Evening journal., 1888-11-07
TIE REGULAR ARMY.
DETAILS or A PLAN FOR TRANS
FORMING 1T INTO A SCHOOL.

FORMING 1T INTO A SCHOOL.
Cost Of Our Present Army-Character of
the Enlisted Men-Reasons for Impor-
tant Changes-Novei and Noteworthy
Suggestions from Gen. Kautz.
An extraordinary transformation OF the
regular army is proposed by Gen. August V.
Kautz, colonel Of the Eighth infantry, in tho
Century Magazine. "The ideal army that
we have in view" he says, sis an educational
institution, the fundamental principle being
10 recruit its material from the youth Of the
land who win be able to learn the duties Of
the service and to impart them to othors;'
ma in order to give tho whole country o
share in this school, ho would have the re-
cruits selected according TO locality, a fixed
number from each Congress district, to
which, on completing their education, they
would return. In short, he would substitute
.Inothod OF making officers for tho ono OF
maintaining enlisted mon;a and he declares
that this would be cheaper, besides keeping
tie country better prepared for great war.
COST or KEEPING.
The cost Of keeping up our present army,
according 70 Con Kaut2, has always cx-
cooded s50Oc0,C00 a year, and has often
amounted to $50, 000,C00, 50 that he considers
the annual cost per man of maintaining cur
military establishment to DO about 81 200
Hence lit costs moro TO smaintain private
than 1t does to make an officer at West
pont.n
"The men enlisted for this force are mostly
recruited in the large cities, and consist Of a
class who in tho main have selected to enlist
from other than patriotic motives or love
Of the military profession. A large proper
ton arc foreigners who arc not sufficiently
acquainted with the country to find other
employment. Many have found out their
ineapacity to make Roadway in civil life, the
causes being as different as tho characters
and circumstances Of the individuals Too
many belong to that large and unfortunate
class known under tho generic name Of
'tramps,' who are wanderers by nature. and
who become the deserters from tho army.
Many arc illitorate, few are educated ana
capable, aud Tire great majority lack the
necessary talents ana capacity to take care
Of themselves end to advance in life. The
smart and apparently capable man, when
found in the ranks, is generally sns,4.ted OF
come moral faint Or intemperpte habit not
tolerated among his friends, and tho number
who attain distinction in tho army, or after
leaving il, are few indeed. There is no on
portunity afforded the enlisted man to be-
come qualified to command in case of war,
and the number who rise to commission IS
remarkably small"
A HUMDRUaf CONDITION.
Perhaps those who dissent from Gen.
Kaut2's plan would dispute not only the Jig
urcs Of cost attributed to maintaining the
enlisted man, but his view Of tho real aver
nee character of the present recruits. Gen.
kautz proceeds 20 say that the duties Of the
troops mostly consist Of the simplest routine
Of garrison life, and that since oven tho out
breaks Of the Indians are becoming less fire.
quent, they have little opportunity to learn
field service. This humdrum condition is not
quite so marked in tho cavalry, because the
trooper has at least his horse TO take caro- Of f;
but in general the soldiers are forever prac-
ticing elementary duties and drills, doing
them as well, il not better, after the first few
weeks OF instruction as they over do after
ward.n
Another reason for his proposed change
Gen. Kautz finds in tho modern art OF war,
which destroys the value of the old drill
tactics, making them even perilous.
With these premises to start from, Gen.
kautz proposes TO make 'every military post
military SCHOOL, West Point officers sery-
ing as instructors. As to tho exact duties Of
such school the article is somewhat more
vague:
while holding that the army should be an
educational institution, it is not intended to
limit it TO book knowledge. The instruction
should also be technical to certain extent.
There will be many who will not take to
books who can be Of great service as carpen-
tiers, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, masons,
painters, etc. These are all trades which can
be taught, for they are all carried on at
every post. All these pursuits are essential
IN war; in fact, there is no pursuit in civil
life that may not be Of service in war;
A RUSH OF RECRUITS.
The present strength Of the army could be
obtained by taking fifteen recruits annually
from each congress district, and tho prevail
ing rule should be single enlistment of five
years, so that tho greatest number possible
may get n military training. The result
would be such a rush of recruits that only
the best could be received:
THE opportunity Of getting an education
while one is being clothed and fed, and 70
ceiving from 80 cents to 81 per day, would
be evailed Of gladly by any young man who
had not been favored by fortune Il would
be hl5 chance 70 SEQ something OF tho great
wogld. After five years he could return to
his homo and relatives with a diploma sud a
discharge that would give him a claim TO q
commission as On officer in tho event.o of a
war, and he could have from one TO two
thousand dollars IN his pocket; for he could
save all his payn
AL this is novel and particularly note
worthy as coming from an officer like Gen.
Kautz, who has seen long ara varied service.
A German by birth, and private in the
OHIO infantry during the Mexican war. be
was also a graduate of the Military Academy
and distinguished soldier during the civil
war and now has been forty years in the
seryicp -Noyv Norl- SIM