The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-19

N~SS' 49, -~oNiS NEW 1OIh Boston.
Philadelphia.
prisonment or discharge the fact Is report
ed TO the surgeon general, who enters il on
the identification card, and the card is
then transferred to the files of undesirable
men. 1t Is not filed by alphabetical ar
rangement, but according to the marks on
the man. A man who has a moe on his
right arm, tattoo mark on his left arm
and scar on his left leg has three cards
fled in three different cases, and the cases
are classified, not only according to the
members, but according to the location
on each member of the Identifying mark,
For this purpose the body is suD-dvided
many times or plotted"
Whenever a new idetification card is re-
ceiyed the principal marks on the body are
noted, and reference is made to the cases
where those marks would be found record
ed if the man had ever been placed on the
undesirable list of the army. If his identi-
hcation card under a past enlistment is
found there, he is tried by court martial
for false enlistment. and probably sent to
the military prison al Leavenworth. Kan
very few sealawags get into the army
nowadays. The recruiting conditions pre-
vent that. Then the conditions of life in
the army have been changed so as to make
it attractive to desirable men. For that
reason the number of desertions has de-
creased, until now it is less than il has
been at any time during the last decade In
1893 there were 16S2 assertions from the
army; In 1897 there was only 3O4. This has
meant great saving TO the war depart
ment, because when the number of deser-
lions was greatest it was estimated that
this crime was costing the government a
million dollars year.
. Five years ago it was estimated that one
third of all the men who had enlisted in
the army in quarter of a century had de-
serted. In most cases these men had been
supplied with clothing by the government,
and had been transported long distances.
Their successors had to be supplied with
other clothing and transported equally
great distances, ana the war department
estimated the average cost of a desertion
as $3.50 A great deal of thought was given
to this problem, and the reduction of the
number of years of service was one of the
experiments which the department tried
to reduce the number of desertions. An
other experiment was raising the standard
of men to be enlisted so that clean, decent
men would find congenial companionship
in the ranks. Schools were established at
army posts and gymnasums were built at
many of them. A further Improvement
mas DEen IGCOlItilGuuCNls anu no IOhbl WIZ
be adopted. The schools have taught only
the rudiments of a general education. 1t
is required of the applicant for enlistment
now that he shall have an elementary ed
ucation The need OF teaching reading
and writing at the posts is not so great as
it once was, and as the attendance at the
post schools has fallen off to about 10 per
cent it has been recommended that they
be made strictly military schools, so that
the soldier shall obtain, if he desires 1t, or
even under compulsion, knowledge OF
the theory and practice of war. soldiers
so educated would be desirable material
for offering volunteer regiments in case
of war.
Another inducement offered by the en-
listing office now is that a private may
earn shoulder straps in few years. Many
sons of army officers, who have not been
able 10 get appointments to West Point
have entered the army as enlisted men
and worked their way up from the ranks
But thy are not the only privates who
have earned commissions and the pros
Dect. of advancement is great inducement
to a good class OF well-educated young
men to enter the army
What has probably proved as effective
a. anv other measure to reduce the num-
her of assertions is the policy of enlist
ing men at army posts where they can
be attached to their regiments immediate
". and of sending city recruits TO their
posts within a few days Of their enlist
ment. few years ago it was the prac-
tice 10 hold recruits at receiving stations
for several months. These stations were
near large cities, and there was always
a tennptation to soldier to desert from
the unaccustomed rigor of army discipline
TO the easier civil life. Recruits would
frequently get drunk while on leave and
nawn or sell the clothing which the gov
eminent had advanced to them, and tnen'
afraid to return to the barracks they
would desert. Now the soldiers are sent
ia their regiments as fast as they are &C
cented. and of 4,7o6 forwarded last year
only five deserted en- route.
THE nay of the soldier is SlS month
His lodging. clothing medical attendance
in fact. everything is furnished 10 him.
His nav is pocket money After five years
Of continuous service his pay is increased
20 a month, and for each additional nVe
Years another dollar is added SO that
tbe four men who have served the gov
eminent for thlfty-five years now receive
S21 a month.