Evening star., 1900-12-12
Officers Have Been Able to Pick and
Choose Men.
RAPIDlTY OF PAST ENLISrMENTS
Action Of Congress on the Can
teen Question.
WILL AFFECT RECRUITING

In view of the probable call upon the war
Department to make a sudden increase in
the enlisted strength of the army after the
present regular force has been discharged
it is a matter of considerable interest to
see what may be done by the various re-
cruiting officers toward building up the new
regiments when the number and strength
of these is determined by the passage of the
army reorganization bill 1t is said at the
War Department that for several months
past the chief trouble has been to keep
from over-recruiting the regular regiments
now in the service.
ReinIistments Counted On.
In spite of the fact that active war can
hardly be said to exist even in the Philip
p.nes there has been strong pressure for
enlistment and the recruiting officers have
been able to p.ck and choose them under
very high standard of excellence, owing to
the large number Of applicants. The de-
partment counts with confidence on the re-
enlistment of a large number of the men
whose term of service will expire on June
30 next. At the same time II the army re-
organization bill provides for a permanent
force of $1,000 men or over, and II IS not
thought Likely that 1t Will fall below that
figure, there will be at least 33,oUO men 10
enlist between the passage of the bill ana
the discharge of the present regulars ana
volunteers on the Both Of June. The chlef
recruiting officer of the department, MAJOR
Johnston says that 1t Is impossible to make
any predictions as to the speed with Which
the recruiting can be carried on, but that
it will depend largely upon the number Oh
officers that the department can uetan ioi
recruiting duty.
1t is recalled that when the Spanish
American war was officially declared to be
ended, and the discharge of the volunteers
rendered the recruiting of fresh regiments
imperative there were $1,000 new men add
ed to the regular establishment in the space
of about six weeks, in spite of the fact that
volunteer officers We're at that time recruit
ing all over the country to fill up the volun-
teer regiments The first regiments enlisted
for the regular service were recruited,
equipped ana drilled and ready for trans
portation on an average of forty-four days
each. more than ten days quicker than the
average for the regiments enlisted at the
beginning of the Spanish war.
Action. of Congress.
The action of Congress on the army cam
teen question will Undoubtedly have an i'm
portant bearing on the question of recruit
ing the proposed new army and the predie-
ton is made by several army officers, who
have given the subjett much thought. that
the abolition of the army canteen VIII make
it extremely difficult to secure the necessary
recruits. This prediction Is mainly based
on the theory that outside of the matter Of
patriotism the post canteen is the only fea-
ture of military lie that is offered the SOL
der to compensate him for the hardShips
and sacrifices OF an active campaign in the
field, even for the monotonous service
under strict discipline at the garrisons in
the United States. One officer speaking on
this subject, said that the canteen was the
enlisted mans club and afforded him the
onIy means of relaXa ton from a dreary,
poorly paid and dangerous existence in the
ranks. Ii this feature of the soldiers life
Is removed he was confident that it would
be to the detriment of the service in making
1t more GlfHcuit to secure desirable clasS
Of men with the courage, principe and m
Soldier the best in the world in the decisive
matter of hghting when it is necessary.