Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-19

Of the question. In those days picaninnies
who pitched pennies on the streets we're
promptly arrested for gambling. But as
General Otis suggested, that they might
20 broke more rapidly and then from neces-
sity re enlist, !" in places where discharged
soldiers cougregated gambling games OF all
sorts were allowed to run night and day
without being molested.
So great was the prejudice which General
Otis inspired against discharged soldiers,
that many men who remained in the islands
and went into business concealed so far as
they could the fact that they had been in
the army
In applying for passes, which were in
variably required and most reluctantly is
sued, il was observed that British subjects,
Germans, Freuchmen and Belgians obtained
these favors much more easily than Ameri-
cans could, and at times ex. soldiers engaged
in business were tempted to deny their ma
tionality But Generals Lawton. Macarthur,
Wheaton and Young were not averse to
having discharged soldiers remain in the
Philippines. They held that inasmuch as
the islands belonged to the United States
no one had better right to be here than
American citizens. And whenever it was
right OF reasonable to expect that they
would do so, each and all of these generals
were very considerate in according favors
to ex-soldiers. And the same could be said
of many Of their subordinate commanders.
The provinces of Benguet Lepanto and
Buctoc were included in General Young's
district. When erstwhile soldiers who were
anxious 10 become miners again came to
him and expressed a wish to go out and test
the richness Of the Philippine gold fields,
General Young warned them of the risks
they ran, but he let them go. More than
this he loaned them captured Mauser lilies
and ammunition to defend themselves with,
for said he, the more American prospec-
tors there are in the country, the less in
surrection there will be" and General
Young was right
From the way in which the Civil Com
mission grouped its appointees to be Judges
of the Court of First Instance, according to
precedence and pay, it would seem that the
commission sometimes places very cOmpe.
tent men, who were formerly army officers,
at the foot Of the list.
And the men who stormed the rebel
earthworks so strongly built by Aleiandrino
and who assisted to knock the stufing"
out of the insurgent army organized by
Buencamino, are afforded the satisfaction of
knowing that all things being equal, the
erstwhile iusurectO is sure to receive the
preference over the honest and faithful
soldier" character excel1ent) who fought
for the United States. And this pursuant
to iron clad" instructions received from
the Secretary Of War.
As Secretary of War, Mr. Root is sworn to
look out for the army. AS the head of the
he he
sponsibility Aud if ne refuses to heed
what officers in command of troops now
serving in the Philippines have to say, he
will probably regret 1t when Congress
meets. When sergeants who have worn
the chevrons for years quit the service,
when only a small per cent of the old sol
diers re-enlist there is reason for it. And
in this instance neither Congress nor the
War Department need go far to find out
why so few of the soldiers now serving in
the Philippines are re-enlisting. 1t isn't
because they are afraid of the insurrectos.
On the contrary, the prospect of having
scraps is the chief attraction of the service.
Nor is it entirely on account Of the climate
and country, for many Of the men remain
here and go into business Of some sort.
Military discipline is not more strict than il
uaE4 10 hCs Afoi are kuE OAuNGAa AuW oNEA
here IN any way to blame. But it is due, as
hundreds OF men will tell you, to the mis-
taken ideas that the War Department has
absorbed from General Otis and others like
him.
How much is to be gained by adopting
short sighted cheese pairing policy2 Is it not
better to offer as an inducementto re-enlist-
ment, the travel pay, which every old sol.
dier considers that he is justly entitled to-
aud have over here an experienced soldier,
one who is acclimated, knows the country
aud the people, and possibly speaks come
Spanish and Tagalog, than it is to spend
almost as much to bring over here a raw re-
cruit2 Instead of reducing the rewards Of
service, the War Department should see to
il that the soldier who serves honestly and
over here IS more literally re-
warded.