The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-11-21
INTERESTING OPINIONS.
Mai. Gen. Schofield Proposes a New
Plan for Promotions.

Plan for Promotions.
The annual report of Maj. Gen. Schofield,
commanding the army, to the secretary OF
war, was made public yesterday. He pays es-
pecial attention to the desertion question.
He says:
1.-THE causes of discomfort which lead to
desertion have been sought Tor diligently
for years, and many of them have been re-
moved. One of these is the naturally dis
contented disposition of the men who are
led by that feeling alone to seek change
from the monotonv of bread winning in
any civil pursuit by entering the supposed
less arduOus service of the United States.
When such men find that soldiers no less
than civilians must work, they make an
routine of military duties which in
spire them with discomfort. The
causes of desertion cannot be re-
moved. The troops cannot be kept
constantly in active military campaign, nor
can they be exempted from the monotony
of routine duties and labor. The govern
ment cannot employ hired laborers to do
the work which the troops have time to do
for themselves. 1t does not seem necessary
that men be required in time of peace to
bind themselves absolutely to serve five
years. A sufficient remedy may, perhaps
be found in the case of all worthy men
who find, after few months trial, that they
d
eral exercise of the power to discharge
soldiers upon their own application than
has ever heretofore prevailed. Great care
in the recruiting service, to prevent the en-
listment of men of bad character and hab-
its, may be found practicable. Measures
having these ends in view have already
been instituted. Also greater care in
the treatment of recruits by officers
and non-commissioned officers. The rec
OrdS of desertion from different organiZa-
tons leave no room for doubt of the fact
that the character of the commanding
officer has much to do with the extent OF
the evil. After all possible had been done
to remove reasonable excuses for desertion,
it still remains true that the means now
provided for the arrest and punishment of
deserters are wholly Inadequate. Only one
in five is ever captured. This is not suf-
ficient to deter men from committing
crime. The remedy is to authorize civil
officers to arrest deserters and increase the
reward so as to compensate them for their
service. There is no need to increase the
penalty for desertion, but to make some
penalty at least probable, which it is not
now.
Gen. Schofield recommends that the pres
ent five regiments of artillery be organized
into seven regiments. The organization to
remain the same, except that there shall be
but one first lieutenant to battery. He
also recommends that the enlisted strength
of the army be increased to 10000, which
would supply the force necessary for the
proposed reorganization of the artillery
and the infantry as well as giving more
margin for recruits under instruction. He
wants the infantry regiment to consist OF
three battalions, aggregating twelve COM
panies, as in the cavalry. He suggests that
hereafter promotions, from the grade Of
second ieutenants to that of colonel
in the cases of all officers
who are not now above the low
est grade, should be made according to
seniority of commission in the arm of the
service to which the officer belongs, and
not, as now, in part by regiments. He fur
ther suggested that hereafter officers be CON-
missioned in the arm of the service to which
| they belong. and not in particular regi-
ments, so that they may be assigned to reg.
iments and transferred from one to another
| by the president, as the interests of theserv.
ice may require He recommends that the
pay of non-commissioned officers of in
antry, cavalry and artillery be made the
same as that now established for like grades
in the engineers. Referring to the work OF
| the board of ordnance and fertilization, he
| says:
The plans of the engineer department will
provide all the land defences necessary fol-
| the security of the great maritime ports OF
| the country Provisions should be made
for the necessary garrisons at the principal
seaports A table is given showing the
necessities of this work. The war garrisons
of our seacoast defenses would be about S5,.
600 artillerymen and 1906 guns of modern
construction. 1t is now practicable to sta
ton a small part of the infantry of the
strategic points in the Eastern states, says
the general and he recommends the estab.
| lishment of one regiment at Pittsburgh,
n. Y, and asks for an appropriation fol
| barracks.