The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-24
ARMY MATTERS.

ARMY MATTERS.
Tho new army law. whose advent mark.
ed the retirement Of Nelson A. Miles. III
effect abolished the office Of lieutenant.
general a general star. was created IN.
stead. Of which Generals s. NJ. B, Young
Is chief. He does most OF the work that
Miles used to do. and also some OF that
which ID commonly supposed to pertain
to the office Of Secretary Of War. And
JUST there already some questions haVe
arisen The accounting officers Of the
government doubt Young's right to order
certain payments to be made. and we
conjecture that the opinion Of the law
officers Of the department Will have 20
be takon to decide who Is right and VINO
Is wrong; that ID to say whether the
secretary or the chief Of staff should is
sue Commands for the payment Of
mileage and, other clams. It does not
appear that General Young Is bull--headed
in the matter, but the, law is not as clear
as 1t should be, and seems susceptible Of
two constructions.
One OF the recent decisions Of the gen.
eral STAFF Is that hereafter that corps
shall furnish the officers who arc to
serve as military attaches to our en- n
hassles. This hds created a great stir
not to say opposition and comnotion.
THOSE places are highly desirable and
are much soughtHafter, II we may be
permitted to Use all expression that is
scarcely allowable in strict military par
.lance.aThoy are desirable from the stand stand
point Of q society man and also from
that OF the ardent student who wishes to
have the opportunity which those places
afford to improve himself in his profess
sion for studying the methods Of war
fare
Whether the old plan Of malslng these
details IS better than tic new. or@vicee
versa. we do not know. but certain II is
that many appointments that have been
made In the past have been sharply
criticised. Favoritlsm Is said to have
ruled too often-wealth and social stand
Ing Weighing much in the selection 81
officers for that service. Under the new
rule. which goes into effect In about
three months. many well known and able lsI!e
officers will be relieved from duty abroad
and returned to their commands.
General Arthur. commanding the De
partment Of California, reports that near
Is twenty per centum Of tn eenllsted men
in that department deserted during the
fiscal year. OF this number 9l4 were
from tho permanent garrisons In the de- de-
partments. representing 4 appiroxima te 81
1912 per cent. OF the main strength there
OF for the year. The remaining 43o were
recruits and soldiers passing to and from
the Philippines. General Macarthur does
not understand why 50 many men resort
ed to this violent method OF separating
from the service" and he says that ~
the depressing result could in any way
be attributed to American methods It
would certainly Justify the deepest sollci-
tude on tho part Of all concerned In the
military administration of the nation"
Tie General further says: n h .s5 !,
v
soldier is so we'll provided for in respect
to ali his material necessities and his
personal rights are SO carefully safa-
guarded in respect to all ma tiers OF dis
cipllne, that a conclusion arises spot-
taneously In the minds Of experienced In
yestigators to the effect that desertton
to a large extent is Incidental to human
ature rather than an expression OF
specj tic defects in5mlitsry system
AS matter Of fact many men enlist
In the army simply because they arc
out Of employment, and because they
are tired of fighting the battle for bread
In avenues of trade or commerce that are
so crowded as to offer them no induce
n1ents to continue the struggle there. But
In the course Of a year or SO they tire
OF the army and long to enter business
life again. They see--nr think they see
openings on every side. and they fret and
fume until time comes when they arc
desperate enough to desert. II they are
tyrannilAd over-or Imagine that they
are--by some ot,lcor or mon COM SO
much The sooner will they make UP their
minds TO desert and off they go on the
first "prpvocatlon"
Tho General intlmates that there prob
ably would be fewer deserters Il public
opinlon were more pronounced than It Ia
against the crime, and doubtless he ts
right. AS It Is. desertlop IN time Of peaee
is not regarded by the general public aaa
very beinous offensc. There are huns
/, dreds OF respectable citizens in tho West
and middle West who went out thare
In the army, deserted and entered into
business and lved happily ever after
wards" III some cases their offenses are
not known il, the communities where tRay
live;tn other cases, their offenses are
known and freely condoned.
The American soldier. We believe. la
better paid and better treated than
any other soldier IN the world
ITO viii be contont with nothing
less-and is not always content With
that. Yet 1t strikes us that 1t would
Ctoto tpfh a mn o.oor f,,l