New-York tribune., 1902-12-14

to 1t. They resent being subjected to the orders
| of who is not in their eyes, to the manner
| born, who belongs to the same sphere in the
social system themselves, and who, realizing
| that his social status is questioned by those
| under his command, is apt to treat them with
| a good deal more hauteur stiffness and even
severity than the old officer who is known to
have blue blood in his veins. The latter can
afford to be genial and familiar with his men
without exposing himself to any risk that they
would take undue advantage thereof, in a man
nar detrimental to the interests of discipline
The officer, however, who has been promoted
| from the ranks and whom to put it plainly, Is d
gentleman by training rather than by Drth' IS
| differently situated and, in order to maintain
| the respect due to his military rank, is COM
PEELED to hold aloof from all intimacy and good
fellowship with his former comrades. which, II
encouraged would quickly lead them to forget
the respect due to his grade in the army
I Moreover. having served in the ranks, he is
acquainted with all the shortcomings OF his
former messnates. and therefore certain 10
| have keener insight into the failinss OF the
| men and less indulgence in dealing with thei"
than the officer who has received his com1nls-
sion on joining the army He is disposed TO
| severity, rather than to leniency and, as an IL
| lustraton Of what L mean, would merely can
attention to the fact that in all the cases OIL
: exaggerated punishment and of maltreatment OF
soldiers of the German and French armies when
have invited the attention of the military au-
| thorities at Berlin and at Paris, as well as Oh
the public, in recent years. the guilty parties
| have in every instance been shown to be non
commissioned officers; that, is to say men o7-
| longing to the same social sphere as their VIC
| Tins So thoroughly is this condition OF az
| fairs appreciated in Germany, when Is IeCo5-
nized as possessing the finest military orgahZd-
ton in the world that it is exceedingly rare
| that a corporal sergeant ever receives pro-
motion to the rank of commissioned officers II
they do receive the epauet it is generally on tne
understanding that it involves their TRANSFER
from the army to the constabulary-
| No one was more firm in his conviction that
| the officers of the army should be recruited eX-
clusively from the upper classes OF society tii1n
| the famous Field Marshal Count Won Moithe'
who declared, when Gladstone abolished IN 1870
| the system Of obtaining commissions IN the
| army by means of purchase, that England mad
given up what best in her military e5liO-
Iishment." his idea being that the change IN
voIved the abandonment of the method by
which the selection Of officers had been restrict
ed to the gentry.
This view of the greatest master. Of the art
of war of the nineteenth century applies just
as much to the navy TO the army. There
have been some instances in the past where de-
serving petty officers of the English navy have
been advanced to the rank Of lieutenant as a
reward for long and meritori0us service. But
they have in instance proved a success. fail
ing TO command either the goodwill! or the re-
spect of the before the mast and have
after a brief experience. either been placed on
the retired list else transferred to the coast
guard department.
So far l have dealt only with the unpopularity
among the rank and file OF the plan Of granting
commissions to petty and warrant officers, and
with the difficulty experienced by those thus
promoted to maintain those feelings Of regard
and goodwill the part OF their men which
are indispensable to their efficiency command
ers For wherever officer IS out of touch
with those under hfs orders, and Is unable to
depend on their cordial and loyal cooperation.
the service invariably suffers. I will now pro-
ceed to deal with another aspect of the case.
namely, the relations Of the officers promoted