The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-11-28
SOME CHANGES NEEDED
Secretary Proctor Discusses Army De-
seruons and Suggests Remedies.
The Service sssossLt he Nassse Worth s~~k-
lag naL the T~rsn Of t:nii~suseot
shssrtcnesl-Css~.t Defe0.es
National Question.

wAsmNGroN. Nov. 21.-Secrrtary OF
War Proctor i'm his annual report says:
The sut,js,ct of slcscrtion has been care
f,iily considered ny many officers of the
army, and Ivy enlisted sien rs well, and I
have received many atpls. and interesting
reports from botl, officers and men. The
causes assigned are ton numerous tai
capitulatc; rcStls'ssness under the
str;aints of discipline, disappointment AZ
the details of the service, and of its lack
of Inducements, dissipation and, iu some
gases. i'll treatment are generally the
causes found tn exist, while some dessert
err. aud b..ionu To ih.. pisioas or cri,ni,,aI
classes. Investigation does not disclose
that i'll treatment prevails To any apprc-
ctablc extent. That u has existed in some
degree. and especially at the beginning Of
the service in recruiting barracks. iS -
fact; hut il has been ths. exception. III
considered and thoughtl.ss treatment
~ quite as bad. The employment of cI,-
listed men ira ordinary labor undoubtedly
creates discontent. hut this element of the
service cannot be wholly removed
Unnecessary restraint should Ia re-
moved and the soldiers life in post La
made as comfortable and pleasant as pos
siblc. The company IL u natural unit OF
military OrHanization, and i'm our present
service oftciIsimes the only possible one.
s'Evcry captain should bc to his company
as father. and should treat Il as his fam
lily, a. his children" Ii u believed that
soon, to "a great extent, take. ti's. place of
the post traders store. will bc salitary.
SINCE the ngtires show that ~ IL Iriftci-
paliy recruits ar new men who desert.
great care and paii,staking il required in
the recru ting service itself. The pith of
the whole question is to make the
service worth seeking. and then
enough good men will scck and
be glad to stay in il. There !. ncw hut
little incentive for young and tclliHeut
men to make "a profession of soldering.
The hope of achieving commission is
but slight.
Tie distance bctw.en the highest grade
of noIi-t.oInInissiont.sio officer and the COM
mission''i officer is great. far to" great i'm
my Judgment. IL would bc wisdom tn de-
crease. that distance. In So far the
question is an administrative one. the tle-
partnent must continue to meet il expert
mentally. correcting abuses where found
To exist. aud instituting innovations II
necessary. Ii is hut just for me to say
that the commissioned officers in
earnest i'm their desire. to correct this evil.
ana are giving to it's solution their hearty
efforts.
Toa considerable extent, however. the
rcm.at,c. lie with Congress. and l submit
the following recommendations:
,,igss " ir rnr s,E m n,h , rIs ,h,
same as now ">tabshrd hy law for like grades
second. Give the snldicr an "rIs,r,nniiy io 80
my m s r n,, m T"n r ,,,, y, Ik ,. ,h, r I.n a
entered n. Post school> should hc established
tu,, = should Ia gwen in matters pertaining To
military s.ryi"s I hn, ais" IN ,h. elementary %.ay
Surveying, engineering. drawing. ctr
NOR. years II, p',sts whrrr u Sad.r is discharged.
\ maj, will som, times rr-enii>t for a short time
fora ssori Term I'm waai,, @ no, ass"g: '',
Fourth Max. a code 81 punishment suited to
times of peace, which is less arbitrary hut more
| c-ritin ,
u, many prominent officers. and hav" much I"
commeiid them. are:
| only. u man has not the cl.m.nis "f a soldier
Sr r h.sn a. s.>I>,T n w .s" srsE.I lin, Is
>rcond For the s,ni" reason; give the soldier
dissiars. m 'I;isr w"ll'dniin,.I r"siiati"ms @ % y"
h h tn ii,. >n ~ part "1 I'm, s nn ,y Eay
wise would augment his savings AT the time "f
| The sccretary's report says that tn. ag-
| grcgsltc Of the national guard IL 1ui.'sbj
men. He recommends that the appr"pria'
ti"n for their armament and equipment
Ia Increased.
| In discussing the question of coas, d".
f"nscs the report says: Ii IL not "A local
| question. Not only il the national honor
| alike dear to- all. but a hostile shell in Tia.
| streets of New York strikes the prairi.s s,r
| wcll-thcir corn aud wheat share in tia.
loss. Still the greater loss will fall upon
| the states contigu. rus To the s..;,b"arsl if
| tn. immediate maintenance of the militia
| required to man the d.fcnses in case al
danger. ! submit a basis to start from
| that no time il tn bc lost in placing ths
capital Of the country. the c"nn,:r' IN
| metropolis on the Atlantic seabparl, and
at least one port on the Pacific IN the bees,
possible state OF defense. How rapid,
the work shall he carried ON until IL EN-,
braces every important vulnerable point
| from tbe 81. Johns to- the Rio Gransic aus
! the ports of the Pacific il the only q,Ies
| ton. In my view progress cannot be tos
| rapid.
| The secretary cornrncnds to the consid
eration of congress the recommendation
of the chief engineers. that appropra
tons for the Yellowstone Park tss made
! without limit of time i'm the cass. of item,
of the river and hartor acts, in order tina
the work there might bc done at the mos
favorable season of ;lIc year.
The report also recommends revision
of the articles Of war and closes with tn.
stsreotyp<.tl recommendation that tin
Office OF assistant secretary Of war b'
created.
The Life saving Service.
wAsHIS,ToS. Nov. 2T.-Thc annual re-