Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-15
ARMY DESERT 10 N s
GEN. FUNSTON URGES CoNsID-
GRAFTON OF THE CONDITIONS.

In his annual report Gen. Frederick Funs-
ston, commanding the Department Of Cali
fornia, quotes the following extracts from
the report Of the Judge advocate of that de-
partment, which, he says, are worthy of
consideration:
THE assertions from the army at large
during the year ending December 81 1904.
were 6S42; for the five years ending Decem-
Der 81, 1904 27,3SS. This shows a most Sc
rous condition, and, If possible. the causes
should be discovered and remedies applied.
THE financial loss to the government,
when the amount lost In pay, clothing and
instruction is considered. is very great, but
the injury caused by SO many assertions to
the morale of the service is much greater
lone of the causes is the poor pay re-
ceved by the enlisted man compared
with the wages he can earn in civil en-
ployment. 1t is not fair to compare his pay
with that received by soldiers of the same
grade in foreign countries, where military
ice is duty to be rendered the state, pay
or no pay. Comparison may be invited to
the lower pay received by the English SOL
der, as his service is not compulsory.
However, while his pay is less than the
pay of our soldier, 1t bears about the same
relation to his wage-earning capacity as
does the pay Of our soldier to his wage
earning capacity. But the English are hav-
ing more trouble getting good men than
we are, and one Of the remedies urged by
their parliament is increase Of pay.
"Desertion Is not SO common in the Eng
lish army as in ours, because public opinion
in that country condemns the crime and
public opinion in America does not.
Our army Is an army OF volunteers. If
we want to obtain better class of men to
enlist than we are now securing a better
rate of pay is the first inducement that
should be offered"
Buildings at the Preside.
General Funston says THE condition
of the buildings the Preside reserva-
ton and the appearance of the post in gen.
eral is not a credit to the government of
the United States. This does not arise
from dereliction on the part of successive
post commanders, but from long years Of
neglect of one of the most important posts
in the United States and one of the show
places Of the Pacific coast" He expresses
the hope that the dilapidated buildings may
be demolished and replaced by new ones.
General Funston calls attention to the
lack of drill ground for infantry, cavalry
or artillery. and says there Is no post In
his department suited to artillery drill pur-
poses.
Firetraps at Fort Mcdowell.
All the more important buildings at Fort
Mcdowell he says, have reached the limit
of their usefulness. and he characterizes
the whole post. with its old wooden build
ings huddled closely together" as verita-
BILE firetrap.
He says there is no apparent reason for
the further maintenance of that post, ex-
cept that the location is a good one for
depot for recruits and casuals. Modern
buildings should be erected, he says, or
| the post abandoned within year.
Gen. Funston says the regulations pro-
p.uIgated by his predecessors for the
protection of discharged soldiers at the
depot from the class Of INSCRIPTIONS
| grafters' who have so successfully rob-
bed them in the past" are showing excel
| lent results. The flnger-print system of
Identification has been adopted at the
Alcatraz prison, with gratifying results.