The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
PRAISE FOR OUR TROOPS.
1AToRA BILE CRITICISMS m COR
RESPONDENTS FROM ABROAD.

MOI Wv DhNAo NV" AHHOAD.
ptRerencrs In tho TraiaiRE OF European ana
American soidiers-PFompt Obedience Of
the Men ana TheiE CaoIneas Under wire
Pault Eound with the Americas Unirsrm.
LONDON. June 4.-The delay in beginning
active military operations against the Span.
tArds in Cuba has enabled the large corps OF
European war correspondents, who have been
cent to the United States by London and other
newspapers, to make a careful study OF Ameri.
can war methods and equipment. None of
these mon has had actual experience in observa-
tion OF serious wal. Hardly one Of the men
who vent through the Franco.P russian cam.
pRign OF 1870 Is now capable OF active service
in field and camp. The war correspondent Of
the present day in Europe. as in America. is a
theorist as regards active military operations,
save in the matter OF observation at the annual
manmuvros in the great camps Of Europe. But
modern military manHuvres have come to be
modern war In everything except the actual
shedding of blood. No single detail Is lacking,
save bullets In the cartridges and the test Of
courage which knowledge Of danger brings.
This last exception Is perhaps tue most es-
sential thing In proving tho value Of the SOL
dior, but the modern science of war reduces tho
factor Of personal valor to n minimum.
The first thing, therefore, which the students
of European armies have discovered In Ameri-
u" u 'hat' "hho inc European boluier mas DC
como a "el'reRulat'u mech'no' MS american
comrade In arms Is still a human being In
which q certain amount OF individusiity Is pre-
served. According to European notions, this
is a defect. If defect II IL. thon 1t may
be said at once that It is far less serious in an
American army than 1t would be in q Cont
mental one. This Ia a point which most OF
the English correspondents at Tampa and
Chickamauga have been broud.minded enough
reuoshlto promptly,
German military system is probably the best
mo.ns ~ doveIorinv the grea,est eflcienov NJ
German troops, but the foreign critics are al.
ready beginning to admit that this system would
be both impossible and unnecessary in Ameri.
ca. The only hope of securing steadiness and
certainty In the vast conscrlpt armies of the
o" ..-sh.S. ~
continent OF Europe Is 70 make h'aon'hehke
discipline SO completely second nature in every
" u.ui mo. ""'"nC - "l - ~,
is something as far beyond his contemplation MS
who went on the expedition aboard the Gusule to
tha 800 ~ Gnha no.Lo. ,ht" ,n,oroO,ina nom'
ment:
"Aa 70 diacipline in tho American army. I
cannot speak at present, for the war is yet too
young. 1t may, however. be worth noting that
in this particular regiment, while most com.
piete liberty was allowed the men all the Twelve
days of the rail journey from San Francisco to
Tamna not N s,noIs case ~ drrntanness p ,nv
Tampa, . d sinkle CaSe ol y I Hny
other breach OF discipline was reported. Among
past soyen DAYS been A single case of sickness Of
g" 60 . . e .l S"aI.sInn TSa
firing discipline during the three times we have
9een unaer nr9 mas been excellent: me one,
as prompt and intelligent as ANYTHING ! have
seen Sna a In nuc9p % s and as M,t to fq SanS s, Snq is m nsi
Satisfactory. Inc men evidently regard tlelT
onicers as soldiers or equal courage ana superior
tsehnic9l knowledge. To tho Yankee private
Prussia Is Conveyed y noble rank; In my init;
mate intercourse with aos 1fhe g s,d n men N s s0 ndSl
Ger addressing a private Otherwise than 4,
usual when 2 gentlemaa issues an order; i
stoned officer curse a man. During the engage
n OF eap1 n3bsr tf tfU oso era T tSe m lssuS Sea az a sboMi
their work as steadily as bluejacketS on a man
o"TxHIfl' this I note, because this is the frat &C.
oasion that United States troops have been In
action ssihnnc since the civil wST; and because Ssscs, ! have have
t1oT TN bnan no once heaG re- HSEjpe m o ar%r o %Te -
elements dinerent rom those 70 whlch they
we've accustomed: l nave neora Germans IN
S'st LnAC unless tne oLncer appoarS IN unlIoTL
ne cannot coInmand the respeot OF hs men. VI
1fis snip 8r u ~0 mna De %b tTe9 sSe tnyy, oim II iaiS 70 O. dSL
and shoulder STRAPS are not seen. There are
num9eriSss points OF resemblance between rom
Sandhurst man hal no difficulty In understand
Ing tho West Pointer. But to 90 this we mus
go a nttlS beneath inc Snfraf Sn ;a I'M see ;Inln a
FOR dress occasions the American UNIFORM u
fSr and away the ugllest ana most useless o
all the uniforms know. Inc helmets eno
cooked hats are OF the pattern affected by the
atricsl managers. the decoratlonS tawdry; I'M
swords absurd tho whole appearance lndISa
tive Of a taste unmilitary and lnaFtistio' Th'
parade uniform mas been aesiEned oy a Iot 2
unsoldierIy. politicians ana tailors ABOUT :" ash
ingt9n; ihelr notion o. mlrtary EiorK 10 con
Iuseu WIN memories OF OF; fatrlck = t,ay pro
cessions and Masonic Installations, Ihey hay
made tho patient tnlted states army a VIC
TIM OF thelr vulgar aesigns, ana To-Day AZ ever!
European army ,manoruvre one can PICK gu
the American military attaGhe by merely point
Ing totho most upsoldierly uniform on TN
field. On the battlefield; howeyer there ar
no political tallors, ana the Washington dres
regulations are ruthlossly disregarded. It,
PROPOSED i Ta Iers VINO are b now n H. sns sn fmeTs'@ y