The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-08
REPORT OF CORBIN
ADJUTANT GENERAL OF ARMY SUB
MITS ANNUAL STATEMENT.
CHANGES IN THE SERVICE.
CAUSED BY DEATH, DISCHARGE,
DISMISSAL, ETC.

Military officers of High Rank BE
Employed as Military Attaches
Abroad, and That the Pay BE In,
creased-Reviews Work of Army
In Recent Maneuvers and Compli-
ments It-DepIOres EARLY Marriage
of Young Officers and Advocates
Canteen.
Washington, Nov. 1.-The annual re-
port of Maj. Gen. Henry C. Corbin, adj
jutant general of the army, shows that
during the fiscal year there were thir-
ty-five officers killed in action or died
of wounds and disease, twenty-one re-
signed and sixty-eight retired. OF the
enlisted men. 1927 were killed or died
of wounds or disease, 35.S06 were dis
charged on the expiration Of service,
5,69S were discharged for disability or
dismissed by order of court martial,
4,667 deserted, two were missing and
20S retired.
Gen. Corbin in calling attention to
his former recommendation that the
rank and pay of military attaches
abroad should be increased. suggests
that retired officers of high rank might
be selected for this service. While the
number of attaches have been decreas-
ed the service has improved because
of the reciprocal relations that have
been established with the War Depart
ments of the several governments
where officers are stationed. He cites
the two cases where the military at
tache at Paris secured the model of the
Lebel rife and the French saddle from
the French government.
In reviewing the reports of the Off
GERS who participated in the army and
navy maneuvers last September, Gen.
Corbin says that much valuable infor-
nation was acquired. He says:
"The maneuvers have proved that the
rank and file of our army can be de-
pended upon in every emergency; that
apparently impossible tasks can be ac-
complished under the spur of necessity,
and that there is an unreasonable gulf
/ between practice and theory. The les
sons learned by both officers and men
were of more practical value than
years of ordinary garrison routine and
| instruction"
| He strongly recommends that similar
exercises BE- conducted ANNUALLY .aan{
I made to embrace each year al new the.
| alter of operations. so that the benefit
may be shared by the different garri.
sons in the several fields of defense.
The adjutant general has obtained
the number and kind. of arms in the
| hands of the National Guard in the
| several states, and finds less than 4,00t
United States magazine rifles in theil
| possession, OF the multitude of othel
| types he said the Heterogeneous collec.
ton of obsolete arms is a very serious
Hafrtf1aaT1t n tho af1Piannxr nf hn irf
National Guard, which, in organization
drill instruction, ETC., assimilate:
closely to the regular army and should
be armed with the same arms as the
latter. If called into service, he says
under this deplorable condition, much
trouble and vexatious delays are in.
volved in providing the different kinds
of ammunition required and in urgent
or unforeseen contingencies may lead tt
disastrous results.
Gen. Corbin recommends Legislation
providing that Maj. Gems. Merritt
Brooke and Otis, now on the retired
list, be given the rank of lieutenant
general. He has the following to say
concerning early marriages:
THE early marriage of the younger
officers of the army, many of whom
are entirely dependent upon their pay
and allowances for support, is great
ly to be deplored and should
be discouraged. A young officer
should have but one allegiance and
that should be to the service. Those
without private means must necessar-
lily divide their pay between the de-
mands of their office and family. A
considerable number are required for
service in the Philippines, where liv-
ing is expensive, and the accomplish
ment of this tour of duty results in
actual hardship to officers with fam
lilies"
Gen. Corbin has the following to say
regarding the canteen:
THE restoration of the exchange as
it existed prior to the passage of the
act of Feb. 2 1901, prohibiting the sale
of beer, is desired and urged by the
great majority of officers and men, and
by none more than those of pronounced
temperance views. Numerous reports
confirm the views long held by this
Office that the old exchange contribute
ed to sobriety, health and contentment
of the men. The increase of deser-
lions and of trials for infractions oil
! attributed to the abolition of the form.
| er privileges of the exchange"
In conclusion he says:
"The instruction of our men in voca
music would be a step in the direction
of contentment and better discipline
| EVERY regiment Snoulu nave lJS mafcn
| ing song. Frequent practice In sing.
ing, particularly during the long wintei
evenings, would do much to make on
men satisfied to remain in quarter
and away from the baneful influence
of the barrooms that exist in too grea
numbers in the vicinity of all our mil
itary posts. These barrooms are un
der the protection of the license an
laws of the several states and are be
1 hn nf the military ~,
thority."