Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-26
FOR ENLISTED MEN
Efforts to Make Army Life
More Attractive.
HALLS OF RECREATION
MILLIONS SPENT FOR GYMNA
Sums AND READING ROOMS.
Trying to Eradicate Evil Of Desertion-
Views Of Secretaries Taft and Bona
parte and Admiral Converse.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

written for The Star and the chicago RECORD
Herald.
Since the canteen at military posts was
abolished by act of Congress the War De-
partment has been trying to furnish some
sort OF substitute. and nearly two million
dollars has already been expended in the
erection of libraries. reading rooms, lunch
rooms, amusement rooms and gymnasiums
for the benefit OF the enlisted men. The
Secretary of War has asked for an addi-
tIonal appropriation Of $4,000 for the next
fiscal year with which to carry the work
to completion. Most Of the buildings have
been newly constructed and have been
planned to meet the purpose for which they
are intended They cost all the way from
5000 to $4,000, according to the size OF
the garrison. At several of the posts build
ings originally erected for hospitals and
barracks have been remodeled and con-
yerted into amusement rooms and gym
nasiums At Fort Sheridan, ILL.,, for exam
pie, the old mess hall will be converted into
a post exchange at a cost of 10000. The
average cost of the completed buildings Is
$50 Geo.
Some of the army officers think the gym
nasum equipment unnecessarily elaborate,
comprising, as 1t does. almost everything
in the way Of modern apparatus for ath-
letic training. They predict that the men
will not use 1t without compulsion: and
commanding officers rule do not con-
slider it advisable to require athletic exer-
else for their men. There Is, however.
division of opinion on that subject. The
Germans and Japanese make point OF
athletics. Every soldier In the armies OF
those nations is trained athlete 1t GER
tainly will not injure a soldier to cultivate
either his muscle or his mind. or both.
Both Germans and Japanese require the
study of books also. and that is one of the
reasons why the Japanese army showed 80
high a 6apraa of efficiency during the late
war. When a Japanese young man has
served his term of three years in the army
he is not only perfect fighting machine,
but he is also an intelligent citizen, and 1t
might be a wholesome plan to make book
education compulsory in our army, al
though 1t Is very likely that both the Off
GERS and men would object.
Post Schools.
We now have schools at nearly all Of our
military posts, but attendance is voluntary,
and the number of enlisted men who take
advantage of them is very small. Some
times. no doubt, 1T is the fault OF the OIL
GERS in charge that the pupils are so few.
because they do not inspire enthusiasm or
make the work interesting. Few officers
like to teach school, and few soldiers will
ingly go into a school room and SIT down
with an arithmetic or geography. 1t Is re-
garded as childish performance. and they
have contempt for comrades who are try
Ing TO improve tnelT anu qudh1y
themselves for something better than SOL
dtering There Is altogether too little re-
spect for book learning, both among officers
and men,. -.,---.r
and attendance is compulsory. There are
schools Of artillery, cavalry. infantry, tao
tics and even strategy. We teach our OH
GERS international law and diplomatic his
tory as we'll as grand strategy and the art
of war. Many Of them are deeply interest
ed in the work, and 1t would seem as IL
schools for enlisted men. conducted on
broad lines and made as Interesting as pos
sible might be an advantage to the army
generally and to individual soldiers
Speaking generally. a soldier does not
willingly do anything but purely military
duty. He is willing to drill and take care
of his horse Of he is a cavalryman) and
keep his gun in order and do guard duty,
but he feels that his liberties as a citizen
and his dignity as soldier are mfringed
upon if he is made to study books or exer-
else in the gymnasium. A certain number
of men in every company will take up ath-
letics voluntarily because they like it, just
as they play base ball and foot bali. but
the moment that sport becomes obligatory
1t becom es odious. and the fact that 1t Is a
duty deprives it of all the pleasure. EX-
perienced officers will tell you that the
easiest way to stop foot ball playing Is to
put paragraph in the regulations requ1r-
Ing it. There is a good deal Of human ma
ture in soldier. Nevertheless other Off
GERS believe that it would be worth while
to try the experiment of both mental and
physical culture among the enlisted men,
and possibly 1t might serve to stop deSer-
ton Others insist that T. soldiers are COM
PEELED to go to school and exercise In the
gymna sIum there will be more desertions
than ever.
The Desertion Problem.
The desertion problem is a very serious
one, and 1t is growing more and more seri-
Gus every year Nearly ten per cent OF en-
listed soldiers desert tho colors, and last
year the loss OF the government, on account
of assertions, was about $4O0, 900. In the
consideration of the matter great variety
OF reasons have been assigned to account
for the evil, and all sorts of remedies have
been proposed for it, but so far no effective
results have been obtained. Secretary Taft
frankly confesses that he does not expect
any marked change so long as public senti-
ment protects deserter and prevents the
military authorities from recovering and
furnishing him. Fifty dollars reward Is Of
fered for the apprehension OF deserter,
but as a rule a young man can run away
from the army and return to his home with
out fear of arrest or detection, notwtth-
standing 1t. And when an arrest Is made,
as a rule, the entire population OF the
neighborhood will use Its influence to pre-
vent the deserter from suffering the penalty
of his crime. This, Secretary Taft thinks,
is due to lack Of appreciation of the SOL
emn obligations which man assumes when
he enlsts in the army.
He says: 1.-THE impression which prevails
almost universally in this country outside
of military circles Is that In enlisting a
soldier merely enters the employment of
great and wealthy government, as one of
10000 others similarly employed: that, ex-
cept during a war, he may terminate this
relation whenever conditions become unsat-
isfactory to him by simply quitting - in
much the same way that he would leave
civil employment IL tired Of his job, and
without any real conception that by so do
ing he is inficting damage upon his govern
ment as well as upon his own character
and personal integrity.
Officers are sent broadcast throughout
the land to recruit the army, and In their
commendable zeal to make record and to
justify their selection for this special serv-
Ice, 1t is not improbable that, confronted
with the difficulty that always exists here
during periods OF general and continued
prosperity-of securing men for the army
with the meager pay that is offered and
under the necessity of extraordinary effort
men are often accepted of a low moral
standard, as well as others who are of too
weak fiber ever to make good soldiers II
is not unfair to say that the great majority
OF deserters come from men of these two
classes.
Proposed Probationary Period.
IF a compulsory probationary service
were established at one of the recruiting
oil .,ic nj aofv