The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-27

said:
These soldiers are a lot of rough
necks, and an officer has to abuse them,
DuIldozeE them and bully them to make
them understand that he is boss. They
wouldn't respect him II he didn't"
We watched the captain of one of the
pig siege batteries inspecting his men.
II was hard to see how a free born
american citizen would put up with the
fnsosent effrOntery and 'domfneering con-
tempt which seemed to bulge out ali
over him as he walked down the line
looking for an excuse to haul some I'M
fortunate out and make an example of
him Nation wanted to walk right up
ana tell the captain what he thought of
IF I was going to enter the army
Nation said, I would first take a thor
ough course in pugilism. Then I would
wait until had a good chance, and
would simply lambast the stuffing out
of every officer I could find. would
be delighted to stay in the guard house
the rest of my life for the privilege
common private in the ranks isn't
even allowed to speak to a commission
ed on1cer without first getting permis-
sion through a corporal And when he
does speak 10 an officer, q. private must
say sir with every remark 1t is like
the breach which separates the car
from his subjects or John D. Rockefel-
Ter from his customers.
However, this whole system seems to
be well devised to accomplish dffficilt
result; making an army in time of
peace The United States regulars are
terrific fighters, and they play the game
In all its latest improvements Tasker.
VINO saw the japanese, English Ger
mans, French, Russians and all fight in
emma, says the United States regulars
can put the fxings to any of them
It is all different with the state
troops. In spite of the close alliance
which has been formed by congress
between the state militia and the resu-
lar army they will never be alike in
time Of peace. They tell a good story
TO Illustrate the attitude of the state
prlVates to their officers. The captain
of western Kansas company was
raking one of his men over the Goals
for some infraction of the rules The
private stood it as long as he could,
and then ripped out:
That's all right, you can talk to
me like that now. but when we get
home, I'll have my father make you
month"
The captain Of this company was a
hired man on the farm of his private's
Nevertheless. the kansas national
guard IS vastly improved over the or
ganlzation as it was at the time of the
Spanish war The First regiment is
an especially efficient organization and
with few months work would be up
to the mark Of the regulars. The gen
eraI character of the state organiza-
lions is higher and the chances are
that in case of war the captains and
majors and generals would be drawn
largely from the state troops. In
various ways the state troops are be-
ing made to realize that during the en-
campment, at least they must toe the
mark. A Topeka boy named Blake
who Is private in company A. did not
want to go to the encampment. He
thought by simply falling to report,
the company would go off and leave
nlm- But it didn't. Blake was ar
rested. and taken to Fort Riley He
went into camp with the others. The
first night out, he deserted and came
back to Topeka. A detail was sent
after him. and Mr.. Blake spentathe
balance of the week in the guard house
Lieutenant Weeks and Lieutenant
Mays. of the regular army, were de-
talied to supervise the work of the
First and Second Kansas regiments
during the week, and Lieutenant war
| neld, one Of the expert tacticians of
the army, spent all his time at kan
sas brigade headquarters.
The health in the Kansas camp was
/ good throughout the week. For a time
+ there was considerable dissatfsfacffon
with the government rations. The Of
! hcers said the men did not know how
70 use IT. At any rate, the men said
/ they couldn't get enough to eat Most
! bought eggs and other things at the
camp exchange. and spliced the gov
eminent allowance of grub.
Inc work of camp sanitation. which
IS now receiving the utmost attention
/ from snlli1lary experts, was splendidly
handled The camp was thorouehiv
policed, and kept as neat as bin,
heIuse was all disposed of quickly and
eHectlVelys and every company had a
! barrel Of lime for disinfectant
The Kansas troops had to sleen on
I straw but the regulars, who are In
camp Tor the summer. are all provided
with little folding cots. OF course the
4 regular camp is more thoroughly and
4 Systematically organized than the
camp of the state troops.
Some of the town boys" in the
guard could not stand the hard march
ing in the sun. and had to be sent to
/ the hospital, and there We're a number
Of cases OF dysentery, but ordinarily the
field hospital Of the Kansas camp was
empty.
There was plenty of good water, and
excellent shower baths for both men
/ and officers. In spite of the shower
baths, the river was the favorite resort
I of bathers. and it was while bathing In
+, the river that one of the Kansas sol
1 diers was drowned. One of the regu-
lar army soldiers met a similar fate
! Jul III SRAAC u tAl4S lAiCA were IQiiQI6Q<
of men in swimming every evening and
afternoon.
In addition to General Whit and
about 500 other commissioned officers
the government has very fine display
of big and little guns at the Fort Riley
| camp. Nearly everybody is interested
in the cannon. and hunts up the bic
siege guns the first thing.
Captain Pattison of Topeka, and his
| com bined Wichita and Topeka battery
of the Kansas National guard. was not
| camped with the rest OF the Kansas
soldiers. He was off at the other end
of the camp, only half mile from