Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-09
SOME ARMY POINTS
Inspector General Breckinridge's OBJ
servations and Suggestions.
ENCOURAGING MILITARY SCHOOLS
The Use of Homing Pigeons as
Dispatch Bearers.
TIL Z OLD SOLDIERS HOME

The report of Inspector General llreckin.
ridge to the Secretary of War for the year
1888 has just been made public In il he
makes a strong argument in favor of a
closer relationship between the army and
the National Guard
The National Guard.
He suggests that all bureaus of the army
should develop as close ties and definite
duties with the citizen soldiery in peace 81
they have in war, $50 that our disjointed
system may have the full conference at al
times that patriotic men a,e willing "a
adopt with mutual consent" He urges in.
creased appropriation by the general gov
eminent for the maintenance of the Ma
tional Guard.
He says also that schools to which army
officers are detailed as military Instructors
deserve the support of the uational govern
ment. On this subject ne says:
1T is public spirited and wise for those
institutions to graft upon their well-sxudied
curriculum this branch If knowledge and
training. and that these young men should
willingly devote their lime to acquire tbs
knowledge and training needed for the sue.
cessful defense Of their country. Possibly
in no kingly country would so large a mum
Der Of its youth and colleges volun iariIy
devote SO much attention to proper ;nstruc.
ton for the public defense. AMI they nave
a right to expect that our government will
make the best Of II and do the most II can
for them"
Studies of Enlisted Men.
Gen. Breckenridge recommends that the
course Of study for enlisted men ami tine
text books of post schools should be :den.
teal. 1t would be WELL he thinks. to have
the students disciplined for instruction a,
each post under a uniform instead OF g
varying system. Gen. Breckinridgc Offers
strenuous objection to the return Of the
savings in disbursements to the treasury
He asks whether IL savings could be made
to accrue to the progress Of the work on
hand, even in another direction, where II Is
felt to be most needed-as, for instance
when a saving on an administration luifc
ing at a military post could oe applied &c
the completion of a mess hall there which
sadly needed improvements-then would not
the heart of the man in charge Of the ~cfk
be enlisted in attaining proper economy
If the aggregate appropriations Tor The
army could be placed where the most ex
perienced officers believed the money to ID
could be used in another. probably We could
improve the service greatly without adding
one penny to the public expense.
In regard to the red tape" requirement.
is nothing more unE Military and ridiculousl,
excessive in our service than the papel
work. In the quartermaster's department
great care is exercised in the purchase o.
stores and supplies for the army, and. with
the exception of the coffee. which was re
ported at one of the depots to be of some
what inferior quality to that formerly pur
chased all articles seem to be very salts
factory. To keep the price down to fail
wholesale rates seems to be the most din
cult problem. The men who are shrewd
good purchasers deserve all the reputation
they make inside the army or out. Tn,
canteens have proved a great advantage {,
military men In this respect in some place,
where the cost Of transportation In not ex
cessive."
The Recruiting Service.
On the subject of recruiting he says: per
haps the best way to guard against fillinl
the army with waits and strays is to &C
cept the recruit Immediately at his owl
home, and place him directly in his perma
nent military family (which is the compa
ny). and thus avoid subjecting him to tn,
outcast feeling Of loneliness and the treat
ment that an unassigned recruit receives