Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-22
Great Care Exercised in Their Selec-
ton for the Army.
WILL KEEP DOWN THE PENSION list
System Of Keeping the Records of
Soldiers.
WORK OF MAGNITU d E

The recruits for the new army of the
Philippines are being examined most rigor-
ously by the medical department of the
army as to their physical condition. Only
men who are in perfect health, with we'll
nourished bodies and good constitutions.
are accepted for service in the army which
is to do battle in jungle and swamp.
One result expected from this course is a
lower pension list. The main cons1dera-
ton, to be sure, is to obtain an army OF
sound men, who can fight and stand the
climate, and who will not cucumber the
hospitals and swell the sick list. 1t is be-
lieved, however, that the policy will also
have it's effect in the pension roll.
Records of Soldiers.
Perfect records of the service of the SOL
diers are being kept and when the time
comes to make application for pensions, the
government will be in possession OF all
that is necessary to prove whether the sol
der is entitled to a pension. The returns
of the hospitals and Of the medical officers
are made every two months, ana they snow
the complete sick account of the soldier,
and. most important of all, whether his
disability incurred in the line of duty
Upon the latter fact will depend his pros
pect of obtaining a pension.
When the regiment to which the soldier
belongs is mustered out OF the service these
records will be turned over to the record
and pension office of the War Department.
presided over by Brig. Gen. F. c. Aims
worth. He will Immediately proceed to
draw off the hospital account of the soldier
rs well as the record of military service
and enter it upon a card. which will be
placed IN the great index card files of the
department.
Same System to BE Followed.
The same system will be pursued with re-
sEect to the volunteers of the Philippine
army as was followed in regard to the
volunteers of the civil war. The work of
indeXinS the records of the volunteers in
the Spanish war has been under way for
some time and is progressing rapidly. All
the records will be preserved at the War
Department in alphabetical and dictionary
order
Then, when the soldier applies to the pen
sion bureau for pension, which is au-
thOriZed under the general act, the commits
sioner of pensions will call upon Gen. Aims
worth for the record. A clerk will step to
the case in which the cards are kept. turn
to the proper place, and within two or
three minutes time make up the complete
official record of the applicant.
Where Records Are Kept.
Around four sides of the great State. War
and Navy building, on the fourth floor, are
rooms in which are stored the cards telling
the medical and military records of the
27OO,Ou0. Union soldiers who engaged in
the civil war. The Information which those
cards contain ed was compiled from the
muster rolls and hospital records and rep
resents years of labor by large force Of
clerks.
In one room, devoted to the records of
the New York troops, the history of 100000
men is contained. Given the name of the
man and his regiment il is but the work
of a moment to ascertain everything about
his movements during the term of his en-
Hstmcnt.
When the army of the Philippines is mus
tered out additional cases will be added to
this great collection, and the stories of
action and suffering Will be stored away
for the reference Of future generations.