The National tribune., 1902-04-03
ippines was superior to the Regular just

: ippines was superior to the Regular just
! come over.
q A member of Gen. Lawton's staff told
!. n. me while on our expedition to San IsidTO
!, the next Spring that one day Gen. Law
p ton told n Regular Lieutenant in command
= of company to 90 over to n volunteer
camp and learn how to handle his COM
pany. LawtOn, Wheaton and other Gen
: erals who conducted campaigns in the
> field were unstinted in their praise of the
volunteers and their work, and used them
on all occasions in preference to the re-
cently-arrived Regulars, as the record OF
their campaigns will fully prove. What
the volunteer officer lacks in the begin
ming of his service is knowledge of regula-
tiOns and official routine of field work and
the care of his men, and this is something
the National Guard should instruct him in,
including a little higher appreciation of
discipline than the average National
Guard education imparts. 1t is entirely
possible to give this education and put
volunteer officers into the field in an emer-
gency fully prepared TO render valuable
service.
Such ignorance as we displayed of the
regulations about feeding the men was en-,
tirely unnecessary with q proper school
system attached to the National Guard.
My experience of % years in the Ma
tiOnal Guard, eliminating in this period
of actual service in the field, leads me to
|
with the introduction of n proper system,
a large supply of good cheers for a vol
unteer army might be had with the Ma
tional Guard as a basis. The National
Guard officer easily becomes n good tactl-
clan, and under proper conditions can be
made a good disciphnarian, but he is not
sufficiently instructed in the technical
branches of his profession nor in the care
of his men.
| NATIONAL, n.
The Government should maintain
schools for the instruction of National
Guard officers, not so much in military
science as in the practical handling OF
men in the field and the paper work of
| the service, camp sanitation, troops IN
campaign, etc. Based upon this instruc-
ton there should be periodical eXamina-
| tions by army boards and the admission
of all officers found qualified by these
boards to an eligible list Of officers Of both
the Regular and Volunteer armies. Pro-
motions on this eligible list from grade to
grade the highest grade attainable being
that of Major, should be only by re-eXam-
inatiOn, and these denominations should
be periodical in order to enable the officer
to remain on the eligible list In this man
ner all really capable and ambitious Off
GERS of the National Guard would be slim
ulated to fit themselves for actual COM
mand in the field, and in few years there
would be available n body of officers from
whom a large volunteer army might be
ofIicered at almost a moments notice.
Officers thus passing examination and
/ admitted to this eligible list should be
given a commission stating the fact and
should be entitled to appointment to the
army in preference to any civilian not on
: the list
. Ny experience of the spirit and motives
that actuate the officers Of the National
!. il hat Of flgm Wnmld
, earnestly to secure q place on this eligible
3 list and would continue to work as the
years passed by to gain the promotion pos
. sible to them, and would prize the COM
: missions thus gained almost as highly as
commissions in the army itself To them
there would attach no stigma Of being
tin soldiers" and they would occupy Il
: position of special honor and responsible
ity.
{ The best feature of the system would
! be that volunteer army might be put IN
the field ready for actual service several
: months earlier than is now possible, and
J the lives of many soldiers would be saved,
: the property of the Government conserved
and an army system created that would
) not be cumbersome nor expensive, yet
: would be strictly in conformity with our
volunteer system, which, apparently, is the
T one the country will continue to rely upon
! for many years to come.
? To create this system it would only be
[ necessary for Congress to pass an act pro.
viding for the creation of an army school
: in each State, one officer as instructor be-
ing in most Of them all that would be
required; the establishment of several
: boards of examination, each embracing a
5 number Of States, and the creation ola
, bureau in the War Department governing
2 the whole matter; also, providing for the
$ granting Of commissions in the various
: grades under the provisions of the bill.
t and restricting the President to this body
D of officers in his original appointments un-
I til it was exhausted, thus giving TO the
{ officers who thus qualified themselves as,
G surance Of commissions in the army when
e ever there was need of officers beyond the
: capacity Of the Regular army and the Mil
/ itary Academy at West Point to supply.
: | firmly believe such a system as this
1 would give us the best possible line Off
Y GERS and battalion commanders Obtainable.
i have seen so much of the superior
I adaptability and resourccfulncss of the
3 volunteer officer that | believe the highest
5 type Of service officer could be evolved i'll
j this way. The process of selection would
e eliminate all the poor ones, while the good
s ones would have added to their natural
: and acquired capabilities the knowledge
5 that so many of them lack under our pres,
/ ent system, and which is so essential to a
[ proper handling Of men III service. The
: volunteer officer is product of the life OF
' a Nation. He has been IN the struggle for
+ existence and has learned to do things. He
d has acquired the habit of accomplishing
+ what he undertakes, if not in one way
. then in another.
On the contrary, the Regular army oiii
n Ger has been in Il school of routine and RED
4 tape. He has been removed from that
$ contact with the world which develops re
/ sOurcefuness and determination to sue
Y ceed. Give the volunteer officer that
v knowledge of handling men in the field
Q and Of conduct of official business which
a / have spoken of, and which generally h'
!, lacks. and he would average higher thar
IS the West Point graduate who has spent
l. his years out Of school in the service, il
actual usefulness i'll the field on a cam
IS paign. At the worst, he would not fal
$, far below him, ard that is good enough
e for this country or any other.
If As for the men, given competent officers
it takes but very short time to max,
e soldiers ont of the ordinary American vol
! untecrs. No country ill the world coult
l. equal us i'll the rapidity with which
= serviceable army could be created out O
d new men if we only had the reserve sup
n ply Of available officers such as this Sys
d TEN would provide within five years aftel
It it went into operation. Not the least o
y its value would be its reduction of thu
= power of politics in the army. 1t woult
not eliminate it entirely, but would have
Il tendency to keep it well subdued. anC
10 thus one Of the most serious evils of ON
prp mil n "a m