The sun., 1888-12-26
OUR ARMY OF TO-DAH
Better Setting Up Called For-Needs Of the
Cavalry-Geosraphica Recruiting.

/ EOF-NeG0B
Cavalry-Geographical Reerniting.
WASHINGTON. Dec 25-" The moral ton.
and mental condition Of the corps Of officers O
the United States army has never been better
| II ever 80 good - to-day" 30 says Col RogsI
Baird. In his annual report. The men are
robust. healthy looking. soldierly In deport.
mont free. a. rule. from evidences OF dissipa.
tion. well set mp. and apparently have just
pride In their profession. The same may be
said OF the oflcers-they all study professional
books grumbls little. and find ample occupa-
| ton in professional pursuits" So says Gen.
Wesley Merritt in reporting upon the condition
Of the troops in the Department OF the Mis-
souri,. These are high Communications. But
there 10 still much to be done to improve the
While; for example, the discipline is rated aa
very fair. yet Qo. Jones finds that the sell:
wa 80 % hs ak
while the general instruction of the army is
reasonably good, come department inspeptors
owing to the want Of prescribed system Of
progressive athletic exercises. to be pursued
what Is psrhaps speciay W aotesablo SofR 1Lin Is Col
yones's criticism Of tho cavalry. which has mot
been found. as Q whole. in very satisfactory
mSVstsd @ istsS.iy eayaisy Ths ,s@.ris ItSs
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hs.: s:fs i.s sas,ss: sssToa:
ssss
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ans .ss %
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70 that Speciality required in obtaining dsnction
srSs 1S saa sii 'na'A''F to
4. The special lack indicated BY the reports Of
the inspecting officers 70 that OF instructing
sntposts draw rough sfstohss c1 ifsase iastrat
as sd M %heR %Ruas:S sss5
had Quarter Of a century ago. and secure very
ssS2 s ya Fdr% % :y sSbso %bsa s @
ss io%9ns 9dnss ysfh the ssmsdsa ssa S
IaSS Es O. out e 81: tss
The Inanufsctare Of the. new steel breoch-
Saang ss d pfomss ss fss bss % Il sh &
cure much q ths nseded, instruction when the
III of Ell jones' th.. no
married recruit should bs accepted under any
6 aas e.: 8
fsiuss to alloy aafrsd enlisted men now ssrv- s,E
soldsrs ro1d be allowed to stay sS.n Il fesr esr
numbered with family. Our regulations upon
this subject have not been as strict as those Of
A suggestion which Col. Jones made I'm a
Prsyi0us report is renewed In the present ono.
that tho army should be recruited according to
geographical districts This plan was lately
advocated also by Gen. Kautz and has not q
Few arguments In Its favor. among them being
the experience OF other countries. British
regiments. for example. are largely recruited
locally: often having a namo that indicates the
place from which the mon are drawn. The
practical advantages OF this plan are those
icuar erganisation and an anxiety I to Keep pup up
Its good reputation under ali ciroumstances,
while on the other hand the county pr neigh.
borhood from which the organization Ia named
may also take special interest In its well
fare In our army the recruiting might be By
States; and spirit Of generous emulation be-
excited like that Of tho volunteer army during
the civil war. The task Of the recruiting ONT
cor would probably be ughtened BY such q sys-
tom OF arousinR State Interest In particular
regiments, ana the ioss by desertion would |
probably bs lessened. Men from the same
would have common interests
would %, become be easier to and ont the antece.
9ln tho army under such p system. Still. the |
plap has drawbacks as well as advantages. and |
PROBABLY many officers would be better sRtis-
lod 70 have the system Of recruiting remain as
u ID than to experiment In this new direction