The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-05-24

The soldier OF Japan has been rev.
slation. He IL pocket edition OF
man. but when II comes TO playing at
war he is full-slEed individual. He Ia
In the game because he likes Il. Just as
he seems 20 live for the fun OF the
thing. His ability TO 20 without food
on the march Is phenomenal. his recu-
peratlye power remarkable. and his
ability to Withstand hardships won
drous. should he fall III he is taken
60 a model army hospital. but he sell
dom falls III, because OF the thorough
preparations he has made for the cam
paign and the great efficiency OF his
commlssariat and transport. Tom
my Atkins" as one sees him In China,
needs rejuvenating. He needs TO be
shaken up. He Is too often recruited
from the slums of the cities rather
than from the healthful country dis
trictA OF his land. Between him and
his officer Is gulf so wide as TO pro-
hiblt any sort OF intimacy. His officers
never understand Tommy. and Tommy
has no conception OF the real qualities
OF his officers In eight cases out OF ten
the Officer is n nrst-rate polo player
and cricketer. gentleman born and
bred, and little else. He thinks OF his
own comfort first. OF the comfort OF his
horse next. and OF Tommy last. II at
all. Tommy IL handicapped by obso-
lete army regulations. by aristocratic
and incompetent officers and by con-
stantly increasing coneelt The Am
erIcan soldier Is supremely confident
that he Is as good as anybody on earth
and Is not averse to saying so. Next
20 his confidence In himself is his un-
daunted confidence In America and In
the American army. Nobody but an
American could successfully command
such body OF men. Each soldier is a
born lawyer and orator; each soldier
feels personally responsible for the de-
feots in evidence. and each ondeavors
on his own behalf to settle not only
the affairs OF his comrade and his
company and his regiment, but OF his
country and other countries as well.
lie Is troublesome party In camp,
but when he comes into competition
with others he is pretty sure TO acqult
himself well.
He is ofileered by a body OF men who
as rule are capable. About two out
OF every ten OF them are born gentle
men.a much larger percentage are self
made gentlemen. and nearly all are
good fellows These officers pride them
selves on their democracy. They speak
OF one another as soldiers, not officers.
and boast that their quarters and their
fare are little batter than those OF the
men in the ranks. They study their
men. They live as they do-do what
they do-and consequently can compre-
bend their needs and sympathlze In
their privations. II is this close con-
nection between officers and men that
IS the great strength OF the American
army. The soldier OF the states Is
the best paid and best fed soldier In
the world. He receives so times as
much as does his Russian comrade'
but he Is not different from any other
soldier In that he spends It all on pay
day II he can. The next day he mas
remorse. He is human. after all. His
uniform Ia not beautiful but II is busl-
ness-like. He has practically no fol-
lowers. and therefore his uniform Is
especially adapted to his mnltltudinous
duties. No man Is above doing the
meanest work In the camp and eaeh
thinks himself capable Of commanding
a corps.