The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03

essential thing is to protect the back of
the neck and the base of the brain from
the ardent rays of the sun, and some sort
Of havelock is necessary. If an attach
ment of this kind that would be thorough
ly practical as a part of the campaign hat
could be invented, il would add much 10
the comfort and health of the troops. We
were accustomed, those of US who took
thought of our health, to sticking the end
of a green banana leaf under the back of
our hats and letting it fall upon our shout
ders. thus protecting our neckS, but this is
q great bother and nuisance, and most men
will not take the trouble.
They would rather tramp in the hot sun
until they could stand 1t no longer and
then 60 to the hospital. The haveiock at
tachment would not ventilate the head,
but some continuance might also be in
vented to accomplish that purpose as well.
That new hat on more sanitary lines and
yet embodying the convenience and prac-
reliability of the present campaign hat is
necessary is evident TO every soldier of eX-
perience. The trouble with this matter,
as with most things for the better care of
the army, is that the men whose duty 1t is
to equip the army know very little, practi-
rally, about the various things upon which
Judgment should be based
What does a Quartermaster, living in
comfort in house and arrayed in freshly
aaundried white clothes and canvas shoes,
know about the fine points of the cam
paign hat out il the field? What does a
Commissary, like situated, know about the
ration and its handling and use by the
men! What does any officer of Il depart
ment removed from the intimate and daily
contact with the actual conditions under
which the things he provides, purchases or
lnyents are used know about the actual
needs of the service!
Consolidated reports are well enough in
their way, but they tell great many hes
and keep a great many secrets. 1t would
do little good occasionally If the Pur-
chasing CommiSsary who buys canned to-
matoes in three-pound tins for issue to the
men could see the issue made and a little
later see the men wasting half of 1t in
order to eat the other half 1t would do
the Bureau Chiefs of the Quartermaster' S
department good to march them ID miles
a day for 10 days under broiling Luzon
sun, with campaign caps on their heads,
accompanied by the Purchasing Commits
saries with their rations and the Ordnance
Officers with the equipment. If it did not
DO them good, il certainly ought to do the
service good, which is altogether better
thing.
THE TRIALS OF THE SENTRY.
Before / depressed l started to tell of
sentinel duty in the hot sun. Sticklers as
we were for strict adherence to the regu-
iations and guard manual in every th ny.
and the Oregon Regiment soon gained the
reputation o. maintaining the best diSci-
pine and keeping their men LOOKING the
neatest, and the best behaved, both on
duty and off, it was not long before we
discovered that it was wrong TO make men
walk post i'll the hot sun. We got a
pointer early in this matter
One day soon after we entered Manila
An English army surgeon of many years
experience III India came over from Hong
Kong to see the American army, having a
great curiosity to See what d volunteer
army looked like. In the mind of the
average European military man the words
''volunteer" and raw levy" mean the
same thing, and it is the European expert
snce and opinion that raw levies" are
worthless. This is why they have always
moderated the military power OF the
United States, not being able to under
stand the quality and spirit of our volun-
teers and the quickness with which they
are converted into soldiers
ms surgeon visited the Oregon quarters
and witnessed guard mount, made The
rounds OF the barracks, saw how guard
duty was performed, how the men con.
quoted themselves on duty and off, and
when told the regiment had been in tho
service but four months, nearly half thai
Tine having been spent in travelling, he
was astonished and almost dumbfoundct
he declared that he could observe scarcely
any difference between them and tho bnst
regular troops he mad ever seen. He said
It was the finest body Of men he ever saw
put that we did not take proper care OF
them, and were abusing them by making
them do duty neediessly in the hot sun
calling attention TO the fact that the line
mad been established for guard mount q,
the sunny Side Of the parade ground. tn.
Officer of the Day only being in the shad,
on the opposite side
We took the hint and thereafter tb,
guard was formed on the shady side ana
the Officer of the Day found shade fol
himself beneath the leafy but fruitless
branches of mango tree.
This was followed up by a guard order
that sentinels could post themselves he
Tween 10 In the morning and 3 in the
afternoon in some shady place where thei,
entire post was under observation. and
need not keep moving.
This led to an amusing incident. In
November each company received about