The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-11-16
DEsRRTIONs FROM THE ARMY,
General schoneld Discusses the subleet ut
Length In Ills Annual Report,

WAsHINoToN, Nov, l6,-The annual
report Of Major General srhoaeld, COM
mandiug the Army, to the Secretary Of
War, was made public to-day. He pays
especial attention 10 the desertiOn ques-
tion. He says; "The causes OF discou-
tent which lead To deseFtion from the
Army arc numerous, They have been
sought for diligently for years and many
of them have been removed. Some Of
them are probably beyond the reach OF
any remedy. One OF these Ia the nat
urally discontented disposition OF the
men, who are led by that feeling alone
to seek change from the mOnOtony Of
bread winning In any civil pursuit by
entering the supposed ess arduOus SER
vice OF the United States. When such
men fnd that soldiers, no less than
civilians, must work, their feeling Of
discoutent returns and they resort to
the only means by which they can make
another change, These men rarely de.
sert when engaged In an active cam,
paign, however great the hardships aud
priYations, or severe the discipline may
be-. II is the ordinary laborand routine
nj military duties which inspires them
with discomfort, These causes Of de.
sertlon cannot be removed, The
troops cannot be kept constantly ID &C.
tive military campaign, nor can they bB
exempted from the mOnOtOny OF routine
duties aud labor. The Government can.
not employ hired lAbOrers 10 do the
work which the troops have time to do
for themselves. II would seem that
some kind OF probationary system might
be devised by which the uutit element
among recruits could be eliminated
without resort 10 the crime Ol desertlon.
II does not seem necessary that men be
required in the time Of peace 10 bind
themselves absolutely to serve i've years.
A sufficient remedy may perhaps be
found in the case ol all worthy men who
tlud after q few months trial that they
have mistaken their calling by y more
liberal exercise Of thepower 70 discharge
soldiers upon their own application has
ever heretofore prevailed. Great care
in the recruiting service to prevent tho
enlistment OF men OF bad characters and
habits, may be practicable. Measures
having those ends In view have
already been instituted. Also greater
care In the treatment Of re-
CYujts by officers and non'commis.
stoned officers. The records OF deser.
ton from different organizations cave
no room for doubt oi the fact thai the
character OF the commanding officer has
much to do With The extent OF these
evils, In some few instances It appears
that captains are in tho habit otleaVing
the care and discipline OF their men to
the first sergeant aud other non.commis'
stoned officers, without that constant
supervision aud control which the
captain should exerGlSO, IN all such
cases, the captain should be promptly
removed from command which he 80
seriously neglected. After all possible
has been done to remove reasonable
excuses for desertion, it still remains
true that tho means now provided for
the arrest and punishment Of deserters
are Vholly inadequate. Only one In five
is ever captured, This Is not sufficient
10 deter men from committing crime"