The Portland daily press., 1898-09-02
THE AMERICAN SOLDIER.
An English Writer Pays Him a Very high
Tribute-Intelligen and Ready to Fight.
(London Daily Mail. }

The American army is not an orna-
mental Institution. The rank aud file
would not fetch any prices as works of
art. You may see hundreds of them
walking about on the wooden platform
sidewalks of Key West. They wear brown
laced | eggins, like their officers; rough
blue serge trousers. generally the worse
for wear; loose serge shirts of shade
darker blue, and soft felt, broad
I,rimmed, gray slouoh hats, with a mar
row, pinched. up fore and aft dent in thu
crown. They remind you of the men
who do the rough work in cirous-hard-
faced luen, with square jaws and prowl.
ing eyes. They smoke necessarily; there
is reason to suspect that they chew q
good deal; in conversation they inces-
sanity invoke a holy name, and every
time they invoke 1t they spit. But their
average height is. five feet eight inches or
five feet nine inches, and every man looks
an athlete. Afoot they go with great
swinging strides; mounted they sit in
t leir saddles as if they had Teen born
there Physically, they are as fine
soldiers as ems could wish to see--every
man picture of health and strength.
And what of their discipline2 These
great, big. athletic officers, you say to
yourself, and these great, big athletes Of
the rank aud Tile, are all very we'll indi-
fellows-but what Of
them colleotivelyp Isn't their discipline
rather la1s Each man you notice seems
to wear his hat at an angle which suits
his fancy or fits in with his comfort.
AS they go about town each man seems
ito walk with the stride which suits his
Thabit and the accommodation of bis own
legss The drill sergeant does not seem
to have accomplished his customary uni
fornfty Each man-and to the Euro
psan eye it ssemssso strange as to be al
most ludicyous-each man seems actually
to retain something Of his own individu-
atty, his own intelligence. That to the
European view, seems almost horrible.
How, you wonder. can an officer exer-
else complete command over an aggrega-
ton Of separate individualitlesY
1 questioned my lieutenant upon this
poinu. "Why, roy boy" said he. Hthat's
Just it-intelligenoe. The American
soldier has more intelligence than any
other soldier in the world, just because
he is expected to have more. He Can't
point his toes like Boston gosling, be-
cause he don't have to. Be don't have to
dress himself Up In parlor clothes, be-
cause he don't have any kings and en-
perors to come and amuse themselves
looking at him. But he's expected to be
int lligept, because he needs intelligence
in his business, and he's taught to be a
daisy shot and daisy borsa1nan, and II
you'll give me an intrenched position and
- H0t <lvrfn Prov
showdown against any infantry you can
bring against me.
Y I'm the vitality important evolution of
saluting an officer the American soldier,
as l have seen q dozen times day with
my own eyes, is very far from perfect.
Sometimes in the street, when an officer
passes him, the huge SLOUGH hated fellow
will take no notice at all
This morning saw six feet of muscle
stretched out on the grass under tfee.
1t had cigarette in its mouth, its hat
brim drawn down over its eyes, and one
knee bent to make rest for the other
leg. An officer came by, and looked up
to gee what the soldier would do. He
saluted But ne saluted without
on the fiat Of his back and saluted.
pointed out this grave forthcoming to my
grizzied lieutenant. regret to say that
he failed entirely to sec the point
ssWhy should he saluts any more than
| he toes?" he asked: whats the good Of
| itanywaye That fellow will 60 through
land back again if I tell hin to- Hes
done ii before yesterday, and he'll do 1t
again after tomorrow, ana so long as
he'll do that don't give a rap, to have
| Tim hitting himself on the eyebrow eve
II time I go by"
No; they are not ornamental, these
A merican soldiers, neither officers nor
men. But as an example Of fine, frank
straight. honest kindly loyable gentle
man. strong and brave and upright, the
| A merioan officer commands my enthusi-
astic respect. and as to the men-well, if
zion of hard-muscled giants with battle
ire glittering in their eyes you couldn' t
beat them.
"a q, so FOR a trih to Centre Harhor on