Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-21

military attaches will
| !. !. ]:
M lkNI soon be assigned to
M duty in various South
IL ~ American cities If
~ RN, NIX Congress can be per-
AW'h YIN suaded to appropriate
EMk xNfN A\N the necessary money.
&l,sscS1vESsiA\N\ Already officers of
| yMAV E1NW\N the army acting in
| Ml hAMM\\ that capacity are
| VIVIAN l/dNiT WIN stationed at the
N1VM principal capitals of
| ]Wl J Europe. their bust
ness being to gather
| all possible Information about foreign war
methods. But. though their worl, is ex-
ceedingly Important, no adequate pro-
vision Is made for their support They are
Obliged to live like lords. while receiving
| only subalterls' pay. One consequence Is
that these positions-exceedinyly desira-
BILE from the point of view of anybody who
| has social ambitions and is attracted by
pomp and pageantry of courts--fall to the
lot of men who are rich enough to bid for
them. Poor officers cannot afford to hold
| them.
You see. we have all Europe to work
FOR US In the business of military expert
| ments. Over there is to be observed the
| spectacle Of number of nations constant
! ly in fear of conflict. Thus the spirit Of
military progress Is In a constant state of
| tension Those countries are continually
| trying new guns, fresh types Of projectiles
! novel explosives. improved equipments &C
| They even practice war for us at the great
autumn maneuvers in Germany, Austria
| and France. when entire armies engage in
mimic campaigns. What they learn and
invent is mostly at our service. Their cost
ly ideas we get for nothing. But Uncle
Sam is so severely economical that he will
not give living wages to our attaches
| abroad. whose task 1t is to gather all this
cheap Information.
What He Must Live Up to.
The military attache abroad Is obliged to
live at great expense. He must have an
Office, and a clerk to copy and translate.
He must buy books. and subscribe to all
the leading papers. He must entertain and
maintain himself in the top current Of
society. He must appear customarily In
full-dress uniform. which is rarely required
here. He must live up to his position, ac-
cording to European ideas. and rot accord
ing to American notions. He must not go
officially on foot, but must have a proper
| carriage. He cannot afford to occupy an
| ordinary stall at the theater, but must have
box. He must belong to the most fash
| ionable club, and must give occasional
dinners. without regard to cost. He must
be very scrupulous in making visits omit
ing no one from whom he may receive q
service.
The attache is not merely an officer OF
the army. he Is the representative Of the
military power of the United States. His
business bears a certain analogy to that
| or the commercial agent, who must put up
| at the best hotels and expend money
| literally in order to obtain customers for
| the goods he sells. The attache must be in
the swim, else he will be considered a no.
body, and will fail to accomplish his mis-
sion. 1t Is required of him that he shall
| play the grand seigneur. and be on terms
| OF intimacy with the great He must have
money to trav el-to visit gun factories and
powder works. for example, in order to
gain knowledge as to materials and methods
OF production. He must attend the great
autumn maj euvers for the purpose of OBJ
serving those wonderful spectacles which
correspond to our militia encampments
| though on gigantic scale.
Expenses That Are Not Allowed,
At these maneuvers the military attaches
representing all foreign governments are
guests of the sovereign. They must live In
| such style as BELTS generals commanding.
They must have servants, orderlies and
| horses. They mess with the STAFF officers
| of the commander-in- chief. On occasions of
! this sort their expenses are necessarily
great, big item being tips to the servants
| of the mess by which they are entertained
| At a European capital the attache cannot
board; he must have house at a rental
which Is hardly likely to be less than IS 600
| per annum. He may live at an hotel but
| In that case he must have private suite
| of rooms. His business Office must have a
reception room attached to 1t. That Is alb
| solutely required by etiquette abroad No
| foreign dignitary receives people in the
room with his desk and stenographer
To meet all these expenses Congress al
lows to the military attaches not one cent.
The army officer acting in this capacity
abroad has no more money than on de-
tached duty in this country. In addition to
his pay he has the ordinary allowance of
SIS a month per room. A lieutenant is en-
titled to two rooms, while a captain may
have three. There was one year when an
appropriation was made allowing $40 a
week to each attache for contingent ex-
penses, but this was cut Off. The attache
makes necessary disbursements out of his
own pocket and sends his accounts to the
Secretary of War; The latter prunes the
items ard sometimes allows them. though
often otherwise. The attache cannot buy a
magazine for business purposes without
consulting the War Department and obtain
ing it's permission.
Our new military attache in London. sent
thither a few months ago, reported that
the Office provided for him was one shabby
little room with desk and a few chairs.
He asked permission to purchase a neces-
sary typewriter, but 1t was refused The
quartermaster general cuts the attaches
accounts to the quick for fuel lights and
forage IOr norSeS. IL must be remembered
that the officer acting in such a Capacity
requires two or more horses whereas one
might serve here. If he wants a clerk he
must pay for the luxury out of his own
pocket. No provision is made for the ex
pense of copying and translating. Ac.
cordingly, the work cannot be properly
done, and much of the Information gather
ed is sent to Washington in the crude
shape of public documents as thew ara
issued by foreign governments. II not in
English, such parts of them as are consid
cred useful are translated here.
Cheap for Uncle Sam.
By this highly economical system Irncla
Sam gets hold Of the ideas of foreign ma
tons as to the art of war; They spare M
expense in the encouragement of this
branch of scientific achievement Each Eu-
ropean country must have the best possible
arms. equipments, maps. etc. 1t tries to
render its own military organization as
perfect as may be, at the same time en-
deavoring to learn all that may be learned
about the doings of its neighbors and rivals
Regarding the United States as a neutral
power. with which they are never likely to
come into collision, the continental govern
ments particularly are disposed to commu-
nicate to us much information which they
keep secret from each other. They some-
times send to the War Department ar
Washington documents and maps under
confidential seal.
If Congress could be persuaded to furnish
the necessary money our War Department
would gladly initiate the methods adopted
by European governments in gathering mil
itary information. This work is carried ON