Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-14
CORBIN ON ARMY CONDITIONS
Lieutenant General Condemns Abolition Of
the Post Exchange.
WOULD DISCOURAGE RE-ENLIsTMtNTs
ne ALSO says That Present
system of Athletics Does
Not Ala Organization
as whole.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13.-Major General
A. W. Greely, late in command Of the Pa
cific division, left Washington today for
st. Louis, where Saturday he expects to re-
lieve as commander -in-chief of the North
ern division Lieutenant General Henry {.
Corbin.
General Corbin. in a report to the military
secretary made public today, contributes
his disapproval of the legislative prohibition
against the sale of beer and light wines in
the post exchanges. on this subject he
says:
II should be unnecessary to argue to a
fair minded person the superiority OF
system which provides a mild beverage at
a moderate cost in moderate quantities un-
der strict military control. to one which re-
suits in Turing the soldier away from his
barracks to neighboring dives where his
body and soul are poisoned and ruined by
harlotry and where his money is taken
from him BY gamblers and thieves.
More Concessions to Omcers.
He also calls attention to the fact that
enlisted men enjoy the right to deposit their
savings with army paymasters and that
congress annually appropriates money to
pay interest on these
The courtesy has never been extended to
officers, but General Corbin says the dis
elimination should be terminated, especially
where 1t affects officers serving In the Phil
ippines and Alaska. He also recommends
"a proper allowance of fuel for heating and
cooking purposes, and that gas and electric
light when furnished post, should be pro-
vided for the officers quarters the same as
the barracks.
These two provisions" he says, would
tend to alleviate the hardship of the
greatly increased cost of living of the last
few years on salaries fixed some thirty
years ago and based on the cost of living
at that time"
Would Discourage ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Re-enlistment in the army should not be
encouraged in time of peace, according to
General Corbin, except in special cases. His
argument is to add to our military
strength by training a number Of men by
three years enlistment and then having
them return to civil life ready at any time
OF their active manhood for service in war"
He also recommends that Article xxxviii
of the articles of war be revised to provide
than any officer found drunk shall be dis
missed from the service. The article now
provides that dismissal shall follow the
finding of any officer drunk on duty.
The present system of athletic exercises
he declares promotes championship feats by
few but does not aid the organization as
a whole. He said 1t would be much better II
by general systematic training the whole
organization could double time for mile
and arrive ready to put up fight
Effects of Anti-Pass LAW.
The anti-pass provision -ysof the rail-
road rate bill Is also criticized by General
Corbin. He says that the legislation has
worked a hardship upon many officers and
enlisted men by doing away with the priv
ilege of half rates for their families ana
half rates to themselves when on leave OF
absence.
When officers are deprived OF such courte-
sizes It will mean that an officer sent to the
Philippines wilr be separated from his fam
lily for long period unless he uses all OF
his meager savings and perhaps runs in
debt.