The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-17
Mcclellan on Poker

| WITH HIS OPINION OF OUR ARMY THAT ISN'T
BIa ENOUGH THE NAVY WE HAVEN'T
GOT.
| Iron an Interview In the Font Worth Texas
Gazette.I
"General, what do you think OF a large
| standing armyS Do you think that sucI
an institution should be discouraged IN
this countryf"
81 think the army should be at least
| 10000 strong. II il all well enough TO say
| that we have no use for an army, but II we
should need il we would need II Dauiy'
| The affairs of nations are almost as uhcer'
ain as the affairs OF men, and, whiie lo-uay
| ali might look bright, cheerful, ana VIII
prospects Of eternal peace. a week IRON
now we may be girding II IONS TOT a san
culinary contest. Thirty thousand men
will make the nucleus OF a standing army
and M least that strength should be nam
tanned"
"What do you think OF the recent scar
dals in army liie?"
81 regret il very much, as IL VIII nave .
very bad effect throughout the entirt
| seryice-wil lessen the respect OF men ioi
| their officers, and, generally speaking
bring the army into disrepute. some goou,
Il however, UlIN OlUt HUH ~
a vice Of long practice may end"
"Was poker-playing prevalent in the
army in your time?"
"Not to any great extent. Whist was
more OF an army game in my time, and II
never had the had effect OF poker"
600 you believe in the existence OF ina
pickering at Washington"
al am afraid [laughlng] that ! must be-
lieye it, rs there is very little doubt OF It's
truth. But officers Of high rank had no.
thing to do with il. There were doubtless
some colonies and majors on stan duty VINO
are quite frequently in the company OF the
highest officers at the head Of it, and this Is
how the Young officers get TO be ileeced.
You see the young fellows are initiative,
and il they see older men playing they ieeI
that they should do the same. Besides, the
Young fellows like to tell when they return
to their posts Of the easy familiarity on
| which they are with general this N COLO
mel that"
.'Do you think army pOker-playing Is
confined TO Washington alone!"
"Oh, no; but Washington has certainly
spread the disease. Every military post in
the United States, with few exceptions. has
two poker games running all the time-the
higher and the lower. as they are called.
One is participated in by the officers. ana
the men patronize the other. The result Is
that one or two of the officers and four OF
five OF the men capture all the money thai
the paymaster leaves behind
1.-The custom of selling duplicated pay
checks was unknown in the Old army,
presume ="
dyes, sir; I never heard of a case OF
that character. The officer that would dc
il would be driven ont OF the army without
the formality OF a court-martial under the
old regime"
"GeneraI, what do you think of the
navy?"
"What navy"
"Why, the United States navy"
.'Bless your soul, we have not got any.
Our so-called navy has the unique distinc'
ton Of Being unable either to fight oil
run" .
"Do YOU think we should have anavy?'
.'Undoubtedly, sir; and. unlike the
army, il should be large one. The extent
of our coast-line makes a navy an absolute
necessity, and the people will learn so il
we ever become engaged I'm war"
"What kind OF armament would you
recommend-heavy iron vesselsy'
.'That / hardly know enough about to
give an intelligent opinion. Ii the torpedo
is ever perfected 10 such an extent that they
can guide, steer, and gauge it with aceu-
racy, 1t would not surprise me If 1T revolu-
tioniZed naval warfare. The great nations
Of Europe are experimenting all the time,
and | think will eventually succeed In
making a perfect torpedo. In the mean
time they are not neglecting their ships,
but are continually increasing and improv-
ing them"