Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-12-14
OUR ARMY.
It's Needs Set Forth By the Secre-
tary Of War.
The Difficulty OF Securing Desirable Re-
cruIts INSTRUMENTATION as to In
crease OF Compensation Other
Matters Touched Upon.
WAR Denartment Ranort.


War Department Report.
WASHINGTON, Dec 5-The annual report Of
the secretary Of war has just been issued The
report reviews the work done by the war de
partment during the past year, and recommends
many improvements in the education and equip
ment OF the men enlisted in the army On this
point Secretary Elkins says:
Every possible effort has been made to Sc
cure the enlistment OF desirable men The re-
cruiting service has been administered with
exceptional vigor and success during the past
two years; and the standard Of qualifications
has been raised until the test at recruiting
rendezvous is so critical that only 3S per cent
OF the applicants for enlistment were accepted
during the fiscal year ending June 81, 1892 I,
seems that almost everything has been &C
complished that is possible under existing
laws. Notwithstanding all this, however, a
complaint Is general as to a scarcity of material
for non-commissioned officers"
The secretary recommends a small increase
in compensation He says that IF good men
are wanted for the army, they must be paid
something near what wage earners receive in
the ordinary pursuits of civil life" He sug.
gests especially that the pay of both nom com.
miSSfoned and commissioned officers be In.
creased, in order to offer better inducement
for efficiency. The revival Of the grade OF
heutenant-generai is also favored
The report states that 20 per cent. Of the army
is now located west Of the Mississippi river
The total number Of garrisoned posts, not In
Guiding arsenalS and armories, is ninety six.
OF these thirty-three are located east OF the
river, and the remainder, sixty-three are in the
west 1t Is suggested that the small posts be
gradually abandoned and that regimental posts
be established in each of the larger states
which are now without them This would olAr,
Mr.. Elkins argues, better facilities for the
transportation OF men and supplies and the
army could be conducted more economically
than ever before. 1t is thought that the cities
near which posts may be located, should be re-
quired by congress to donate to the government
sufhcient land, say 1000 acres, in considera tion
OF building and maintaining such posts in their
immediate vicinity.
Concerning the military academy at West
Point Secretary Elkins says in the report:
Its capacity Is not overtaxed Vacancies In
the list OF cadets constantly exist, which 1t is
important should be kept full It Is recon.
mended that the president be given authority
TO appoint ten cadets at large each year. as was
authorized by law prior to June 1, 1888. 1t is
probable that with this increase there will
still be vacancies and that the number of grad.
yates will not exceed seventy five per annum
such an enactment would result in desir
able increase in the corps of cadets, and
would operate almost exclusively In be.
half OF ofhcers of the army and navy and
civil omc1als who, by long absence In the
public service find 1t difficult to secure recogni-
tion for their sons in their home districts The
attention OF representatives is called to the
provision OF law requiring nominations to be
made year in advance. Vacancies frequently
exist by reason OF neglect to nominate prompt
ly The principal examination now takes place
March l. instead of in June, as heretofore It
Is due to the government, as well as the young
men selected that they should have a few
months Of preparation before the March ex-
animation.
ha fndr Of
confined to the army It is extended to the
colleges and universities throughout the coun-
try Pursuant to law, seventy-f five officers Of
the army are detailed as military instructors
at agricultural colleges and other 1rst-class IN
stitutions where young men are drilled and
taught the rudiments of o military education
The inspector general says in his report tha t
over 1000 boys and young men were under mil
itary instruction at the different educational
establishments during the past year. When
these young men go out into the world they will
not have the military education Of graduate
from the military academy, but they will have
some military knowledge which may prove of
advantage to them and to the country.
The secretary declares that perhaps the most
important advance OF the year has been in the
adoption OF the new small arm for the service
The report states that board of competent Of
ficers spent nearly two years in examining and
testing the different arms recommended for
use and presented for tests. Fifty-three diff
ferent guns were tested They were of both
American and foreign invention, and
some Of them arms now in use by
the principal military powers OF Euro pc
The one finally recommended Is what Is
known as magazine arm and can be used as
such, or as a single loader. 1t has been adopt
ed for a 30-caliber infantry rifle and carbine
and steps are being taken for it's manufacture
The secretary says that provision should be
made for full supply to the army and to the
n nafi f0r mi IN 10 III
held in reserve. A test of the different arms
now in service throughout the world, as well as
those Of recent invention, has, 1t is believed,
enabled the department to fix upon an arm su.
perior 10 any now in actual use.
The expenditures Of the department for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1892 amounted to
S51, ,21S, ,97059. The amount disbursed for pay OF
the army was 2016 545.65, which is about $780,.
ooo less than that of the previous year.
The report shows a healthy administration OF
military law. The military prison at Fort
Leavenworth, it saws, has been admirably man
aged and the decipline is perhaps as nearly per
feet as the circumst stances and conditions of the
buildings will permit Important improve
menis have been made in the buildings and In
the construction Of light, airy and more con-
venient cells
Secretary Elkins is much pleased with the
work of the commission to whom has been In
trusted the establishing of the national park
which Is to include the battlefield Of Chicka-
mauga and parts Of those of Lookout mountain,
Mission ridge and Tunnel hill. The greater
part of the land has been acquired, roads have
been opened, and satisfactory progress
made in the restoration OF the field tc
the condition in which 1t was at the time o
the battle In 1874 The data for identifying and
| marking the lines of the union and confederate
| armies have been obtained and verified, and the
work OF establishing tablets in place will soon
be undertaken This work, when completed
yr;n no Of fpfn md iTT1Ta0 fo1 mi
only to those who took part on both sides In the
memorable events which occurred there, but tC
the country at large and to future generations
At the closing OF the report reference Is made
| TO the war department exhibit at the worlds
fair. The plans for the exhibit are as nearly
perfected GS time and circumstances will per.
NIT. All sections OF the proposed exhibit are
we'll in hand 1t is expected to be illustrative
of the advancement Of the age In all that per
tains TO the art of and the relative standing