table, clapped the top of his skull on his
head and was about to leave the farm,
~ when Larrey shouted after him: ‘Mon
general--your brains !’ To which the
gallant Frenchman, increasing his speed,
shouted back: Vow that I am a general
I shall no longer require them!’
In this modest study my object is to
prove, that though Clement was wrong
about brains, without his courage there
can be no true generalship.