Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-15
ALCER'S STATEMENT
The Secretary Of War Wants Atten-
ton Paid to Camp Conditions.
OFFICERS TO Be HELD ACCOUNTABLE
Incompetent Men to Give Way TO C0mps-
tent Men-The Army Ration All Right
Rocklessness Of Youthful BOidiers-
About MuateFing Out.

washington, sept H-oecretary Al
ger is now putting his affairs In shape
to admit Of his absence from Washing.
ton on tour Of inspection Of the army
camps throughout the country. He
will leave this evening, going first to
Camp Meade, Pa, and thence to De.
troit Now that the active war opera
tions have closed, the secretary feels
free to express certain views enter.
tanned by the president and himself
respecting the plans Of the treatment
Of the soldiers and touching the per.
sons upon whom responsibilities
should be placed for some Of the mat.
ters Of complaint. In this connection
he says
The regiments that have been ordered mus
tered out will be mustered out The regiments
that have been designated by the president to
remain in the service will have to remain Az
soon as we have mustered out 100000 more or
less we shall reorganlze the army-every
brigade, division and corps-and put them Into
needed are withdrawn from service IN Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines In these
camps. with the experience Of the past to
guide US, sanitary conditions will be strictly
enforced The men composing the army will
be treated as soldiers They will be shown
every possible consideration and their health
will be preserved
The officers commanding regiments and COM
panies Will be held strictly accountable for the
sanitary conditions Of the camps They are
the ones who should be held responsible Dur.
ing the war many OF these officers dsregarded
the specific instructions that had been given
looking to the proper care Of their men. Now
II Is time for them to take this work upon
themselves. and, with the knowledge that they
are TO remain In the service, they will be ex-
pectcd to devote their best energies TO the
work. Where men are incompetent TO dis
charge these duties they must give way to
COMPETENT men, for again wish to make 1t
clear that these company and reglmental
officers are to be held to account for the wei.
fare of their men.
Now word as to the feeding OF the troops.
The army ration Is oil that Is necessary for
soldier | hope that there will be less food
given to the men from outside sources The
daintics crafty the taste OF the men, but they
are OF no real help and only tend to breed dis.
satisfaction where they do not actually destroy
the health OF the men. Tho army ration to-
day, as II has been and IL will be In the future
is a sound healthful diet The principal diff
Guilty we have had to contend with is the reck-
lessness Of youths In the vlgOr Of sound
health the young men who went to make up |
our army could not be induced to take proper
care OF themselves. They think that nothing
can harm them; that they can violate any and
oil Of the laws Of health with impunity.
When regiment Is designated to be mus
tered out no further appeal will BIO allowed TO
influence the department to change It's plans
That order Is going to be strictly observed un-
til the president decides that he can make
further reduction In the army, When such re-
duction Is made there will be no discrimina-
ton In releasing the troops II Is not posi-
BILE to maintain the exact ratio, because TO do |
so would be to divide regiments but the pur-
pose would treat all states fairly and as near
alike az possible
The great complaint OF the soldiers Is home
sickness aud great deal Of this has been
caused by the ncOnsiderate publication In the |
sensational newspapers, Some Of It Is also
chargeable to the fact that the men entered the |
army with the expectation that their services |
would be very short Every experienced off,
cor knows that great many died of homesick-
ness Following the depression that ensues |
upon Inconsistencies come other maladlos to |
which the homeslck soldier falls mn easy victim |