The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-11-22
INTERESTING OPINIONS.
MAI. Gen. schofield Proposes a New
Plan for Promotions,

The annual report of Mai. Gen. Sclloficld.
commanding the army, to the secretary .,
war, was made public yesterday. He pays cs:
pecial attention to the desertion question
He says:
THE causes Of discomfort which lcal t.
desertiOn have been sought tor diligently
for years, and many of them have been rs.
moved. One of these is the naturally dis
contente.t disposition of the men who ar,
lett by that feeling alone To seek change
from tho monotonv of bread winning in
any ciyl pursuit by entering the supposed
less ardu0us service of the United States.
When such men find that soldiers no less
than civilians must work. they make an
other change It is the ordinary labor and
spirc them with discomfort. Tic
causes. Of dcscrtion cannot be re-
moved. The troops cannot he kept
constantly in active military campaign, rnr
can they be exempted from the mullotoily
of routine duties and labor. The govern
incnt cannot employ hired lalorcrS /" 10
the work which the troops have time to d,
for themselves. 1t does not seem necessary
that mon be required in time of peace To
bind themselves absolutely la serve five
years. A sufficient remedy may, PERHAPS
be found in the cuse of all worthy men
who find, after few months trial that they
have mistaken their calling. by more lii
SASiSiSO va tic IuNcf ~
soldiers upon their own application than
has ever heretofore prevailed. Great care
in the recruiting service, to prevent the en-
!istmcnt of men of bad character and l,ai.
its, may be found practicable. Measures
having these ends in view have already
been instituted. Also greater care iii
the treatment of recruits by officers
and nuii-commiS>ionrd officers. The rec
nr'ls of dcscrtinm from different organizu-
tions leave no room for doubt of the fact
that the character of the commanding
officer has much to do with the cXtrn, OF
the evil. After al possible had been done
to remove reasonable excuses for ,lcsrrlion,
provided flr the arrest and punishment of
!icscrtcrs are wholly inadequate. Only one
in five is ever captured. This is not S,lt-
ficicnt to deter men from committing
crime. The remedy is To authorize civil
officers I" arrest dcScrtcrs and increase the
service. There is no need Ia increase the
penalty for dcScrtinn, but to make some
penalty ut least probable, wlivl, j, is not
now.
Gen. ScllOtcld recommends that the pres
cnt five regiments of artillery hu organized
into seven regiments. The organization to-
remain the same, except that there shall ho
but one first lieutenant to n battery. lie
also recommends that the enlisted strength
of the army he increased to :N,Gn which
would supply the force necessary for the
proposed reorganization of the artillery
and the infantry us well as giving more
margin for recruits under instruction. lie
wants the infantry regiment to consist of
three battalions, agsrcgating twelve cnm-
panics, Us in the cavalry. He suggests that
hereafter promotions, from the grade Of
second lieutcnants to that of colonel,
in the eases 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 wiicl, the officer belongs aud
not, as now, in part by regiments. lie fur
thcr suggested that hereafter officers be COM
misSiOnci in the arm of the service to which
they belong. and not in particular rrgi-
lnelts, SO that they may be assigned To reg
imcntS and transferred from one to anutlr
l,y the president, as the interests ofthcSc
ice may require. He recommends that the
pay OF nOn-colnniissioncl officers of III
alItry. cavalry and artillery he made the
in the engineers. referring To the work of
the board of ordnance and iurtiIicatioll, he
says:
The plans ofthc engineer department will
provide all the land dcrnccs necessary tor
the security Of the great maritime Iuits n!
the country. Provisions should he n;ult
for the necessary garrisnns at the principal
scalmrts. \ table is given showing ilc
necessities nftl,s work. The war aa.li>u,s
Ofnur sracoaSt defcnscs would be about 50, :
Ubo artillcrymcn and l.:aE5 guns Of modern
construction. II is now practicable to sta
ton II small part Of the infantry of the
eo,intry at some of the most important
strategic points in the Eastern states, says
the general, and bc recommends the cstab
lishncnt of one regiment at Ila!t>hurgll,
n. u, and asks for an appropriation for
arracks.