The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-18
CITY NEWS
ANOTHER SIDE TO
DISCRETION RECORD.
TWO WHOLE TROOPS RE-ENLIsT
FOR PHILIPPINE SERVICE.
Men Are Eager to Get into Scenes of
Activity-Arny Officer Discusses
Causes and Remedies for the Ere
quent Desertions Among the Men at
Home Posts.

Desertions have been numerous at
Fort Smelling this year, but. another
sort of story is told by the latest in
cident at the post. The two troops Of
cavalry now stationed there are about
to be sent to the Philippines for three
years service. Every enlisted man has
been discharged from the service and
every man has immediately .re-enlsted
in his old troop for the service abroad:
This unanimous action IS considered
remarkable at the fort. Not all the
men discharged had served out their
time, but the government will only send
into foreign service men who have a
full three years to serve, or nearly SO.
The short-term men in the troops at
Smelling wanted to go, so were as
charged and allowed to re-enlist for a
full term. The foreign service seems
attractive, and twice as many recruits
can be secured for the Philippines at
any time as for service at home.
It is on home service that desertlons
mainly occur. The large number OF
assertions from Fort Smelling this
summer have been cited as discredit-
able showing, but officers at the post
say the percentage has not been much
higher than usual in times of peace.
One Of them, discussing the problem,
said to The ournal:
"Several reasons are apparent for
assertions. One very apparent one is
the feeling among enlisted men aroused
by the class distinctions Of the service.
The army regulations associate the
terms 'officer and gentleman and
those of soldier and enlisted man.
There is wide gulf between them,
and the average soldier rebels against
the distinctions raised. Then most Of
the men fail to appreciate the solemn
ty Of the contract made when they en-
list. Its breach is not mere tort, but
crime, felony, like burglary, grand
larceny or an assault.
Desertion Is Easiest.
"There is another reason for fire.
quent assertions, however, that is not
quate means provided to enable the
service to get rid of undesirable char
acters. Men cannot get out before
| the end of their terms, except by SEN
tence Of general court martial, for some
serious offense, by discharge without
| honor, for the good of the service, or
by desertion. The last is the simplest,
| quickest and least troublesome to all
concerned.
"Private Brown is lazy, worthless
and Indifferent; he is not bad man
| Du1 .uoI 11!u1uS, III dCCouA1, oA14 U
less beggar, who never will amount tt
anything as soldier or anything else
He is a nuisance to the company, a vex
alton to his officers, and source OF
trouble all around.
"Some day the sergeant in charge Of
his squad becomes exasperated anc
takes Brown outside Of the reservation
thrashes him soundly, and frankly init
mates to him that the best thing hi
can do is "skip out '-and Pri
Fvate Brown takes the hint, an6
skips out. Ten days later his
name is dropped from the rolls a.
a deserter, and that ends the matter
Obviously, Brown is not coming back
to complain, being what he is, and thu
sergeant is not going to talk about it
for that would get himself into trouble
The captain is glad Brown is gone, 70,
now perhaps the company may draw
good man in his place; and so Brown =
name swells the list of so-called de
serters,' adding one more to the stats
tics that worry certain class O.
people.
"Another inducing cause, of course
is the relatively small pay of the sol
der, and opportunities that are some
times presented for him to better hi
condition outside the service. But thi
may be set down as but small facto
in the matter. The floating class, VIII
would quit any job, make up the SINAI
remainder, helped by those men who &c
into serious trouble and desert to es
cape the consequences, which class
also small.