Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-19
TO SUPPLEMENT ARMY
In War Must Depend on the
Volunteers.
COL. SANGER'S REPORT
MERIT AS THE BASIS FOR AD-
VANCEMENT. :.
Spanish War Experiences the Result
of Employing Incompetent and
Unframed Officers.
COL. SANGER'S REPORT


then inspector general Of the New York
National Guard, and now assistant secre-
tary of war, made thorough inspection OF
the reserve and auxiliary forces Of England
and the militia of Switzerland This work
was voluntary. for, though President Nc
Kinley greatly desired it, there was no ap-
preparation available. and Colonei Sanger
betrayed his own expenses.
The result of this investigation is en-
bodied in a remarkable report just issued
from the government printing office, which
is bound to be a text book for the military
student not only because of the technical
value of the authors observation. but also
by reason Of the compact and interesting
collation. Of historical events intended to
point the principal argument of Colonel
Sanger touching the absolute necessity for
America to prepare at once, and systemat-
ically. for war.
Unpreparedness Of the Militia.
Says the author: 1.-The story of the Span
ishr American war has much which Ameri-
cans must read with pain" and then he tells
how seriously the government was embar-
raised in its efforts to make use of its cum
bersome and refractory state militia. After
all the millions paid out to maintain the
National Guard. says Colonel Sanger. every
where there was doubt as to how 1t could
be used. Some of the volunteers left their
states without proper shoes, others did
guard duty wearing civilian clothes ana
derby hats, and carrying sticks and CLUBS
while waiting for their uniforms and arms.
There were times when the sanitation OF
some of the camps was disgracefully bad,
when the hospital accommodations were
inadequate and when there were not
oh
for the sick. If the state forces are
maintained with view to national defense
in time of need, there can be no excuse Tor
not devising in time Of peace the best plan
for utilizing their services and II
it is admitted, as it must be, that the army
and state forces combined will not be
numerically strong enough to carry on any
great war, it Is our plain duty to decide In
advance what Is the wisest and best plan
for expanding our fighting force when such
action Is necessary.
Having sounded this warning at length
Col Sanger proceeds to state in detail the
result Of his investigations in England and
Switzerland. the former country being
chosen for inquiry because it resembled the
United States in having no system of COM
pulsory military service. Col. Sanger's
conclusions are stated as follows:
incompetent and Unframed Officers.
"A study Of the armies of the world will
show that when country makes merit
and capacity the basis for the selection
and promotion Of it's officers it gets better
results than if it were to let favoritism or
political influence control.
IF the military forces exist in order to
do in the most effective manner possible
the work which an armed force must dc
when war begins, it is absolutely necessary
to make proved merit the basis for the
selection or promotion of officers. When a
people has for years regarded many CT
a
with the administrative work of city.
county. state and nation as the legitimate
and proper rewards for those persons who
have strong political influence, it is hardly
to be expected that in time of war the
whole temper of the nation should change
and that they should apply totally differ
ent principle to military positions.
Yet ii Is hard to understand why gen.
erous and noble people should be willing
to trust the feeding. transportation and the
command OF those citizens who volunteer to
risk their lives for their country's defense
to incompetent or unframed officers. The
history of every war in which this country
has been engaged shows that this course
has sometimes been followed. While the
men are suffering there is much indigna-
ton, but when the war is ended, and the
thought that lives have been needlessly
squandered has, by lapse of time, lost it's
horror, the people have shown themselves
indifferent to these great questions. and
have permitted conditions to continue which
were certain In the future to entail needless
suffering and useless death.
The Example Of Switzerland.
1.-The little republic of Switzerland sets us
an example which we may study with
profit and as We contrast the conditions of
their military forces with those of our own
it must be apparent to every one that they
have embodied in their system the true prin-
ciples of democracy. No political influence,
no social backing, no financial power can
take man from civil life and make him an
officer Of any rank without his having gone
through the ranks and having completed
with credit the work deemed necessary to
qualify him for commission.
THE truth should be recognized by the
American people, that If they want the best
is possible to have 1t is absolutely necessary
that merit and efficiency should be the
basis Of selection and promotion.
THE German general staff, which has
produced most competent and efficient
body Of officers has made merit an abso-
Lutte prerequisite to appointment and pro-
motion, and this has been done, not because
those high in office did not enjoy the privi-
lege of recommending their friends and
relatives for high positions, but because 1t
was plainly recognized that the most eff
fective fighting machine could only be Sc
cured by eliminating those influences which
were opposed to the efficiency of the forces.
In the same way Switzerland with IT'S
strongly democratic principles, the very an
tithesis. in its political and social life Of
Germany. has adopted system which pre-
cludes the possibility of selecting UNFRAMED
men to lead their soldiers or t. perform the
administrative work of the forces in tjma
of war.
The Question for This Country.
1T is for the American people to decide
whether they will perpetuate system
which was partly responsible for the awful
record of the Crimean war and for some of
those phases of our last two wars which we
prefer to leave hidden by the mist of inten
tional forsetfulness, or whether they will 40
organize their lighting forces that merit.
training, and efficiency shall be the STEM
ping-stones to success. in accordance with
the true principles of American institu-
tons
The Size Of a Standing Army.
''It will be admitted by every one that
no army which the American people NAV
maintain will be strong enough numerically
to carry on any foreign war It is probable
that the maximum strength Of the American
army In time OF peace will never exceed
100000. The guns for harbor defense which.
In accordance with the tons of
the Endicott board are being placed along