Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-20
Talk About the Army.

been often made during the past two or
three years that the priyates are system
atically imposed upon and degraded by
their officers, and to this has been at
| tributed the alleged bad morale and want
of patriotism and pride or the part Of the
common soldiers and the frequency Of de-
sertions. 1t has been frequently stated
that the men are compelled to perform
mental services for the officers, and that
they are very frequently treated more like
slaves than like freomen who are engaged
in the service Of their country.
These charges are usually made by
anonymous writer's, but they are placed
before the public through widely clrcu-
lated and influential newspapers. The
public may be 10th to give credence to
such charges when not backed with posi-
tive evidence, vet certain weight at
taches to them, even if absolutely untrue,
that lowers the army in the estimation of
the people, creates discomfort in the
ranks and prevents in a great measure
the obtaining Of recruits of the better
class.
A Chicago paper the other day, under
the startling caption SOLDIERS Used Like
Slaves; Cavalry Troops in the Regular
Service hired out Under Contract"
printed a special from Washington which
stated that the War Department had re-
ceiyed a complaint in regard to the garri-
son at Walla Walla, W. T., in which it
was asserted that during the winter
many Of the men in the five companies Of
cavalry stationed there were without
proper supplies Of boots and stockings,
and that the entire command was shame
fully treated. None of the officers 90 out
on exercise with their troops. presum-
ably because the task is dusty and
disagreeable. For over five months the
soldiers have been mostly engaged in
building quarters, digging bitches, max
ing useless roads aud planting shade
trees, the services of two companies being
leased out to contractors. The children
OF soldiers were not permitted to ride to
school in the post ambulance, which is
public property, with officers children,
but were compelled during the most
severe weather TO trudge to and fro,
while the children of the officers rode.
| During October, November, December,
and part Of January more than fifty men
were compelled to live in tents, although
there was plenty of shelter under
roof for them. Exposure, it is added.
was the probable cause of the death of
sergt. Rudolph Norfeldt and Private
! James #. Kelly. Such is the dissatisGac-
tion among the men that in one day re-
Gently one Sergeant, two Corporals and
twelve priyates deserted from the post.
The report concludes that many of the
enlisted men are compelled by the officers
TO perform the most mental services in
gross violation of an act OF Congress-
a practice which, tits added, "has a most
pernicious effect on tie morale Of the
army, and should be stopped at any cost"
These charges bear on their face strong
evidence of being fabrications, or at the
least gross eXaggerations of minor abuses.
If they are made in such a manner as to
command respect there is no doubt that
the Secretary of War will institute an in
vestigation with view to the Inaugural
ton of practical reforms, and the amend
ment of the military code 50 that the
rights, powers and privileges of officers
and men shall be more clearly defined
and protected.
If there IS any truth in these charges
the soldiers have been outrageously
abused, and if they are false the officers
have been wantonly and UNANIMOUSLY SIAN
| dered 1t would seem to be easy for the
Secretary of War to form an opinion as to
whether the charges, if, indeed, such
charges have been received, make out
such a case as to require an investigation.
The country very naturally desires to
| feel proud Of the army, and to have the
utmost respect for its officers. The army
is weak in numbers, and il it is composed
| of characterless hirelings and menials it
/ will prove very ineffective in time of need.
/ The army should be composed of young
men, enlisted say for five years, who
| should be required to furnish evidence Of
| good character. The soldiers should be en-.
/ couraged to respect themselves, ard have
| confidence in and good will for their Off
GERS. They should be well clothed, well
fed, well treated, well disciplined. and
discharged at the end of their
terms of enlistment better and
more intelligent and patriotic men
than when they entered the service. II
there are anypractices in the army which
tend to crush the spirit or take away the
self respect Of the soldiers, such practices
should be at once suppressed.
Probably very large proportion of men
1 now in the army are not IN character and
intelligence what they should be. There
are, perhaps, too many professional
soldiers, who are good for nothing else.
If this is true, the places OF such
men should be filed as soon
as possible by respectable young men who
feel an interest in the country, and who
can be relied on to defend it and uphold
its honor. Soldiers should be something
more than mere machines for officers to
| fight and reap glory with. The glory OF
/ the German army is said TO be the
| patriotism and intelligence of its private
/ soldiers, as well as Of its officers. While
/ there are insurmountable objections TO
many features of the German military
| system, there are no doubt some things
/ in it from which invaluable lessons might
/ be learned.
]
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