Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-21
DETAILED AS INSTRUCTORS.
Gen. Williams Says Army Officers Are a
Success in This Line


annual report to the Secretary Of War as
adjutant general OF the army He will 20
on the retired list early next month He
submits tabulated statements compiled from
the reports Of officers detailed as professors
OF military science and tactics at various
private institutions and says they afford
convincing evidence Of the steadily increas-
ing favor with which the American people
regard an intelligent and judicious blending
OF military instruction and exercises with
the scholastic course of studies. This graft
Tying growth Of popular interest will be best
shown by comparison OF the results of the
past scholastic year with those Of the two
preceding years.
Gen. Williams says:
while the above figures show that-as
proper in a country which relies, in time of
public danger. on its citizen soldiery-the ed
ucational centers selected are becoming more
and more important factors In insuring the
greatest efficiency OF that important branch
OF the military service. the system can only
reach its full development when at all insti-
tutions securing a detail the rule is male
Imperative that every male, physically capa-
Die shall be enrolled as a military student
ITO further disseminate these benefits il is
believed that instruction now provided for
~ohe6Se suoulu DC EXTENDED TO the high
schools OF our large cities. and 1t is recon-
mended that legislation authorizing the de-
tail OF twenty-five additional officers for the
purpose be enacted. The advantages to
, pom the service and the people are too man
uest TO require argument
AS the usual length of collegiate course
OF studies is four years, there are cogent
reasons Tor liking that term as the length OF
the tour OF duty Of officers detailed as pro-
lessons OF military science and tactics. and
1 beg to recommend its adoption. 1t would.
moreover. conform to the general rule gov
erning the details Of officers on special
duty"
Additional Cadets.
The adjutant general indorses the RECON-
mendation OF the superintendent of the
Military Academy that authority be given
for appointment at large OF one cadet by
each Senator OF the United States and that
the President be authorized to appoint at
large forty cadets instead Of thirty as at
present He speaks in the highest terms Of
the excellent results already accomplished
by the division Of military Information
which was organized a year ago, and urges
that the reports prepared in the division be
distributed to the army.
Indian Soldiers.
In chapter on the Indian as q soldier
the adjutant general says:
Primarily, the scheme was adopted with
a view to giving Indians legitimate en-
ployment In an appropriate channel, and
In the hope that the habits acquired under
and en3oined by strict military training
would benefit both the individual Indians
SO enlisted. and. by reflex action, the tribes
from which they were drawn; and this OBJ
Ject was considered as fully justifying the
experiment, aside from any purely military
considerations.
while every means has been adopted to
insure the success of this tentative effort. /
am constrained to state my conviction that
after two years trial the experiment has
not reached that degree of success that was
anticipated, and that l do not believe IL
will ever be productive of results at all
commensurate with the expense
1.-The whole number of Indians enlisted in
the line OF the army up to June 80, 1893
was 1858, and the actual number in the
ranks at that date was al, only l26 enlist
ments having been made during the last fis-
cal year. There were at that date six troops
OF cavalry and nine companies of infantry
fully organized. The great difficulty of
completing the organization of four addi-
tional companies led to the discharge OF the
Indians enlisted for these companies, and
since June 80 II has been found advise HE
to disband one Of the nine companies men
toned above.
ION a careful consideration of the whole
subject, 1 cannot resist the conviction of
the unadvisability of enlisting Indians in the
regular regimental organizations. Indians,
when under able command and effective
discipline. make excellent skirmishers and
scouts, and / am strongly Of opinion that
their employment as army scouts IL the
limit of their usefulness to the military
establishment"