The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-04-07
FRIDAY APRIL :, 1899.
HUN ON rHE VoLUNrRERs.

affairs, contributes TO the April North
American Review an interest Dg article
on The Organization OF the Army
Mr.. Hull defends his army organiza-
tiou scheme, and the Omaha World
Herald and other papers think this is
natural, and at the same time seeks to
relieve the war department from the
blame attached to It by reason Of its
incompetency, as shown during the
war with Spain, which these papers
also think is natural.
"The experience Of the late war, &"
says Mr. Hull, has shown the bad
effects OF drawing from civil life an
army for immediate service" With
all due respect TO Mr. Hull we insist
that the experience Of the late war did
nothing o. the kind. But it did show
the bad effects OF making the army q
political machine for the pecuniary ad-
vancement of political strikers, papa
boys and wornout party henchmen.
Had the war department been man,
aged with the care and freedom from
political influence that characterized
the navy there would have been, com
paratively speaking, little complaint
on the part of the volunteer soldiers.
1t is not wholly true, as Mr.. Hull i'm
sinuates, that the army .alled for duty
in the war with Spain was drawn
from civil life. The vast majority Of
the men called for duty were men
who had had some experience in mill
tary affairs. They had served as mem
bers of state militia, and knew some
thing OF camp life, knew that discip.
line was all in all, expected hardships,
and were fairly we'll drilled as soldiers.
Had they been looked after by men
skilled in managing large army's af'
fairs; had they been provisioned prop,
erly, camped properly, given Ade-
quate medical attention-in short had
the management of the large army
suddenly been called into the field
been given into the hands of men
skilled in military affairs, instead oi
being given into the hands of politi
cal workers and party favorites, there
would have been little OF the bad ef
fects that resulted from the hopeless
ly incompetent way in which the af
fairs OF the army were handled.
The world has never seen the equa
OF the American citizen soldier as q
fighter. Mr.. Hull's statement that "it
takes at least six months to develop
the raw recruit into the reliable SOL
dier" is not wholly true. The trough
riders" did not have six months "de'
velopment" under Alger-for which
they may be thankful-but more re
liable lot OF fighters was never seen.
But the bulk of the American volun'
teers in the Spanish war were not
raw" in the full meaning Of that
term.
Mr.. Hull says, Il am safe in saying
that not 25 per cent of the enlisted
force Of the state militia enlisted as
volunteers" This is a surprising state
ment. 1t is not true OF the Nebraska
militia. Fully so per cent OF the Ne
braska militiamen enlisted as volun-
teeIs, and fully two-thirds OF the re-
maiuing 20 per cent wanted to enlist
and failed to pass the required physi-
cal examination.
He further says that, "they were not
well drilled and tipped organiza~
tions, In no sense would they com
pare with the reserve organizations
Of the military powers OF Europe
Well equipped they certainly were not
and under Alger's management OF the
war department they were never well
equipped. Well drilled they certainly
were, and from Siboney TO Santiago,
from Manila TO Malolos the American
militiamen and American volunteers
have demonstrated 70 the world that
the American citizen soldier is equal
to any task SGT before him, Even
when hamperad by the incompetent
management Of Algerism and Egan-
ism, starved in fever camps and neg.
leeted In hospitals, armed with smoke. |
making guns OF antiquated pattern,
and neglected in the field, the Amer
lean volunteer set the mark for the
soldiery of the world.
Mr.. Hull fs'is to explain what good
an increased standing army will be
under the management Of such men
es TN who managed the army's af.
fairs during the war with Spain, aud
by their hopeless ineoupetency made
On indelhble stain on the fair fame
OF the nation. Had the army AghtinR
Spain not been an army OF Americans
the story might have had a different
ending.
The American soldier, imbued as he
always is with the desire 70 Loyalty
oerve under TIC i.sS OF . free republic
is the only soldier who will 6ght near
ly as well on an empty stomach, and
under the incompetent supervision Of
political mountebanss as he will on
full rations and under the kindly care
OF authorities competent to do their
duties,