The Topeka state journal., 1898-09-08
ALGER LAYS DOWN Law.
Army Affairs to Be Conducted on
Business Principles Hereafter.

S-oAACSS LAACAD46S AGE6aLG6T.
Washington, Sept. S-secretary Alger
is now putting his affairs in shape to
admit of his absence from Washington
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 Detroit
Now that the active war operations
have closed, the secretary feels free to
express certain views entertained by
the president and himself respecting the
plans of the treatment of the soldiers
and touching the. persons upon whom
responsibilities should be placed for
matters Of complaint.
In this connection he saws: 1.-THE
regiments that have been ordered mus
tered out will be mustered out. The
regiments that have been designated
Dy the president to remain in the ser
vice will have to remain. As soon as
we have mustered out 100000 more or
less we shall TeOFganize the army, every
brlgade, division and corps and put
them into comfortable camps until such
of them as are needed are withdrawn
for service in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippines. In these camps, with ex-
perience of the past to guide US, sani-
tary 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 Off
GERS 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. During the war
many of these officers disregarded the
specific instructions that had been
given as to the proper care of their
men. Now it is time for them to take
this work upon themselves, and. with
the knowledge that they are to remain
in service, they will be expected to de-
vote their best energies. to the work.
Where men are incompetent to dis
1179 these 6ntfnG thew T0I1St give
to competent men, for again I wish to
make it clear that these company and
regimental officers are to be held to
account for the welfare of their men,
Now a word as to the feeding of the
troops. The army ration is all that is
necessary for soldier The daintieS
gratified the taste of the men, but they
are of no real help and only tend to
breed dissatisfaction where they do not
actually destroy the health Of the men.
The army ration today, as it has been
and as it will be in the future, is a
sound, healthful diet.
''The principal difficulty we have had
to contend with is the recklesSneSs OF
youths. In the vigor 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; but they
can violate any and all of the laws OF
health with impunity.
when a regiment is designated to be
mustered out, no further appeal will be
allowed to influence the department to
change it's plans. That order is going
to be strictly observed until the pres1-
dent decides that he can make a fur
ther reduction in the army. When such
reduction is made there will be no dis
elimination in releasing the troops 1t
is not possible to maintain the exact
ratio, because to do so will be to divide
regiments, but the purpose will be to
treat all states fairly and as nearly
alike as possible.
'aThe great complaint Of the soldiers
is homesickness and great deal of
this has been caused by the inconsid-
crate publications in the sensational
newspapers Some of it is also charge
able to the fact that the men entered
the army with the expectation that
their services would be very snort.
Every experienced officer knows that a
great many died of inconsistencies. Fol
lowing the depression which ensues
upon homesickness come other mala-
dies to which the hOmesick soldier falls
an easy victim, and it is Impossible TO
check this. Now, in my mind, the
American people should try to brace
these men up, to encourage them and
cause them to remember that they are
soldiers duties. The people of this
country should not be given the I'M
preston that they have sent into the
army a lot of boys unfit to Withstand
the unavoidable vicissitudes of camp
life Some of the complaints that have
been published are calculated to make
the American army appear in poor
light to the eyes of the American people
and also to those of the nations OF the
world.
The secretary gave an earnest assur-
ance of his purpose to carry out strict
" the decision he had announced TO
hold field officers responsible Tor the
condition of their men in the case OF
Private Hugh Parrott who was sup
posed to have perished in his tent at
Montauk Point, lacking medical attend
ha
Grosvenor had directed
- o+to-tior of the war deDartment.