The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-07
UNCLE SANS PROTECTORS.


Cnitesl states Array.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-The Subject of
DISCRETION from the army will he treated az
length I'm the forthcoming reports Of the
secretary Of war. IL IL one that has had
Secretary Proctor's earnest consideration
from the beginning as well rs that ut the
adtutant generals staff. Various changes
increasine the soldiers comfort. and inter
inssi,nsed ms notably "a%solida,ssi mess
. "sa..d f"", ssii x sSs'r%s; t ,@ieI. " a"S
the result has hsru that the per,ent-
age of desertions has bcn decreased
OF the dcsertions ninety-fivc PER cent.
occur among men serving their first and
second year Of enlistment. In May, last.
NJ ajor Thco. assistant adj,s-
tant general. under instructions of Stsrt-
tary Proctor. made n tour of inspection of
the recruiting derots at David's island. y.
". Columbus, Ohio, and Jefferson bar
racks, Missouri. The major is himself n
soldier who came up from the ranks and
his report tn the adjutant general contains
numerous suggestions including "a draft at
n hlll prepared 10y him last winter aftcra
his opinion to lessen the evil of desertion.
Major Schwan says: "Nliatcvsr causes
of dcsertion may at one time have existed
physical comfort and needs of the enlisted
soldier or unreasonable demands upon
ana unfair and harsh treatment of him
have been move, 81 far AS IL il ia the
power of the military authorities tn do So
and cases are rare where failure of the
gov'r nm to MAKE E"od Its o a,rasi"n
cven "a s~enblancc of Justification Tor tie
sertion."
Among other things Major Schwan's
bill provides safeguards against the read
mission tn the service of 'rs'pcatcrs" or
professional dcscrterS. Another provision
of the bill il that ons,-thirsi of the soldiers
snx- Tor tn. nn-t yea. ZllnII y. FttltIlSNI
until discharged, and forfeited IL Inc does
not serve ont his term. IL also provides
for the adoption of the British custom OF
permitting enlisted men to purchase their
discharges. Acting Acknowledgement Me-
keever and other officers. have mt Sccrs-
oranda on the subject of dc-crtions. Act
ing Acknowledgement Mckecvcr says i'm
his opinion the chief causes OF tiescrtioils
ars. disappointment at the realities of mil
itary life, the employment of soldiers on
laborers' work without extra pay, Unequal
ity of p~unishncnts as inflicted by court
niartials, bad company. t~yriunical com
duct sometimes towards enlisted men by
officials, and moro especially FIRST SER
geants, and above all too often unncccs-
sary restraints imposed on soldiers. He
ALSO believes the largest number of dcscrt-
ers are American born. The following
remedial measures are siIggrstcd: Limit
the term of service in the FIRST enlistment
tn three years; rc-enliStmcUt tn five years:
grant discharges according tn length OF
service; Discharge men found To ls. ii,cor-
rightly bad without character. and thus
bar their r.,-rntry into the service; secure,
IL graded code of pnnishncilts for the
guidance of court Inartials; secure better
class of nou~'oInmissioNed officers ana
especially first sergeants 10y increasing
their pay: make the punishment of de
Serters more certain than AT present by
increasing the reward for their arrest.
Believed la HIVE lssen Identified.
BINGHAMToN. NY, Sept. 6.-Thc young
woman who committed suicide at Niagara
Falls yesterday il believed tn be- Anna
Mead of this city. Miss Mead left home
"Wednesday morning. That was the last
seen of her. The description Of the sui
eide tallies wirh that of the missing girl.
Yesterday morning her parents rcceiveda
letter ~postmarkcd Niagara Falls. There
WAS no date on IL and no name was
signed, hut the handwriting was retou-
nized as that of the missing girl. The
letter read:
~ bought a ticket for this place this
morning. and il nothing happens tn pre-
vent me. I intend to go over the falls.
The reason I came here is that there is u
possibility Of my bosly not bcing found.
and hope IL never will. No one il tai
bl;ams. but myself"
No reason can be given for the act. She
WAS generally considered "a merry. light
hearted girl. but had occasional spells of
melancholy. Her home was pleasant and
was surrounded by every comfort. She
moved i'm good society and was much adj
mired. A week ago Ia visited Niagara
and seemed To he strangely fascinated
with the falls.
seven s~s.hoDncr- seized.
SAN FRANcIsco, Sept. "a dispatch
from Victoria. b. G.. states that the
Lilly, belonging to- that place ar
there from Behring sea last night.
reports that she was boarded August
3 by the United States revenue cutter
skins confiscatcd. She was ordered To-
proceed tn Sitka hut no prize crew placed