New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03
STATE OF THE REGULAR ARMY.
ADJUTANrGENERAL KELToN,s REPORTS.
FAyoRING FEDERAL AID FOR THE NATIONAL
GUARD-MANUAL LABOR AND DESERTIoNS


FROM THE ARMY.
Washington Nov. c.-Brigader-General J. c. kelton.
Aduant- General has made his annual reports 10 tno
Secretary of War and to the General commanding the
Army for the year ended September 30. 1882 He
devotes good part of the report to Secretary Proctor
to presentation of the needs of the National Guan
or State militia the fostering Of which by the Govern
ment he deems of the utmost importance. He believes
that all members of the National Guard called out for
service should be transported subsistef and tented
at the expense of the State and General Government
with per diem allowance to the officers and enlisted
men. He goes to recommend that Congress be
asked TO authorize, the application Of the Governor
of STATE with militia force of at least 5000 men,
the mastering into the service Of the United States
for forty days of battalion of 800 men, selected from
the militia regiments of such State and that this
battalion serve with the regulars In of the summer
camps Of instruction west of the Mssissppi-the Ma
tional Guarlsmen 10 receive double pay during such
term of service.
General KetOn calls attention TO the fact that there
are rty-eght officers awaiting retirement. upon re-
ports of examining boards, who are st on the active
list because the retired list Is full. He recommends
that Congress remove all restrictions upon retirement.
General Keton then suggests that the daily ration
Of enlisted be increased; that enlisted men who
have served for periods of fifteen and twenty years be
placed on the retired list. under certain conditions
and that enlisted men, at any time between the first
and third year of their enlistment, except in time
Of war, may receive their discharge on their own
application on payment of FOO.
The report Of General KeltOn to MaiOrGe
schofeld commanding the Army, IS largely statistical
and deals at length with the subject Of deSertfons
The tables show that the number OF desertionS
repOrted in the year 2S35, an increase TO 1l34
per cent from OLA per cent in the year ended June
70 1885 General Kelton. in discussing this matter
SAYS: at IS evident. from study OF the statistics
nrcsented that location. climate. healthiness or In
saubrity etc. of military posts, has but slight In
auence on descrtlon. The conviction Is forced upon
mo that the cause Of dcserton is almost wholly one
NJ administrations The Adjutant-Geneia recommends
change of the twenty fifth and thirteth Articles Of
War. so as more certainly to secure TO the enlisted
man the righng of wrongs at the hands of officers and
non cOmmssioned officers.
Under the head Courts martial AMI Military Pan
,h,,ortp General Kelton says: To secure uniform
enlistment limited by law, It will be necessary for
onqress TO declare that the punishment prescribed by
the Articles of War shall be limited 20 periods 81
Grade and limit the sentence 10 be awarded by courts
martial" -. ,,.-- .ho Co.oro, ,oco,,
mcnds: THAT Congress be asked to authorize the
creation of Quartermasers service Corps and SUB
sstence detachment, organized SUBSTANTIALLY on ue
basis of the present Hospital Corps. BY this means
the combatant arms Of the service would be com
pIetely emancipaed from manual labor and the
aectye strength OF the Army would be increased by
The return the ranks, for purely military duty. OF
nearly If not quite, 900 men,
The total number of n!itments and reenlistments
recruits ,sd6 were nativebom and 3,237 Of foreign
birth 1882 were white and 300 SSlore Ss
cent Of he whole number) were rejected 1t Is
recommended that the appropriation for the pay OF
iistment of % 900 or 80 600 instead of $4,000, for
which number payment IS now provided.