Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-22
s,rsk,.e Army surges,ions.

00dcIdk 6ShOAOl0, Al WCAh-VOhSA0CkO0
paper in the Century Magazine, makes
important suggestions upon the reorgan-
ization of the srmy of the United States
on plan that would make it immedi-
ately effective, in case of war, in the
creation of a large and powerful military
force. He says that the enlisted soldiers
at present are composed of very inferior
material, both as regards intelligence aud
reliability. Each man costs the govern
ment about $1,000 per annum for his sup
port and pay. That amount is equiva-
lent to the cost of maintaining cadet in
the Military Academy at West Point.
The value to the country, however, OF a
graduated cadet is not to be COM
pared with the value of a COM
mon soldier, who possesses about
the same effectiveness after the
first year of his enlistment, as he does
after service of seven years. 1t is the
same routine of drill, day after day, with
no other instruction to widen or enlarge
his faculties, even if they were capable of
improvement. Their habits are generally
bad before they enlist, and as they be-
come seated, they ave no better after he
has gone through long term
of service. The General sub
mits that the money spent on him might
be much more advantageously expended
on the youth of the country by affording
them military training equal to that
received at West Point. He therefore
suggested that the military posts where
troops are stationed should be turned into
military schools. Instead Of enlisting
the common soldiers from the
dregs Of the people, we ought to encour-
age our young men to enter the service.
Whilst they would be equal to all the
effective duty now exacted from the rank
and file they would have the opportunity
to perfect their education in all the mill
tary branches. The army would then
become service of honor and of prom
Use, which would invite our best youth to
enter it. At the end of a three or
four years term they would be
equipped with the practical
and theoretical knowledge to take COM
mand. Their pay would be such that
with prudence and economy they would
have saved up nice capital at the end
of their term to 60 into civil business
with, if the military service offered
no opening to them. But the country
would gain an advantage of incom-
putable value in having young men
scattered throughout the Union
who had acquired knowledge Of the
military art that would enable them in
the event of war to at once organize and
officer large and efficient army. 1t was
the graduates of West Point who enabled
the Government to organize and place
in the field raw troops at the beginning
of the civil war, and to drill them
into efficiency long before they could
have been made effective if we had not
had this leaven of military knowledge.
Yet so small was this leaven compared
with the sudden requirements OF the
exigency that great deal of valuable
time was lost before our troops
became sufficiently drilled to make
them effective. But if we had
from thirty to forty thousand young
men ready to enter the service at an
emergency and to take charge of the raw
volunteers and drill and discipline them,
it would take but very little time to place
an effective army Of almost unlimited
strength in the field.
Two very important objects would be
reached by the plan proposed by General
schofeld-one would be to exalt the
army into service that would be sought
for by young men as a place of honor,
the other, to enable the country
to place an army Of any strength
required in the field and ready for active
and efficient service in space of time
that would insure us against the damag-
ing delay We might be subjected to under
our present system. The Generals sug-
gestions are wise and practical, and
doubtless the result OF deep study as we'll
as OF great experience, and should arrest
the serious attention of the country.