Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-20
HE AMERICAN ARMY.
How 1t Appears to an English Observer
from His Standpoint.

| The AMERICAN ARMY.
HOW Ie Appears to an English Observer
from His Standpoint.
The rank and file of the American
army are composed of all nations VIII,
can speak the English language sufh
GENTLY well to be understood and *
understand the word of command, and
include almost as many Germans anC
Englishmen as Americans. The English
and Irish emigrants, unable to obtain
remunerative labor at home, or con
science stricken on account of some
dread deed committed by them. to the
disgrace of their friends and relatives,
who will no longer give them their
countenance and support, go across 1.-The
Herring Pond" with the intention of
starting afreSh on new soil, and find
their way eventually into the ranks;
the German, in order to avoid the mar
tlaI imposition in his own country, es-
capes to America, ''from the frying-pan
into the fire" so to speak; Frenchmen
and Spaniards, sailing across on voyages
OF adventure, dissipate their means and
| have no alternative but to remain and
join the forces; thus there are many who
enlist to escape punishment in other
countries, and who divulge to none their
past history; and some do so on &C
| count of reverSeS of fortune, having
got disguised with civil life, or
are actuated with more sinister
motives still, intending to desert
as soon as they obtain something better
to do. Owing thus to the kindly dis
position On the part of the American
government, as representatives of the
people. to help everybody to live, and to
its wise determination to make every
body who seeks its protection work in
some way for his maintenance, the for
eigner, finds himself received cordially
into the forces. 1t is, at any rate. GER
tain that remarkable men do sometimes
ind their way into the ranks-men of
nne sensibility, possessing a rare store
OF Information, and qualified to fill and
discharge the duties of many of the
highest offices within the gift of the
government with honor and credit to
themselves. Indeed, there are many
soldiers in the American army at the |
present day who have fought in Eng |
lands late wars, and not few of good |
birth and education. From this it will |
readily be inferred that a high per- |
centage take assumed names and come |
and go without either receiving corre-
spOndence or their superior officers
being the wiser. When application for
enlistment is first made by the would-be
recruit, minute description is de-
manded of him in writing-his full
name, the town and country in which he
was born, his age, height, breadth round
the chest, color of his eyes and hair, his
occupation, how long he has been out
of employment, his reasons for wishing
to enlist, whether he has ever
had any nervous or venereal disorder.
the name, age and occupation of his
father (if living), the name and address
OF his nearest friend, whether married
or single, etc. To many of these Ques-
tions-much the same in all armies
the recruit replies in equivOcating terms,
If he does not tell out and out false
hoods; but, of course, there is no one to
whether or not he is speaking
the truth, and as it would certainly in
volve too much time and labor to in
vestigate each case, it is fact that the
descriptive lists Of private soldiers con-
tain number of false statements.
Hence, it is no uncommon thing to see
woman early in the morning crying
mt frantically at headquarters, 81 want
ny husband. To get married while in
he service, or, being married, to enlist
IS single man, is considered very
5rave otfense, and renders a soldier
liable to obtain a dishonorable dis
harge. On the whole, it is very easy
natter to become an American soldier, ,
% long as the eyesight and hearing are
'ood. The medical examination in MANY
districts is not strict or searching. The
ge, so long as the would-be soldier docs
lot look too much as if he had escaped
rom the nursery, is of little moment.
nd many veterans, twenty and five and !
wenty years in the service, will enlist
gain at fifty, so hardened do they be.
ONE and so utterly incapacitated for
ny other occupation. The next step
fter examination is the declaration of .
llegiance to the United States, and one
lonth's easy drill qualities man to un- n
ertake the entire duties of soldier y
Westminster Review