The Washington times., 1901-11-16
OUR SOLDIERS
ARE SUPERIOR.
American and British Re
CruitS Compared.
A REPORT BY CAPTAIN KULP.
Pay in the English Army About
Twenty eight Cents a Day
The Condition of Army
Hospitals Abroad.

The sIlperiorfty Of the American army
recruit over his British brother in arms
is particularly commented upon in an e,-
haustive report just made to the SUI 8 on
General of the Army by Capt. John D.
Kulp, assistant surgeon. l. 5. A This
officer was detailed to make a special
study of the sanitary service Of the Eng
lsh army and visited army hospitals and
barracks in his quest Of Information.
THE English recruits seemed to me TO
compare unfavorably with our own,
Captain Kulp says. "and also with those
of Canada Australia. Ceylon. and Tas-
mania This is largely due to poor pay,
that of private beng about 2S cents a
day. This places a man in a condition of
abject poverty
Boys in English Ranks.
THE undersized, underfed, and unde-
veloped boys one sees in the English
ranks. or invalided from South Africa,
are not at all representative of the stur-
dy English race. Our own recruits even
among our volunteers, are mentally as
well as physically superior TO them, and
our instruction very properly begins at
more advanced point. The squads at
Aldershot were sharp and smart in their
drill and although their litter was heavy
and of a-poor design, they handled it
very we'll"
Captain kulp was not impressed with
the operating tents of the English
army and says they compare unfavor-
ably not only with the Muuson tent late
ly adopted by the United States ar1ns
but even with the old pattern hospital
tent. He also found that the instru-
ments and medical supplies are not super
for 10 those in our own service, either
in their quality or their arrangements
for transportation. The blank forms i'm
use are cumbersome and antfquated, the
card system is unknown except in a ru-
dimeE>ary form, and clerical work is not
conducted according to modern methods
The Hospital Service.
The principal hospitals visited were the
Paddington at Sydney. Australia; those
at Adelaide, Australia, and Colombo, Cey-
lon, and the Royal Victoria, at Nctley.
''Of these, the army hospitals proper
were clean and well administered, says
Captain Euip, the personnel was wen
disciplined and soldierly in appearance.
Much friction always exists between war
rant and non-commissiCned officers and
the female nurses, and in my opinion the
latter are 6etriment to the service rem
dered by the former There is a lack of
modern plumbing, and She usual systems
of heating and lighting are not what
one would expect in so progressive a
country
In conclusion the report says:
South Africa has taught England what
# is hoped We have learned during our
late war. namely, the value of an organ
lied medical department possessing real
authority in relation to all subjects affect
ing the health of troops An aggregation
of regimental medical services is not a
medical department, and uniformity of
material and administrative methods is
of no greater Importance than is Uniform
ity in the education of the personnel
which is to handle them.
THE English are alive to the vital i'm
portance OF the necessity for specialized
training for their sanitary soldiers, and
several officers expressed regret at a de-
feet in their system, which seems TO exist
in our own as well. due to the lack Of in
ducemcnts for re-enlistment- 1t would
seem that a substantial addition TO our
present re-enlistment pay might be made.
The designation OF our non-commissioned
officers as stewards and acting stewards
seems to furnish rather justly some
ground for amusement, and their lack Of
side-arIns was constant subject Of re-
mark"