The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-17
OUR STANDING ARMY.
vuywAJoR-aESBRAL conmAHDiN'
.prxKs or ITS CONDITION.
p-ox... I'm Making High-fowef
The Enlistment Question Attracting
Much Attention

Ia
| auring the last year In the i'1o'
,,oaern hgh-power guns, ana CONSUL
nc work has been done IN pro'iu'Ne
e,rnlacements for such guns ana 'ho' '4' .
,.,..,.r,ments have also been continued III
oroct 10 disappearing carriages Tor sue"
- Conclusive results in this last re-
gard have not yet been reached ou' '''
e..ch prce1 IS has teen made that emu nv, ~
carriages could DE rapidly conslf W -,
CSC of immediate need. IL Is hopeu tna'
nocossary appropriations tor the COMM
| -, ~ this work Will not be withhelu' 20
| - the policy which has now been ste"u-
| a. PURSUED during the past five OF slA
| io,rs may be continued until the brs.
SSeenorts Of the United States are plaeeu
! IN The condition of security.
The enlistment question, when Is az
present attracting so much attehuo"' -
| discussed. go ,.o,.r,ap-
o,tIv maintained by the United states
eavs General Schoheld, "the all import
ami reauisite IS efficiency and rehaDhi'y
under any and all circumstances that
NAV arise To secure this II seems eFl-
dent that the policy should contemplate
the elimination IS soon as pIacuCaple
OF an men who cannot be moulded mo
retention in service Of all whose military
development proves TO be entirely salts
factory The period Of five years chat OF
| the present term Of enlistment is much
| longer than necessary Tor the hFst
purpose, while the limit OF length or ser
| vice under existing law, namely, ten years
| is much too short 10 enable the Govern
| rnent to obtain the best services from
men who have proved TO be IN all respects
! satisfactory.
..rbere is another serious objection TO
| IA. pteseut Inhalation Of ten years. That
! period is much too long Tor young man
/ 10 devote to the military service, if he
must ultimately make his career in civil
! life.
"The benefit to the country from the
| military training Of the small number OF
! men who are discharged after ten years
service is insignificant. They DO not
amount 70 as many as one in four thous-
| and Of the arms-beaTing population OF Inc
/ United States. In a country whose policy
| is based upon universal obligation 10 mil
| itary service and the development or the
ultimate military strength Of the nation
| and where a large standing army Is main
| tanned, partly as school In when an
| young men capable Of bearing arms may
! be trained a short term OF active SER
| vice, generally three years, enables the
! Government TO give that training to every
| young man capable Of bearing arms. IN
our country the army is far too small TO
serve as q valuable school of this char
acter The organized militia Of the sew
eral States serves such q purpose 10 a
much better advantage, without draw
ing young men away from their civil
avocatiOns.
1T therefore seems advisable that the
term Of enlistment I'm the regular service
in this country be reduced from five to
| three years and the legal restriction upon
re-enlistment be removed so that the
War Department may be at liberty 10
continue IN service those enlisted men
whose services are found to be valuable.
mo doubt heretofore the pratice has
been to re-enlist old soldiers after they
have become less efficient than when
| they We're younger, but that practice
. may readily be controlled by executive
| action. IL would in my Judgment be
! beneficial to the military service TO re-
r peal the law authorizing the purchase OF
p ! discharges"
General SchoGeld disagrees with several
other prominent officers, in believing that
j the experiment of making soldiers OF
| ! Indians has been a success.
+ THE enlistment Of Indians I'm the army
. | and their organization into companies
attached to the regular regiments" he
says, appears thus far TO have accom-
{ piished in very satisfactory manner the
: principal objects contemplated in that
, policy. The principal Of these objects is
understood to have been for the purpose
n Of Withdrawing from the warlike tribes
/. and giving satisfactory employment TO
- a considerable number OF young men.
who were generally dissatisfied and liza
bic at any time to become hostile; for
S the purpose Of educating the Indians in
: the rules and customs Of civilized, as
. | ccntrasted with those OF savages warfare
- and 10 assist in the efforts Of the Gov
q eminent to transform the Indian charac
e ter from that Of savage enemy to that
~ Of friends and citizen Of the United States
, There has been no serious indication Of
u hostile disposition manifested by any OF
II the Indian tribes since this present policy
n was inaugurated.
,s "A secondary object was the organiza
ton Of a comparatively small conuu
- gent Of Indian troops, partly with view
to any service which might be required
OF them, but mainly for the purpose %
determining by actual trial what tn
value is or may be made Of the warlik
e. tribes OF Indians as a part of the mill
sh tary strength Of the United States; thi
a upon the general theory that all part
-. of the people Of a country should b
~ prepared TO do their share in time OF nee
~ ! of the military service which the countr
r. may require. IL is yet too early 10 reac
il, a final conclusion upon this question"
. During the year the most arduoU
III services rendered by the troops were 4
sc suppressing and Furnishing violations o
IS the neutrality laws between this countr
o.. and Mexico. For this service Genera
40 Schoheld highly commends the troops /
IS the Department of Texas. The state o
g discipline in the army continues TO b
o. satisfactory. Reorganization OF the al
- tillery and infantry is recommended an
'0 the suggestion IS made that a reserv
e. supply of the most approved infantr
ed rifles and Of the standard breech-loadin
.as rfled field guns be provided for regular
II militia and such volunteers as may /
u' Immediately called into service In III
re. event Of war"
10. The recruiting service has been brougl
$40 TO a high standard under Adjutant GeI
'"' eral Williams. THE number Of desc
an lions still continues large. and" say
General Schofeld doubtless from caus,
f. entirely beyond control, unless It be b
80 increasing the certainty and severity
the punishment for desertion."
lat
'w GREAT BIRRTER REEF.