The National tribune., 1902-07-17

the company who failed to pay back
money loaned him by the officers, squan-
dering all his final pay and allowances in
riotous living in San Francisco. Upon all
other applications for discharge of well
men also reported qnfavorably. I did
not think it fair to discharge well men
while it was almost impossible to get a
sick man, even, sent home, where he had
a chance for his life. Besides, each of
these men had made contract with the
Government the same as l had, and SO
long as any Of them were held to its per-
formance they all ought to be held, unless
in some way incapacitated. That this did
not please anxious parents may be as
sumed, but that it was strict justice as be-
tween the various men of the company
and between them and the Government
must be admitted.
THE REGULAR AND THE VOLUNTEER
OFFICER.
One day, while looking after the well
fare of a, sick man at the main hospital,
the Surgeon in charge of the ward said:
Il am glad to see you here so often. 1t
does the men good to have their officers
visit them and take an interest in them
L have been here three months, and in all
that time i have never seen a Regular
officer here lnquiring about his men in the
hospital"
This remark expressed an essential diff
ference between the Regular and the Vol
unteer service. The Regular looks after
his company well, so far as seeing that
the rations are drawn and properly cooked
and that proper sanitary measures are in
forced. He strives to preserve the health
Of his men, in strictly impersonal way,
but when a man becomes sick, and is
taken in charge by the Medical Depart
ment, he washes his hands of him. He is
then no longer responsible for that man in
any particular. II he RECEIVERS, and is re-
turned to duty, he picks him up again as
before, and if he dies he makes out his
final statement and forwards it to Wash
ington, and that ends the matter.
In other words, the man as an indi-
vldual does not exist, and his individuality
gets scant recognition in the Regular ser
vice. This is not the attitude of the Vol
unteer officer towards the men under his
command. He takes an interest in their
welfare as individuals. He does all the
Regular does with reference to inforcing
and providing sanitary conditions-after
he learns how, Of course, for most Volun-
teer officers have this important duty yet
to learn when they enter the service. He
also looks after the health of the men as
individuals, inquiries into their cases when
sick, and endeavors to see that they re-
| ceive proper attention, and even keeps
| track of them in the hospital He feels
sense Of responsibility for these men as
| individuals as well as mere soldiers whom
the Government has placed in his charge
| with certain definite instructions as to
| their management. This grows very
largely out of the fact that the Volunteer
officer has come in contact with the par
| ents and friends of the soldiers, and feels
| that they are in measure holding him re-
| sponsible for their welfare. 1t also arises
from the fact that the Volunteer officer is
| just from the great world where indi-
viduality exists, and has not been ground
and powdered to machine-made regularity
| The Regular officer receives q recruit he
| knows not whence and when his term has
expired will discharge him to 90 he knows
not whittier. Between these two times he
| is but an integral of his company, to be
cared for in a regular way as such and
to be let go when transferred from under
his orders by discharge, death, being sent
to the hospital, or detailed for special duty
by orders. / do not mean to say that all
| Volunteer officers take an individual inter
est in the welfare of their men, and that
| all regular officers do not, for there are
exceptions in both cases. but that this is
| the general status of the matter as OBJ
| served by me in common and joint SER
wee OF the two classes Of the army in the
philippines for more than year.
volunteer officers are often criticized for
being too "chummy" with their men, and
very Just criticism it is in many cases
remember one night in Manila meeting
a Volunteer Captain out on a regular
spree with private in his company, and
the private was more near being a gentle
man in his cups than was the officer I
have seen other officers lying around in
their shirtsleeves visiting with the men of
their company on apparently even social
terms. Ny observation is that in com
panies and regiments where such things
are done by company officers and per-
mltted by the regimental commander, dis
cipline is slack, the regiment has a general
run n-down-at-the-heel appearance, guard
duty is not well performed, and the actual
working efficiency Of the organization is