The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
THE ENLISTED MANS VIEW.
JUDGMENTS ASST ON OFFICERS
IN THE ARMY AND NAHH.

VlNeu 10 " Oh Nhb "uukr
ment Soat-Overzenl of II Cadet-RoRd OF
the First Luh-PopulRrity Won with Fists.
WASHINGTON. July 3o.-Six years ago q young
West Pointer. with his first commission in his
pocket. walked through the gate OF a Western
reRlmental post to Join tho outfit to which he
had been assigned as Second Lieutenant. In or
der TO reach the office OF the commanding officer
to whom 1t was his duty to report he hadto pass
the shack In which the post Ordnance Sergeant
lived with his family. A cur pup Of no value
whatever. but very dear unto the hearts OF the
Ordnance Sergeant's brood OF small boys. dozed
In the sun on the steps OF the house. Tho pup
saw the stranger approaching down the walk
and essayed to make friends with him after the
clumsy, elephantine manner of young dogs. The
Second Lieutenant was thinking Of something
important, perhaps. or wa in a bad humor.
Anyhow. he didn't want to make friends with the
pup. So he gave the pup a couple OF hard kicks
and sent him sailing and yelping. The Ord
nance Sergeant's slew Of small boys heard tho
pups yclps. They came humping out of the
shack Just as the young officer delivered his
final kick. II the West Pointer had been in
uniform the lads wouldn' have SHE'D rocks at
him. but he was In civilian dress, and therefore
in the eyes of the boys, merely an ordinary
visitor at the post. So they chuckcd stones at
him until he charged upon them, and then they
ran into the house. The shavetail-that' what
the regular army soldier calls the newly APP
pointed West Pointer-reported the matter to
the commanding officer when he reached the
latter's quarters.
what did they throw rocks at you for ?" in
quired the commanding officer.
The young man replied that, in a ut OF ab-
straction. he had kicked a pup that wanted to
slobber over him.
This is n bad start you've made. my boy"
said the old man. rubbing his chin. You can't
be expected TO understand yet how essential it
is for a young man Just out from the Point TO
gain the immediate respect. il not the regard.
OF the enlisted men at his first post of duty. A
soldiers dog is very near to him. You might
almost as well kick the soldier as to kick the
soldiers dog. am sorry, but Ifear the menIl
fasten this thing upon YOU"
The men did fasten the thing upon him.
There goes the shavetail that kicked the
Ordnance Sergeant's dog the day he got in"
they said when he passed down the line for
weeks afterward. "A buckle with the big head
that's what that one is"
There is a sort OF freemasonry among en-
listed men, and incidents involving the conduct
OF officers have therefore q contincnt-wide dis
semination. This young officer became known
throughout the regular army as q cold-blooded,
heartless fellow simply because. in a fit of ill
humor. he had delivered that couple of kicks at
Vic u pup. AS q III vi law NV OuA
man was rather an amiable. easy-going officer.
But he has been living down the doG-kicking
incident Of his first day of service ever since,
and he hasn't squared himself for it with the
men yet.
This story illustrates tie manner enlisted
men have of sizing VI officers. Few young
officers. either OF the army or the navy. recog-
nize from the start the necessity of fixing them
selves high in the estimation Of the enlisted
mon. Officers Of experience in both services
do recognize this necessity. From the very
hour that a young West Pointer joins his COM
mand, he falls under the exacting inspection Of
the enlisted men. They study his movements
/ narrowly. II he exhibits swashbuckling ten
| denotes, they simply laugh at him among them
selves. and wait for his newness to wear OF. II
he displays lack of confidence or rawness in
handling the affairs of the military
day. they say nothing in criticism. but
wait for him to arrive at himself. But II he
shows any trait OF meannesS or smallness In
his initial dealings with the soldiers with
whom lie comes in contact. he is simply
queered for q long time ahead. The soldiers
rarely change their original estimate Of a
young officer. for they do not reach their final
conclusions. as n general thing. until after they
have studied him for some time. In the case
OF the young officer who kicked the pup. his
hash was cooked by that one action. The men
regarded him with soreness for that bit Of
work. and declined even to take the trouble to
ascertain if he had any good points.
The blueJackets in the navy size up the new
officers sent to the ships in precisely the same
fashion. They watch the new man for some
time before they give vent to any expression
either OF approval or disapproval. Then one Of
them. between pipe pu1s. opens up quietly at
the anyway. II he approves OF the new officer
he generally echoes the sentiments Of all hands
around him., for the manner of viewing the
actions Of officers is the same among all tars.
II. however. the man at the Gangway drops a
sion is in for a roast by all hands around that
doesn't, augur we'll for his future popularity
Hes a proper boy. and he'll do after he's
reefed and trimmed down., says the reticent
Siih mPfna GTo erS III q cage A. ' cade s.t sp5ken '9 of f im s PrSb1
case is in luck. for ships cooks always get
eysF Hes a sd 5igh and bully can. with nothing in
side Of him" says an, oid-time natfoot at the
gengToy Of an9thsE cadet. "a9d he's going to
himself talked about in this fashion by the
Rinsjackets has a lot Of future work cut out for
forward, Tor his MILDLY reputation goes around
the world, ahead Of his entrance TO the service
An old Soldier, after sizing up q new officer
hIb Ike nSsrtaFs dir direction csS as st the he d lSt.9 Of R Bps sw, By
dies. Il, CO. is the brand stencilled upon every
bit Of military, gear that Is passed upon by q
military board OF survey and condemned. Il.
c." means . Inspected and condemned"
II is possible for 2 naval cadet to acquire an
even before he joins his first cruising man-of,
war; 4 few years ago a lad who had Just been
to q ship lying at the Mare Island Navy Yard,
California. for his two-year cruise before iinaI
graduation and appointment as ensign. There
was q big batch Of bluejacketS, most of them
old-timers., about to be sent around 10 the
Mare Island yard from the receiving ship Yer
| m nnf nj the RrpnElVn ward ThnV wore To IT
by way OF Panama, on ono of the Pacific
Mail, steamers, and the, Navy Department dc.
cided to let the cadet gain u little eX,
p%er!cnce IN the hnndlinE Of his future
shipmates forward, and therefore ordered hIn
steamer as second in command. q junior Lieu,
tenant being the commander Of the party
Now. when bluejackets are thus travelling or
other, they are accustomed TO being let alone
They travel in the s%teerage. Of course. and tht
officers in charge 60 in the cabin, also of course
The officers OF discretion mnke il n point L