The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-07
ENLISTMENT REGULATIONS.
Information for Patriots Who Desire
to Enter the Army or Navy.

ST. LOUIS. March 6.-The GloDe-Deno-
crat SAYS: Should you volunteer your serv-
ices at the first call for an addition to the
army, you may stand a chance to enter the
ranks if you are between twenty-one and
thirty years DID, Of good character and
habits, able bodied, free from disease, not
less than five feet four inches tall and be-
tween 12S and 1870 pounds in weight. If you
measure above five feet ten inches in height
or weigh above 165 pounds you can enter the
infantry or artillery, but not the cavalry.
These are the requirements for entrance to
the regular army. They would remain In
force during the mastering of volunteers
until men should be passed in with INSULT
cient speed. Then the restrictions in regard
to age would be made less exacting. In
great emergency the fighting age would
doubtless be stretched to from eighteen to
forty-five.
The restrictions in regard to weight would
perhaps be changed, but very heavy men
would not be accepted. Fat men dc rot
make as good soldiers as thin men. The
War Department has prepared a table
showing what it considers to be the correct
proportions of height, weight and chest
measurement. If you correspond very near
ly to these you may consider yourself or
military physique. A man five feet four
inches tall should weight 12S pounds, should
have chest measuring thirty-two ard one
half inches without breath and a chest ex-
pansion of at last two inches. man five
feet ten inches tall should weigh 155 pounds,
should have chest measuring th1rty-f1Ve
inches when without breath and should
have chest expansion of at least two and
half inches. Similarly, If he be- six feet
one inch tall he should weigh 176 pounds,
should measure thirty-six and one fourth
inches around his chest after breathing out
and should have chest expansion CT at
least two and half inches. Weights be-
tween these are given proportionate meas
urements for the other details.
In the event of war many requirements
prescribed for enlistment in the regular
army during peace must be eliminated For
instance, it would be impossible for you to
enter the army now if you are married, if
you are not a citizen of the United States
or a candidate for citizenship, or If you
cannot speak, read or write the English
language Married men and foreigners
would readily be accepted as volunteers in
case of war and it would count for little
whether a private could read and write or
not. N
Similarly, in the navy certain restrictions
would have to be eliminated in case of war.
Males may enter the navy if they are be-
In time of war the maximum age limit
would doubtless be raised ten years. Ac-
cording to the printed regulations persons
enlisted III the naval service must be "of
robust frame, intelligent, of perfectly sound
and healthy constitutions, free from any
physical defetS or malformation, and not
subject to fits
Many vacancies for patriotic boys will &C.
cur in the event of war. Boys between six
teen and eighteen may enter the army, but
only musicians. To be drummer boy in
the war would be very picturesque. To en-
list for such service, however, a boy must
have 1.-The written consent of his father,
only surviving parent or legally appointed
guardian
With similar consent boys between four
teen and seventeen may enter the navy to
serve as apprentices, but they must be "of
robust frame, intelligent, of perfectly sound
and healthy constitution" and free from a
long list of physical defects A boy of four
teen must measure not less than four feet
nine inches. weigh not less than seventy
pounds and, while brea thing naturally,
must have a chest measurement not less
than twenty-eight inches.