River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-02-15
USES FOR The ARMY.
How Uncle Sans Soldiers Are Kept En-
ployed.


The regular army of the United
States costs more TO support, in pro-
portion to the number of enlisted
men, than the army of any European
power. One reason for this is the fact
that our army is scattered, in compare
lively small attachments, over great
extent of country, and that many mill
tary posts are in remote places where
it is costly to maintain them.
But if the army is costly in proper
ton to its size, we employ it for vari-
Gus purposes which are more nearly
connected with peace than with war,
and thus get out of it valuable service.
which European powers pay for sepa-
rately.
While we maintain this army of
about twenty-eight thousand men and
officers at high state of military eff
ficiency and readiness for war. we re-
quire the officers to render a practical
equivalent as they go along for the
cost of their education and support.
They, to their credit be it said, wei.
come active employment in useful
functions.
1t was largely to afford such employ.
ment to officers, commissioned and non.
commissioned, that the signal service
of the army was developed into
weather bureau" This bureau, which
was brought into a good state of eff.
cheney in the war department, has now
been transferred to the department OF
agriculture.
Meantime, other army officers-those
of the engineer corps-had long been,
and are now, actively employed in lay
ing out and constructing river and har-
Dor improvements. This service is fully
in the line of public utility. The United
States government in the last fiscal
year spent five times a much money
for river and harbor improvements all
over the country as it did for fortifica-
tions and other works of defense.
A considerable number of officers are
employed in making Typographical and
geodetic surveys of the face of the
country; for our country is still inn
perfectly mapped, The service which
army officers are doing in this field of
science is one distinctly useful to the
general public.
A recent law has provided that, ex-
cept in certain specified cases, army
officers shall be detailed to act as In
dian agents. This service is already
affording employment for large num-
Der of officers. In addition to routine
duties they direct the effort which are
making to render the Indians industri-
Gus and self-supporting, and look out
for their interest and welfare in many
ways.
The employment of army officers in
the work is pleasing to the Indians as
well as conducive to the good of the
service. The army officers, being edu-
Gated men, trained to conscientious
public service, and secure in their posi-
ton, having no inducement but 70
make good record, are the best In
dian agents that the government could
get
They are eligible to regular promo
ton in their military grades during
this special service, and at the end of a
certain time return to their posts in
their regiments.
There are other duties of a general
character to which officers and men
are individually detailed, at Washing
ton and elsewhere, in which service OF
useful character is performed.
Military glory of the old sort may
come to the officer of the present gen.
dration, though all signs point to a
long period OF peace within and with
| out our borders. No good officer or
soldier will ever hope that the peace
will be broken. And yet, though his
profession is war, the American system
of army employment assures to every
officer the satisfaction of leading al
honorab BILE and useful life, and an OPP
portunity to make reputation in some
line of the service. Youths Compan-
| ion