Evening star., 1901-10-31
BRECKINRlDGE'S REPORT
CHARACTER OF THE ENLISTED MAN
HIGHLY PRAISED.
Factors That Have Improved the Per-
sOnnel of the Rank and File
The Canteen Discussed.

among the officers of the army, the express
sion 'all officers are thoroughly instructed
and efficient" is not heard SO frequently
as before the Spanish war, due no doubt to
an influx of young and inexperienced Of
ficers. Most reports, however, are favor
able. Some lack of attention given by off,
GERS to their daily life and duties is noted.
The general refers proudly to the sagacity
and ability Of officers of the army who
have conducted important civil affairs In
trusted to them abroad.
'It is sincerely hoped,' says General
Breckenridge, referring to the Philippines,
that conditions now so promising Of uni
versal submission and the restoration of
peace may soon warrant the extension of
American civil government, in its suitable
entirety, to all parts of the archipelago
and the return of all army officers to their
regular legitimate sphere Of duty"
High Standard of the Troops.
Referring to the American soldier, Cen
eral Breckenridge says, in part:
Compare the personnel of the enlisted
army Of today with what it was fifteen or
fifty years ago and mark the great differ
ence. Now the ranks of the regular army
are filled with bright, eager, self-respecting
young Americans-types of the best aver
age, and not infrequently of the best that
the land affords-alert, quick, ready and,
under the direction of their officers, capable
of being made equal to any emergency
they may be called upon to meet, as they
did in 1885, And in character as we'll as
in education they are commendable, and
rival the best of the volunteers that haye
ever marched to the front, and since the
civil war this is possibly the first time in
the history of our country that this could
be said and our regular army be recog-
nized as typically American, representing
fairly all sections and divisions of our peo-
pie The American regulars are today mo-
bile, ductile, compact. The experience in
Asia may be different from that against
our aborigines, and the old perfection of
instruction and practice may be in abey-
ance awhile, but it is not forgotten. An
old English writer, speaking of the English
yeoman, said: These are they who made
all France afraid And of our army 1t
stands today may we not say: These are
they who will make all nations hesitate to
demand of us anything beyond what we
would of our own free motion cheerfully
give without a demand.
What Has Improved Rank and File.
THE improvements directly affecting the
enlisted personnel that have been made in
recent years are numerous. The ration has
been improved by the addition of fresh veg
etables and in other respects, clothing to
insure the soldiers comfort in every cline
has been adopted, the pay of noncommis-
stoned officers has been increased, and the
field for promotion widened by the increase
in the number of noncommissioned officers
authorized for company organizations, and
the addition of the regimental commisS ary
sergeant, battalion and squadron sergeaniS
major, electrician sergeant, color sergeant,
company quartermaster sergeant and cook,
with noncommissioned pay. The coveted
prize of a commission is also within easy
reach of the soldier who demonstrates his
fitness therefor. On the whole the induce
ment for young man to enter the army is
strong.
P,It Wb mai ha ha ubO
stands by the flag and receives an hoEora-
BILE discharge, accompanied with 'charac-
ter excellent for duty faithfully per-
formed? Formerly his military record
would help him to a position at depart
ment headquarters or in one Of the staff
departments or depots; but these situations
are now denied him unless he passes civil
service examination and awaits his turn.
1t is not the voice of the nation thai sucn
applicants be cast aside. And may it not
be hoped that in the interest of the service,
as well as the faithful old soldier whose
hearts blood would be readily given for the
flag he has followed, that the civil service
rules be modified to authorize vacaa-
cies for clerks, messengers, janitors, watch
men, ETC., in the military establishment to
be filled, in the discretion of the officer in
charge, subject to approval of higher au-
thority, by honorably discharged soldiers
without civil service examination, provided
they are thoroughly competent for sucn
positions.
Discipline and Behavior of Troops.
1.-THE discipline and behavior of the
troops are reported to be generally very
good. In Alaska the conditions of the SER
vice have been cheerfully and Loyalty ac-
cepted by the troops, nevertheless the
great amount of labor required of them in
the building of posts has to a certain ex-
tent stamped them as 'workmen rather
than soldiers The department Of the
troops in Porto Rico is reported to be ex-
cellent, and in Cuba above the average of
that in the states. Very few men desert in
Cuba, the percentage being about 1.6. In
the Philippines the commands are so scat
tered and the officers so few in number and
burdened with innumerable duties that the
conditions are not favorable to high stand
ard of discipline, and the reporters show a
decided falling off in the observance of reg
ulations regarding dress, appearance and
saluting. In other respects the discipline
Is unquestioned.''
Post Exchange and Canteen.
OF the post exchange the inspector gen.
eral says:
1.-THE reports show that wherever prac-
ticable post exchanges were in operation at
the garrisoned posts at time of the inspec-
tors visits, the prescribed rules and regu-
lations were being fully complied with and
that their business was generally being
satisfactorily conducted. A majority of
the posts at which exchanges are main
tanned were inspected before the law pro-
hibiting the sale of beer in the canteens
was enacted, and most of the reports would
not show the effect of that law upon them.
At some of the posts inspected since 1t was
reported that the exchange was closed, as
1t was being operated at loss after the
sale of beer was prohibited, while at 9TH
ers the operations under existing law were
stated to be unsatisfactory. The sentiment
of the army on the subject is well known,
and is given expression in the following
remarks of inspectors generals
Colonel Burton (Cuba) says: Officers
generally complain that the elimination Of
beer has worked hardship on the soldier
and has been detrimental to good order and
military discipline Lieutenant Colonel
Reade Dakota) reports that The consen-
sus Of opinion is that the canteen feature
promotes the morals, temperance, discipline
and health Of the men,, and Major Sharpes
(Colorado) considers the anti-canteen legis-
lation of last winter ill-advised, and re-
marks that If there is no authorized and
decently kept place of resort within a gar
rison, where the soldier can find recreation
suited to his tastes and station of life, he
will seek 1t outside, and the innumerable
brothels and whisky dens which are spring.
ing up on the edge of reservations will
prove the most baleful and destructive
enemy to contentment and good order
which garrison can be cursed WITH
al mol Gavu