Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-04

ANNUAL xNCANPMESTs SHOULD BIZ LONGER
THE DIET OF THE SOLDIER SHOULD BE MORE
vARIKD-arxSAsIUNs FOR ARMY POSTS.
Gen. Kelton's annual report to the Secretary
OF War contains some interesting remarks upon
the state Of the army and its adiuncts. On
the subject Of state encampments he urges that
they should be of longer duration-from ten
days to two weeks. The duration Of camps,
ne says, is generally too short At the end of
one week everything is running smoothly, but
the camp is broken just as every hour has be-
come really valuable and men begin TO be bene-
nted by the instruction given them.
permanent camp grounds are very desirable,
and they should contain a rifle range of not
less than 1000 yards. In the absence of suitable
ranges Ior outdoor target practice gallery
practice should be instituted with obyious adj
vantages to the soldier. Too much attention is
generally paid to purely automatic precision
In the execution of the manual of arms to the
exclusion OF other more useful as well as more
important exercises. The development of the
excellent military spirit generally prevailing
among members of the national guard he saws.
can never be complete until encouraged by
substantial pecunlary assistance from the state
legislatures and general government, If per-
mitted by the state authorities. All men called
out should be transported, subsisted, and
tented at the expense of the state
and general government, with per
diem allowance to the officers and
enlisted men. Troops should not be forced to
leave their homes at their own expense. and
until appropriations provide for the national
guard and the general government seeks to
come to its assistance it cannot be satisfactorily
improved or have that independent cohesion
essential to a military force.
MILITARY INSTRUCTION AT SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Speaking Of the detailing of officers for duty
as military instructors at schools and colleges
Gen. Kelton says that the most formidable OBJ
stacles to the establishment of a thoroughly
military department at an univer-
sity or department are the indifference on the
part of the faculty, fewness of number of stu
dents, and laxity of discipline. The laxity of
discipline is strongly emphasized in one IN
stance where the military professor reports
that the faculty of his college las approved APP
plications for exemptions from drills, on the
ground of physical disability, of young men of
good natural physique, members of an athletic
club, experts at bali and tennis, which facts
were necessarily known to the college authori-
ties.
Gen. Kelton recommends that the compensa-
ton of army chaplains be graded as follows: At
posts having a garrison of ten or more COM
panles S2,OOO year; at posts of six and less
than ten companies ( 800 year, and at posts
OF less than SIX companies $1,000.
LEAvENwoRTH PRISON.
In regard to Fort Leavenworth prison Gen.
Kelton says: The statement which appears to
be current in the army that the prison service
of deserters is made too pleasant at Fort
and that offenders prefer TO be
convicts to serving out their term of enlistment
in the RANKS is, ii true, serious reproach to the
officers OF the posts and companies from which
they deser ed, but as this statement is not
H.. A. T.
not true and does great injustice To the men
who enlist as well as to the government On
the contrary every effort of . the prisoner
shows utter discomfort with prison life
and anxiety to either secure pardon or effect
his escape. No sooner Is an application for re-
mission of sentence denied than another appeal
is received and often Endorsed by the most
prominent men of the country. Upon the
slightest chance every prisoner stands alert to
escape five succeeded during the past year,,
and the intensity of this desire is shown bv the
fact that, in attempting to escape. the convict
knows he takes his life in hand. for the senti-
nels are all armed with donble-barrel shot
guns loaded with buck-shot As TO the l,niency
OF the War dopHrtmo mt in RENTING sentences
II must be saIu tina, the punishment of dcser-
ton cannot be controlled by military opinion
or that of courts-ma rtIl. but by that OF the
general pubic. which il best known TO the
War department. No ufie nse. military or civil.
can be- punished by courts to greater extern
than is authorized or justified by pubic
opinion.
MORE VARIETY IN THE DIET OF SOLDIERS NEEDED.
He recommends that the daily ration of en-
listed men be increased by one pound of mixed
vegetables. He says the present ration is not
sufficiently diversified 10 meet the reason, BILE
expeC taiion Of the troops. and the fact that
potatoes and onIoGI are The principal artic4 8
bought with the money realized from sales of
of he a
for the addition recommended. II is not lust
to compel the men to'proyide from their small
means that variety in diet which il recognized
by the humblest class of citizens as of positive
Importance to health under the varied condi-
tions OF our climate.
PAYMENTS OF ENLISTED MEN.
He recommends that payments to enlisted
men be made monthly at all military posts;
that the act OF February IA. 1885, be amended
SO as to provide that ali enlisted men who have
served fifteen or twenty years may be placed
on the retired list; that enlisted men. at any
time between the irst and third year OF their
and when the command to which
they belong is not engaged i'll active military
operations, may receive their discharge on
their own application, and conditioned on the
payme mt of 300.
Referring to the work of the new record and
pension division OF the department he SAWS bi-
office has been able TO keep uu with the cur
rent u mauds of the commissioner OF pensions
and the second auditor and. iH addition. slightly
reduce the number of calls trunl these C-ttIceE
On hand July /, 1880. The topic al
assertions Is given considerable space IN ms
annual report 20 the commanding general OF
the army, which forms q CparHte document.
The percentage Of dcssrtIons to the Legal
sire agt4 Vi tie army has ased from .. "a IA
the preceding year 10 "a for the We r ended
june 80. 1883 he total nuuEer of assertions
Is 4,o3J. II his question ha> now be-
come a public one" he says, and the people
should know All the facts. A desertion has
this wear, and for many years cost the govern
m hi nearly three-quarters OF a million. ii has
become question which Congress may wish to
deal with. 1t is evident. from a study of the
statistics presented. that location, climate,
healthiness or insalubrity, &c, of military
posts has but slight influence on desertlon,
and the conviction is forced upon me that the
cause of desertion rs almost wholly one of ad-
ministration. While but in only about 20 per
cent of the cases can the evidence OF the
deserter be brought before the court, and thus
enable it to ascertain the reasons which actuated
him in leaving the service, the general cause
often long remains and can be readily ascer-
tanned by the court.
Zone of the most urgent needs OF the mill
tary service is a revision of the articles of war
that will provide a well-digested penal code (In
full accord with modern ideas of iustice) for
the guidance and government Of both courts
martial and commanding officers. l beg to