The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-30
OFFICERS AND PRIvATFS.

Volunteers make the best soldiers in
the world, though il takes some time to
do this. But volunteers are. very rare
ly the best Differed soldiers in the
world; the very contrary is usually the
case One trouble, it is the chief one
perhaps, is that officers for volunteers
are generally selected for their popular
rather than their military qualities.
This is almost inevitable, but it is in
evitably bad The universal sense of
equality that pervades the entire coun-
try makes almost every man think he
is as well qualified to be an officer as
any other man: and this sense of equal
ity explains why in all parts of the
country there are seemingly more vol
unteers for commissions than as pri-
Yates. An experience related in a New
York exchange illustrates this very
well.
Major. I'm a discharged non-com-
missioped officer OF the regular army
and I'm ready to volunteer if 1 get a
commission. My training would make
my services valuable 10 you, sir, and"
'-They all want commissions" said
the major, when he had got rid of this
patriot. THE privates in the militia
regiments are all pulling wires to be
appointed officers of volunteer cOmpa-
MES and 1 am bored to DEATH"
Good evening, major" said fresh
voice. I've got about twenty names
now, twelve certain and the rest pretty
sure to join
We'll, you're doing well. You'll have
a company and your straps sure if you
keep on"
Then the major edged away.
That's one of the most persistent
and least competent # them Cad, l
could raise an army of a million Off
GERS, I believe. quicker than the pTesi-
dent can get his $4,000 men. 1 tell you
it is a pleasure TO see a German face
come up with an application. He al
ways wants to be a soldier, though he
knows more about the business than 80
per cent. of the militia officers who
will succeed in getting commissions"
1T was just so in the war. l mean
in the last war;" said another veteran.
Il was as bad as the rest. l knew the
manual of arms and l had a pull, so /
went out as a lieutenant of volunteers,
and some of us paid dearly for our in
competent officers. But we were pun
ished in other ways than in death and
disease; when our rawness and ineffi-
cheney were shown up, the regular Off
GERS SnubDed uS-Oh, how they dld hu-
initiate the private who wore swords.
These fresh kids will get it, too"
This is the story that comes from all
parts of the country. 1t is safe to say
that nine out of ten of those who have
rendered their services to Governor
Wells have in one way or another. sug-
gested that commission was desired.
Undoubtedly it is much pleasanter to
command than to be commanded, but
in an army all cannot command. No
man would think of asking for a COM
mission in the navy unless he had had
a special training for that service, yet
the army needs trained officers just as
much as the navy, and there will be an
inadequate supply of such officers in
the volunteer army. Even the very
best men cannot be made into the best
soldiers if they have incompetent Off
GERS. 1t takes considerable time to
make a good soldier; it takes a great
deal of time and a special and technical
education to make a first-class officer.
And seemingly there are more appli-
cations for commissions than for enlist
ment as privates. There is much truth
in the New York majors remark that
he believed he could raise an army of
a million officers quicker than the pres
ident can raise his 125, 600 men; at least
it emphasizes a tendency