The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-10
WOULO.BE ROCKIES
ARE TOLD OF ARMY
War Department Issues New
Book for Its Recruiting
Officers.

In harmony with this age of the
press agent the United States army is
now issuing literature" that modestly
calls attention to the army's merits
OF such sort is 1.-The Life of an En-
listed Soldier" published recently at
Washington through the office of the
adjutant general
In like accord with the "age spirit"
is the paucity. of patriotic fervor in this
pamphlet. The flag is not referred to:
the youth on carnage bent is never
once requested to remember Ethan Al
len, San Juan hill, or Gen. Wood and
his little pills.
But after the confidential, matter
of-fact style Of trust prospectus the
pamphlet declares that ''in many parts
OF the United States there seems to
prevail the idea that to be a soldier in
our regular army is to be in a posi-
ton which is below that of an ordinary
citizen, and which entails duties or
iapors degrading to an American; and
InaI the privileges accorded to soldier
are rev and far between; and that
an enlistment in the army, affording
practically no opportunity either for
advancement accumulation of savings
or self-1mproYement, means that those
years of a man life have been vast
ed"
but" asserts the little book with
half-tone illustrations, that such ideas
are erroneous can be learned by care
ful inquiry 1t will be found that q
large proportion of the soldiers of the
| army are self=respecting, well-con-
Quoted men, and faithful and efficient
soldiers, and that many of them have
been in the army for years, some oc-
cupying the. higher grades among the
| non-c commissioned officers, and all con-
tented with their lot and respected by
| their officers.
Under the old method of recruiting,
| 1t is true that often rough and worth
less characters got into the service to
| stay only until they learned that their
| immoralities could not be tolerated,
| their careers winding up with deser-
ton or discharge through the SEN
tences Of courts-martial. 1t is this
| class of men which has caused the man
who wears his country's uniform to be
so looked down upon by his fellow citi-
zens.
Only Good Men Taken.
Under the present system Of re-
cruiting such men can no longer gain
admittance to the service, and the
young man intending to enlist can feel
| assured that he will not be thrown
with undesirable companions"
Describing in detail the life of a SOL
| der with his regiment, the author
points out that on most days the en-
listed man rises at 6 o'clock; spends
| two. hours of the day in drill and a
! less time in miscellaneous work; gets
| three good meals; does nothing at all
between sunset and II p. M, when he
must be in his little iron cot; gets fire.
| quent leaves of absence for intervals
ranging from a few hours to several
days; is encouraged to go hunting and
fishing learns extra pay for most kinds
OF extra work may save $288.75, more
! or less, In the first three years; may
rise to be sergeant-najor, with a sal
ary of $34 month "to begin,'' and may
retire on a pension after thirty years,
The social lines strictly drawn be-
| tween privateS and their military su-
periors are limited at in an argument
that these distinctions, so repugnant
to many American recruits, are a mat
| ter of necessity for order and disci-
pline. To this end also the intending
warrior is advised that when he goes to
| bed in barracks his shoes, at the foot
of his cot, must be arranged in an
| orderly way"