The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-07-01

syndicate writing. He Is an honorable
and always reliable fellow.
"A superb Army.
Being human, the veteran OF the civil
war Is critical in everything relating
to a new volunteer army of which he
Is not a part. Yet as he salutes the
passing regiments or Views the drills
Of the sturdy young men in their south
ern camps the critical spirit vanishes
and his bosom swells with pride as he
comedies the physical superiority Of the
new army over the men OF the COS. The
average age Is lower, the average
stature. weight, strength and agility
higher. Under Lincoln's first call some
attempt was made to impose conditions
of enlistment. but 1t amounted to lit
tie more than the temporary rejection
Of occasional applicants who were con-
spicuously lacking in height. Later.
even this lack was no bar to enlist
ment. Still. in spite of the laxity of the
examining surgeons, the men of that
war, north and south. displayed powers
OF endurance that surprised the world.
The physical excellence Of the pres
ent volunteer army is revelation and
a reproach to those tuneful pessiments
whose mission seems to be to promote
the blues. and who have deplored an
imaginary moral and bodily deteriora-
ton of the American people. The ex-
aminations Of recruits have shown an
unexpected high percentage OF young
men with physical qualities much above
what has been regarded as the aver
age. Fully half of the volunteers are
fairly well drilled members Of the ma
tional guard. They have known some-
LII ,t.zN L.
importance, discipline.
Scattered Among Raw Recruits
This is an additional advantage over
the army of the civil war. Then the
comparatively few militiamen were not
enlisted as companies, as rule, but
were judiciously scattered among raw
recruits to serve as drill masters. Now
the national guard is enrolled by regi-
ments, and with them 80 per cent. to so
per cent new men who quickly became
proficient in drill and submissive to dis
cipline because of their association
with trained men. Almost the hardest
lesson the American volunteer has to
learn Is that there is an aristocracy OF
shoulder straps out of all harmony with
his democratic experience. There must
be obedience, prompt and silent, to the
who were not his superiors in the old
life. That the American volunteer
should submit so easily to the hard con-
ditions of army service is a high proof
Of his intelligent patriotism. Another
advantage is that the men Of the ma
tional guard can shoot. II Is appalling
to think that large proportion Of the
soldiers of the COS had never fred a
gun until they were in battle. For a
time there was slow and awkward
loading and an enormous waste of pow
der and balls. 1t would be hard to ex-
aggerate the value Of the militiamen
training, which includes an occasional
sham fight, with the bewildering din
Of battle. the hell Of noise that distracts
and terrorizes the stoutest heart when
heard for the first time.
Less Than Average Sickness.
We may fairly look for less than the
average sickness Of armies in the case
Of our volunteers and q lower death
rate from climatic and camp diseases.
and never a lack of the muscular
strength and endurance the utmost
courage can use.
The superb appearance Of these new
troops is significant. An army Of near
ly 100000 young athletes suggests a
people as far advanced physically over
those Of a generation ago as this army
Is over the civil war. Habits Of per-
sonal hygiene that were exceptional
then are general now. The prominence
of athletics In college life II merely a
reflection OF the widespread interest Of
health giving exercises and sports. The
necessity of a sound body to q tolerable
existence is universally recognized, and
the popularity of wheeling, golf, ten
mis- and other outdoor amusements Is
the result of an intelligent study Of per-
sonal hygiene. Before the advent OF
croquet, some thirty years ago, life was
carried on indoors as far as practicable:
Not only are the methods of physical
cultupe better than ever before, but the
general Conditions of the people are
vastly improved, and there Is greater
respect and care for the body, including
temperance, In every direction.
Advance in Hospital Service.
There is still another reason for the
hopefulness about the health in a for
eign climate of the young men who
constitute the armies OF invasion. This
is the great advance in the hospital
service and In surgical art. The field
hospital Is a modern institution. For
merly the soldier received an extra pay
allowance which he was supposed to
use for the hire OF doctor or nurse, but
which he commonly spent for drink,
while a comrade awkwardly dressed his
wounds In the civil war the field hos
pital was very primitive, and many
deaths may be traced to the inefflciency
of the first dressing. The past twenty
FIVE years have recorded revolution
in the surgical treatment Of wounds.
II rapid-fire guns, new explosives and
better craftsmanship increase the pro-
portion Of the wounded and the seri-
BUSINESS Of wounds the better physical
condition of the soldiers and the i'm
proved surgery insure recovery In q
much higher percentage of cases. AL
ready officers and surgeons have re-
ceived instructions from experts as to
the precautions to be observed In a
tropical climate by strangers. The SOL
dfers themselves are armed with print
ed copies of the simple rules Of health
Men of Experience.