The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
The AMERICAN SOLDIERS WAY
AN ARMY OFFICERS STORY TO
ILLUSTRATE 4 THEORY.
IepIy 10 the Foreign Criticism That There
Is q Lack Of Discipline Among Uncle
SANS Fighting Men-The qualities
THAT Win When the Guns Begin 10 Talk.

bUHt WIN " Hcn tUc SUut hVo" w S''N'
There was austerity in every line OF the
Colonels figure. He was tall ana thln'
with a face that correspondent to his frame
His skin was tanned and leathery from the
exposure OF long service on the plains IN the
days when to he stationed there meant
work to do and plenty OF it.
1t was that very service that had given
him, along with his austerity OF appear
ance. kindlness OF thought and habit that
comported Ill with his severe manner.
No one knew him better than the boys OF
his regiment, and there wasn't one of them
who would not 90 to the last ditch and DO
his best to scramble across if he thought
that was what would please the sold Man.
The friendly good feeling between officers
and men which resulted from this phase
Of the Coonels character approached, some
times, what not too particular observer
might have called familiarity. When the
regiment was quart cred in old Fort Santiago.
before the outbreak of the instruction,
several of the civilians at Manila, whose
business brought them more or less into
contact with 1t, noticed and commented
on this fact. good many of them thought
the men were fresh and the officers inefi-
oient.
Somebody mentioned 1t one evening at
the club when the crowd had dropped in, as
usual, after the concert on the Luneta and
were drinking -Bamboos" and 20. C.'s,"
in the customary fashion before driving
home for dinner. 1t was a man from the
Chartered Bank who spoke of it first.
Il wish that regiment was stationed out
on the line somewhere" he said instead
of here in the city"
"Why?" asked the Martina manager,
as he poured his sherry carefully into the
bi,ters. What's the matter with the
Msteenth?"
Ever been over TO their olub?' replied
! the bank man by way OF counter.
That's what l call the retort evasive. "
said the shipping manager. sYou start
out towel at least to convey the inn
preston OF reflection, and you wind up
by conveying very wildly the impression OF
a dodge"
"Whew!" calculated the hemp man. who
| was sitting with them, there you see the
exact difference between him that hath
and him who would like to have"
What are you talking about?" asked the
shipping man.
you and Brewster" replied Brown.
The angle of your incidence exactly COIN
cides with the divergence between your
occupations. He. being in hank that is
not but would very much like to be Gov
! ernmnet depository, attempts gently to
slate some Of your friendly Uncle Samuel's
! fighting nephews, whereupon you, being
J about the whole of the transportation
business about the islands which the afore-
said Uncle Samuel has employed up to date,
promptly leap into the fray in defence
! The talk was interrupted by the appear
ance of the Colonel himself and MacLaren
jumped up to greet him, inviting him
heartily to join the group at the table "for
! just one Q. c. before dinner"
| NO. replied the Colonel, laughingly,
"if it must be anything, let it be something
| American. If yon can make it here. don t
cotton very much to these foreign drinks.
Now II were a cooktail-why, that's a diff
| ferent matter"
! Colonel, said Brown. as the boy scurried
away with the orders, what would your
regiment do IL there were to be an attempt
| at the much predicted rising in Manila
) to-night?'
; MacTAren and Brewster were amazed
at the bold directness Of the question. but
Brown knew the Colonel we'll The old
soldier straightened up little in his chair
at the question and qlizzical smile played
around the corners OF his mouth.
! DO any of your Filipino friends want to
know he asked in return.
I There was a laugh from fhe others at
the sally, but Brown came back quickly.
-MacLaren just called that sort Of answer
! the retort evasive," he said.
, so it is replied the Colonel, with a
smile when you come to think of it, But
F.. it might also be said that the question was
/, obscure
"Oh, didn't mean to ask what position
! you would take and how the thing would
be handled and all that, said Brown. Il
meant what would the men do? Could you
/; hold them imp"
There was an instant drop OF sev eral de-
grees in the Colonel's temperature and
MacLaren and Brewster exchanged quick
glances as If signalling their wonder how
, Brown was going to get out of PLAN in
suit to their guest. The half smile dis
appeared from the Colonel's mouth, and
the thin lips snapped over the words as
he said:
My men are accustomed to obey orders. :
There, Brewster. said Brown. triumph
|
noring the marked change in the Colonel's
manner, "are you satisfied nowp'
The dexterity with which Brown lind
shifted the responsibility for any seeming
lack Of courtesy to the Colonel from his
own shoulders to those of Brewster left
that gentleman and MacLaren well niph
speechless with amazement. Neither had
suspected anything like such flank move
ment.
The Colonel, in complete ignorance of
what had been said before he joined the
party, looked from one another, irving
10 grasp what it was oil about, but feeling
vaguely that there had been some criti-
cism of himself or his regiment which he
ought to resent MacLaren thought it was
time for a frank explanation.
Colonel, he said, there is not the least
desire to be over inql,istive or to say any,
thing that would in anyway seem to you
discourteous or to reflect on you or your
men. But TO us Englishmen it always seems
odd 80 have so many enlisted men around
the quarters of the officers and to find rank
and file on such terms Of apparent fami-
arity.
-iou have heard that before, | suppose
rTl