Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-01
ARMY AND NAVY.
Matters of Interest to Both Branches
Of Service.

this apparel is to be issued to the
troops in Manchuria il anticipation of
a campaign until spring. 1t is not nee
esSary to dwell on The fact that Their"
is no comparison between the clothing
issued to the Russian soldier and that
prov idea for the troops of this govern
ment. The Russian, for instance.
supplies his own stockings, an omission
which the American soldier would
hardly forgive in orr own quarter
masters department. OF course this
useful article comes from the home of
the soldier if he has any one there
who can or will send him stockings.
1t is IF interest To know that the
Russian soldier makes use in lieu of
stockings Of Il piece of cloth covered
with tallow and wrapped around the
foot. This is said to prevent &brasions
and soreness.
The chief of staff Of the army is in
rcc' ipt Of the report of the board con-
v"ned at Fort Leavcnworth. Kan, for
the examination of candidates from the
army for appointment tn commissioned
grades in the military service. There
We're forty-tive cQndidat"s and only
about one-half of them were reported
as qualified for appointment. OF some
of these and many of the remainder
there were failures noted by the
surgeons, which in the case Of thosr
otherwise qualified may be waived,
although there will be greater strict
ness in that respect than ever before.
1t is said that fully three-fourths OF
those who took the examination f"i!ci
to meet the requirements of the
surgeons. The physical examination
WAS unusually sever" at Fort LcaV'n-
worth. Shnuld not more than Gn"-hat
he army candidates he appointed, II
will leave several Vacancies in III"
grade of second lieutenant to he 1Iil"i
from civil life. LIST of those VIII"
came from the I.CaVcnWorth class VIII
go into the infantry, there being no
vacancies in the cavalry ana the re-
uuircmentS of an examination for en-
trance in the artillery corps. where
there are nine vacancies, probably
operating to discourage Candidates III
that direction.
The infantry drill regulations are
ready for distribution. An edition OF
| 40 900 will be sent out to army officers
and officers of the militia. The new
army regulations will shortly be ready
for issue. an edition Of 1000 having
been ordered from the government
printing office.
Tho army officers who have been
| inspecting the militia commands Ill
various parts of the country. and
| csDcciallv during the period of tn
maneuvers. hava observed that III some
Of the states the clothing issued to the
| recruits bears unmistakable signs Of
! belonging tn the secondhand class.
| In one prosperous state it was found
| that a soldier was wearing a hat which
| had evidently seen hard usage, for III
| addition to being dilapdated, 1t was
decorated with various colOrpd inks
| and bore numerous un'niiitary symbols.
| The v.carer WAS asked bow long he had
worn such Il hat ana he replied, to tn
establishment of the inspector. that the
| p"roh Of possession was but four
| u,oiitiiS to which the army officer was
| led to express his curiosity as 10 the
| particular use to which the hat had
| been SC severely put in that time.
The soldier said he had not been the
| first posScSSor. and it then Developed that
many predecessors had left their rcSpec-
| tive marks on brim and crown and that
| it had been kept in the service by 1ru-
| gal commonwealth to save the cost OF I'M
thrifty custom extended to other articles
| of apparel with an impartial disregard to
| sources of inheritance and the ScnSltlNc-
ness of SuCCes Sive heirs. There really APP
| pears to he no good reason for such econ
| omy in amy of the states. who ar" quail
| fed to draw upon the general government
| for supplies and funds: i'll fact there are
| very good reasons for objecting to such
proce. ding contrary to the rules oi
| health and dccency.
The general order relating 10 certain
changes in the army uniform is nclrlN
ready for issue from the general staff of
| the army. The subject has been assigned
| to Colonel John Is. Kerr. Twelfth cavalry.
VIII" will make a report thereon Inc
order will provide for the new typ, Of
shoes. of which a description has been
published in these columns and which
| were suggested by the quartermastcr gen
cral after thorough trial of the article
i'm the field There will u" n provision
for chcvrous for the field uniform and the
drsigna ton OF a service cap. similar to
that worn by Lieutenant General Chaifcc
and QuhrtcrmaSter General humphrey
during their transconiinental inspection
tour.
If the War Department follows the ad
vic" Of Major General 5. 5. Sumner. com
large western forts. regarded of greatest
importance only a few years age. may he
abandoned. The forts mentioned by Cen
cral Sumner are for the most part those
made necessary by Indian warfare.
Some posts he wishes to he brought up
to date in the matter of water supply ard
other convcnienccS. as in the cas-" of Fort
IIuaC huca. He wants the post enlarged.
and # that is done he suggests the alan-
dnnm"nt of Fort Grant. which is too dis
tant from the railroad. Fort Clark is said
to be in Il tumhlc-down condition. ten
miles from the railroad, on a limestone
ledge. and ir 4 most uncomfortable posi-
ton. 50. General Gunner says. tlat for
strategic reasons it would seem well to
abandon the site Of Fort Clark and cstah-
fish a post Of like siZa near the present
site of Camp Eagle Pass.
Touching Fort RngCold. on the Rio
Gran'ie. opposite Camargo. it is said that
the twenty-mile road connecting it with
Havana on the railroad is practically i'm
pHSSiblc in wet weather. 50 General Sum
nor recommends that Fort Rnegold he
abandoned at an early date and the garri
sons at Fort Brown and Fort Mcintosh
he correspondence increased.
If these suggestions are adopted there
will be a line Of posts on the Mexican Dor
der covering all rail communication be
tween the United States ands Mexico.
Other POSTS that might be abandoned arc
Forts Wingatc and Du ChcSne. while Fort
Apacf". il is said. is too remote to main
tain at full strength and should be re-