This paragraph caught my attention even though I did not know who John W. Gates was (John Warne Gates (May 18, 1855–August 9, 1911), also known as "Bet-a-Million" Gates, was a pioneer promoter of barbed wire who became a Gilded Age industrialist.) or what legerdemain means (legerdemain \lej-ur-duh-MAIN\, noun: 1. Sleight of hand. 2. A display of skill, trickery, or artful deception.).
They did it very well. Yet it was quite evident that neither to the participants nor to the onlookers was this a quite pleasing innovation. If the late John W. Gates, if by any legerdemain his spirit could have been brought back from wherever it may be at present to witness the goose stepping today, he would certainly have been willing to bet a million against a large red apple that the army hates it.
You don’t run across this kind of journalism these days.
The main article is followed by stories about what the Pope thought of Hitler’s visit and where Bren machine guns are to be manufactured.
One of the worst equipped [and led] armies in history. They had to sandbag their tank [not tankette] hulls to stop rifle bullets.
Check out my reply #4 on this thread. When I saw your title for today it rang a bell for me so I went back and looked up this thread. Turns out I learned what your word for today means thirteen months ago. I’ll bet you won’t see “legerdemain” used in many articles in 2009.
A+ for you!