Telegram-herald., 1889-10-15
REFORM IN OURARM
An Old General Tells Why Deser-
ton Is So Common.
UyIFORn OF OUR PRIVATE SOLDIERS
Dssertisa Froa the Csitsd states ArIsy
Oftsa Results 10 Per Csat. yearly
Ias Rsssoas-ioabtfai Ksn8s tss
s4.gsstsa-othsr Systems 49,


thai somsrLing alasg bs done 70 stop tee evil
q dsssrtioa from ths rAnkA Oas hundred
sohiiefs cut q thousand desert sach year,
whieh = serious blow u ths efficiency Of
ths seryice aad = great ananeiAl loss q ths
sovsrnmanL Il l. estimated that every DO
sertion costs TIE United States about $50
A soldier Is of very Little ase III 10 has been
N the army year or 70, and II he DESERT BE-
fore becoming really useful, al that has beea
spent upon his education and support Is clear
ios<. Las. year there were about = so de-
ssrters loss % the government, IL Is ssti-
mated, - st15. 90 a majority Os tbs men
~ho desert 30 - during the drsE year Of their
service. 80 serious has this evil become that
Gen Schoheld has appointed board q Ia
Qairy on ths subject, and this board Is now
sitting at Jefferson barracks. No, iuyestigst-
ng the large number Of desertions which
have taken place froa that post, and the
syl Ia general as affecting the whole army.
A dLsting guiahsd olicer Of the army, L gen
eral q high rank. who for some time has
given the subject MS closest attention, con
sents 10 give lie tic conclusions which ne has
reached, and some OF the facts which have
fallen under his observation. IL wall be mo-
tieed that the general does not mince his
word8
''The Uniform Of our private soldier" said
he, Is a disgrace 70 a civilized nation. That
1t Is mostly wool Is true, but il Is wrotchedly
uads, coarse in texture, and shabbily deco
nted Oa more than one occasion have
heard men declare they were ashamed 70
wear il outside their barracks. Compare the
| dr. quality and decoration of either the dress
| or uadress uniform Of the British soldier
! with that OK our own troops, and the con-
trast ia 50 great as 70 make the American
who takes any pride IN his army FEEL ashamed
| ot bis country. Il Is true that the pay Of our
soldiers Is, ia amount, greater than the pay
I OF any other soldier IN tho world. u has
/ been claimed that our thirteen dollars a
month, with clothing and rations aided, Is
the equivalent os forty dollars a mouth in
private life; but "a is gross exaggeration.
| The pay Of the private soldier is no more
| than equal 70 the dollar day of the ona-
mon unSkilled laborer
The ration SERVED in tho army Is a weak
/ point, and one which ghould receive the at
| tentlon OF the authorities. The food is not
as good as that TO which the soldier, even
| though be come from the lower walks Of life,
has been accustomed 10. 1t is food calcu-
| lated 70 turn the stomach OF IAN who is
! not strong in that direction, and when il is
| badly prepared, as IL often is, men viii go
/ hungry rather than eat it. have often seen
! food issued 10 troops, not in tho field, but IN
/ garrison. that was ft for nothing but the
swine trough. It is "a old saying and a true
| ono that a full belly makes &. good soldier,
| but the belly should be filed wiEs wholesome
and palatable food.
I There are different sorts Of deserters
| During the months of October. November
and December large numbers Of tramps be-
| gin 70 seek winter quarters, and they are at
tracted by the tempting offers held out az tho
recruiting stations in the large cities. Many
| Of these gentry enlist for five years merely
| for the purpose OF securing shelter, food, raj
nent and pay for ths winter. AS may be
! supposed, they are a pretty bad lot, and their
/ arrival at the various depOts on their assign
uent 20 companies is the beginning of a
/ reign Of terror. Discipline is destroyed in
the ranks. Every evil propensity OF the
| worthless tranp-thieving, drunkenness,
/ gambling, riOti1g-is INDUCED in, TO the
: great detriment of the older men and the
! whole service. Finally, rs the warm days of
spring como on, tho desire Of the tramp 10
resume ''the road grows 50 strong upon him
/ that presently no fails 70 answer at roll call
and continues to fail till the word "desertedn
Is written opposite his nama on the company
register. II is my belief that fully 10 per
/ cent. of the deSertions which trouble our
army are Of this class
while it is undoubtedly true" continued
the general, "that a large majority Of our re-
cruits come from the lower classes, it not in
! frequently happens that men who have been
/ carefully, even delicately reared. present
themselves for enlistment. Some OF them ara
! the sons Of families Of high standing, who,
! from misfortune, dissipation or crime, are
/ driven into the asylum which 1he army offers
2 to all who are troubled for a place 10 sleep
and eat and for tee clothing y protect tham
from the cold. Once in while a young nan
fails In his efforts 10 procure appointment to
West Point. and having become fired with
martial arCors posts of 10 the nearest recruit
/ ing station and enlists, hoping to win by
/ valiant service the opportunity which had
I been denied him by the fates OF politics. 1t ia
EASY % imagine that these men do not end
I army life bel Of roses. They quickly be-
/ come disgusted with the conditions which sur
/ round them, the rigid discipline, the poor
/ fare. and many q them grow desperate and
I run away. Ny conclusion IS that the first
great difficulty Is in the meagerless of the
tciens 70 attract men Of character and energy
to the army. They can do better as laborers,
even IL they cau1ot learn tradss. The result
is that our ranks are recruited with vaga-
/ bonds. buns. black sheep, and all manner O;
( worthless fellows. HoT can good soldiers 30
made Of such material as thisl
The second great troubls Is the hardshiPs
and humiliations o which men are subjected
By tie commissioner officers There is soma
thing good in every man II you can only
bring It out, and many Il these S5id and
reckless fsllovs who Ept into the army could
be mo!ded into good soldiers if they wers
/ properly handlsd Though I do not Ike %
say anything against ny own service, the
treatment Of privates by some q our com
rniSsioued oficers IS such that men of spirit
ard character would not long serve under
them. even II the pey and Other conditions
were such that We could get rncn Of that sort
in The ranks \ great many man desert be-
fore they ar sent ont from the recruiting
stations
They quickly resent the usnnsr in which
TIE sergsanes take hold Of them in tho drill
F lhev msT have hal some rornantio notions
concerning army Hfe, but these disappear
when ths serEeslts poke them ia their s-o-1-
schs. trlSr back their shoulders ani chark up
their cli1s It occa~cnaliY hsrrens too.
after the men reach army posts en Che frcu
r0r. that t1e CorrenT commander lalr "A
his pest temporarily. *ae command dev1I vim (
u0on s0Fne plhaitern recently from " est
+ Point. ard enEar ~ show whaf a discI pima
rian he is Ihls 7agrU cTl-er has uiers zsnl
taan discretion. and Tor SONS trivial breach
~ discipline, m,~s the result * .zuorauoe
E than auw-nfr- alr. a asf.lia- Il han .rsl rn -