The evening times., 1898-06-16
A Superb Army,

. n superb army
Being human. the veteran Of the Civil
War is critical in everything relating to
a new volunteer army of which he is
not a part Yet as he salutes the pass
ing regiments or views the drill of the
sturdy young men in their Southern
camps, the critical spirit vanishes and
his bosom swells with pride as he con-
cedes the physical superiority of the
new army over the men of the sixties.
The average age is lower. the average
stature. weight, strength. and agility
higher. Under Lincoln's first call some
attempt was made to impose conditions
of enlistment, but it amounted to little
more than the temporary rejection of
occasional applicants who were con-
spicuously lacking in height. Later.
even this lack was no bar to enlistment.
Still, in spite of the laXity OF the ex-
amining surgeons. the men of that war,
North and South, displayed power of
endurance that surprised the world.
The physical excellence OF the present
volunteer army is u revelation and
reproach to those tuneful pessimists
whose mission seems to be to promote
the blues and who have deplored an
imaginary moral and bodily deteri-
Grafton of the American people. The
examinations of recruits have shown
an unexpected h gh percentage of young
men with physical qualities much above
what has BEEN regarded as the average.
Fully half of the volunteers are fairly
well-drilled members of the National
Guard. They have known something OF
camp life and. what is of more import
ance, of discipline. This is an addi-
tional advantage over the army of the
Civil War. Then. the comparatively
few militiamen were not enlisted as
companies, as a rule. but were judi
ciously scattered among raw recruits
to serve as drill-masters. Now, the Ma
tional Guard are enrolled by regiments,
with from thirty per cent to fifty per cent
new men who quickly become proficient
in drill and submissive to discipline be-
cause of their association with trained
men. Almost the hardest lesson the
American volunteer has to learn is that
there is an aristocracy of shoulder
straps out Of all harmony with his DEM
ocratic experience. There must be obe-
dience, prompt and silert. to the orders.
reasonable or not, of persons who were
not his superiors in the old life. That
the American volunteer should submit
SO easily to the hard conditions Of army
service is high proof of his intelligent
patriotism. Another advantage is that
the men of the National Guard can
shoot. 1t is appalling to think that a
large proportion of the soldiers of the |
sixties had never fired gun until they |
were in battle. For a time there was
slow and awkward loading and an enor- |
nous waste of powder and ball. 1t |
would be hard to exaggerate the value |
of the militia training, which includes |
an occasional sham fight. with the be-
wildering din of battle. the hell of |
noise that distracts and terrorizes the |
stOutest heart, when heard for the first |
time. We may fairly look for less than |
the average sickness of armies in the |
case of our volunteers. and a lower /
Eases; and never lack Of the muscu-
ar strength and endurance the utmost
can use.
The superb appearance of these new
roops is significant. An army of nearly
'00, 600 young athletes suggests a peo-
pie as far advanced physically over
hose of generation ago as this army
S over that of the Civil War. Habits of
personal hygiene that were exceptional
hen are general now. The prominence
II athletics In college life Is merely a
'election of the widespread interest In
exercises and sports. The
of a sound body to a tolerable
existence is universally recognized and
he popularity Of wheeling, golf, tennis,
md other outdoor amusements Is the
'esult of d intelligent study of personal
hygiene. LeIore the advent Of croQuet,
Iome thirty years ago, life was carried
IN indoors as far as practicable. Not
,nly are the methods of physical cult
ire better than ever before. but the
general conditions of the people are
,astly improved. and there is greater
aspect and care for the body. including
in every direction.
There is still another reason for the
lopefulness about the health in a for
ign climate of the young men who con-
titute the armies of invasion. This Is
he great advance in the hospital serv-
ce and in surgical art. The field hos
'ital is a modern Institution. Formerly
he wounded soldier received an extra
'ay allowance which he was supposed
o use for the hire of doctor or nurse.
'ut which he commonly spent for drink.
rhile oomrade awkwardly dressed his |,