The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-30
DEsERTIoNs FROM THE ARMY.
a Proposition to Tattoo s'U. s." Every
Man Who Enters the Service.

a Proposition to Tattoo ssU. s." Every
Man who Enters the Service.
Special to the indianapolis journal.
WASHINGTON April 23-One Of the recruit
ing officers of the United States army, who is
stationed at Baltimore. was in the city to-day.
and in conversation with your correspondent on
army matters in general drifted into the char
acter of the men who enlist, and had something
to say on the causes which have led to so many
desertions from the army in the past few years.
Said this gentleman:
~ find that, a rule, the foreigu-born re-
cruts are better educated men than the natives.
It frequently happens that a German or an
Austrian applies to me for enlistment, who came
to this country in the hope of much better en-
employment than the military service affords.
He finds, when he arrives that the situation
has been painted in hues rather more rosy than
the circumstances warrant. He is stranger
and in a strange land. Hs is, perhaps, un-
familiar with the language. and knows nothing
OF the customs of the country. and after spend
ing all the money he may have brought with
him. he finds only the United States army open to
him. The pay here is better than in Europe,
and the service very much shorter. and, al
though he may have left his native country TO
avoid military service he seizes upon it here as
a means of support. Only this week enrolled
one man who was familiar with several LAM
guages, and who had served with credit as
officer in the army of Austria"
do these r1en usually re-enlist when their
frat term expiresF
mo, not often. AT the end OF five years they
have usually acquired thorough knowledge of
the English language, and have saved some
little money, and are able to return to their
birth places, or to find some other employment.
It is not often that educated foreigner
enlists after his first term OF enlistment has
expired"
''Do the desertions come from this class Of
foreign recruits2'
mo. On the contrary they usually are faith
ful soldiers, and retire with an honorable dis
charge"
s.From what class do the desertions come.
principally"
sional dessrters. Men who enlist for the pur-
pose OF getting out of trouble originally, and
tire of the military service. When an oppor-
tunity presents itself they desert, and after
remaining out few months again enlist, much
to the detriment of the service
Have yon any method of marking desertes
nowP
'.No, not at the present time. Branding was
once resorted to. but this has been abandoned
by order of the War Department Ii was ny
effectual, because the brand would not be disc
covered unless the soldier attempted to re-enteF
the service, when an examination would at once
disclose the mark"
What. in your opinion. would prove the most
effeetual method for preventing desertionsT
In a report of the Secretary OF War for the
present year one of our generals recommends
that every man who enters the United States
service should be tattooed at some place his
arm with the letters u. S. In order that there
be no stigma about this, it is suggested that the
tattooing be extended TO the officers as well as
the men. If this was done think it would
have good effect, although there is good deal
OF opposition TO the proposal IN the army Some
officers assert that they would never submit TO
the so-called degradation, and ehey insist that
they would retire from the service before per-
mitting the tattoosrs 10 do their work But, in
my opinion there are very few officers who
would throw up their commissions for thing
Of this kind, especially when il would be 40 gem
eral as TO prevent the cry of degradation. II
would certainly mark every man who applied
for enlistment so we'll that We could tell in
moment whether he ever served in the army
before. and would absolutely prevent the re-
enlistment Of the men who once desert IL the
armY could be- relieved from tha chronic desert