Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-21
rur PHYSICAL TEST.

r,o ,bvs,cal test at present required
- .,,,,,ss,on 70 our army and navy Is
so,.cre Many men who have been
accepted as good risks by hIe-'hSur"''oe
.o,nnanics have been rejected by inc gov
eminent surgeons. \ large percentage OF
a., ,o,sons recently Offering at the
,.,r,ous recruiting Offices throughout the
oo,,,tr,. have failed 10 measure up to the
,i,b standard laid down by the War De-
partmcnt. ,.
Those examinations have been made
rigorous dcsignedly 50 as to prevent as
T,r as possible the further burdenins
of the United States pension rolls. II Is
NOW held that any person who passes the
,bvsical examination and Is received.
enters the army or navy perfectly sound
man. ergo. if he comes out of the service
an ,1nsound man. his disability is charge
able 90 the government and ne is entitled
TO pension
rI-nlcss the rules on this subject are
greatly changcd-and we do not think
/tbcv will be-many members Of the or
canizcd militia. though they may volun-
tecr fr service Wheresoever they may
he sent. will be rejected when they pre-
sent Themselves to be mustered into
Uncle Sans army.
At the beginning Of the war the exam
ming surgeons can afford TO be very par
ticular. but should there be Il prolonged
struggle and more men be needed, they
will be pretty sure TO relax their vigilance.
However. for the present We consider IL
certain that not all of the valiant young
volunteers who wish to join Lees
army" i'm Cuba. or in the Gulf States, VIII
bc permitted TO do SO.
What is known as the War Depart
mcnt bill" which is intended to convert
hthe National Guard into regulars, pro
ttcmporc. and which will be almost certain
to become a law. provides:
Section =. That the volunteer army
and the militia of the States, when called
into the service OF the United States.
shall bc organized under ana shall DE
subject to the laws, orders, and regula-
tons governing the regular army; pro-
yided that each regiment OF the Nolun-
tcer army shall have one surgeon ana
one assistant surgeon. and that all the
rcgimcntal and company officers shdu pe
! appointed by the President upon the re-
| commentator OF the Governors OF the
States in which their respective organi-
} cations are raised. subject 10 such an eN-
/ animation as To fitness and capacity as
/ the Precedent may prescribe.
! provided further. that when the mem
| bcrs of any company or regiment Of the
! organized militia of any State shall enlist
! i'm the volunteer army i'm body, as such
| company or regiment. the rcgmentdl and
! company officers in service with the mill
| tia organization thus cnlisting may be APP
/ pOiuted by the President. subject To such
! an examination as To the fitness ana
| capacity of said officers as he may pre-
/ scribe. to bc officers of corresponding
! grades i'm the same organization when il
| shall have been received into the service
! of the United States as d part of the
volunteer army.
So the volunteers are TO be placed under
the same rules and regulations as the
regulars.
] In Maryland the state authorities art
having Il rigid physical examination made
Of each of their officers and enlisted men
| so that the number of actual volunteer:
Shall not be largely reduced by the eX
aiming officers of the United state:
army, when their volunteers present
! themselves to be mustered in. All officer:
who fail to pass the examination will be
permitted TO resign or go on the retircC
! list. All enlisted mcr will be honorably
DISCHARGED. In some other States thos'
rejected officers and enlisted men will be
| formed into home guards for such loca
| service. under authority of their States
as they may be found qualified TO do
good idea. We think.
Though It large number Of gentlemen
have offered their services to Governor
Tyler it does not appear that he vii
have commissions to give them. Unde
our laws the men choose their compan,
officers and the officers choose their bat
TALON or regimcntal officers. Each suci
| officer has to go before an examining
board. and if he passes the required oN
animation he is then commissioned b,
the Governor.
Under the War Department bill II !
provided that volunteer officers will b
i liable TO another examination before beini
duly commissioned by the United states
but the hurry is now SO great we CUES
this rule will not be harshly enforced.