The sun., 1907-08-11
WHY SOLDIERS DESERT.
They Are Doing So In ConstantIy Increasing
Numbers.


They Are Doing so In ConSt antiy Increasing
Numbers.
The number Of men who desert from the
army is large. and the fact constitutes a
serious factor in our military establishment
to-day. No locality is especially favored.
no section Of the country is immune; il is
everywhere present. and being on the in
crease must continue to be a meter Of
utmost concern until remedied.
Why then do 80 many soldiers regard
heir oaths 20 lightly and honor the flag
Of their country to 50 slight a degree? asks
a writer in the Outlook. This question has
yet to be answered. satisfactorily. and in
place Of holding this evil in check il seems
to he growing each year. and to. he Z 1ec.
lutely general throughout the army.
1t must be understood from the first
that the army is primarily an American
institution. with good old American names
furnishing the bulk Of the muster rolls for
nowhere is the great influx Of foreigners
less noticeable 50 that the problem is essen
TALLY an American problem. and not one
brought over with the Socialists of Europe.
The soldier is. rs n rule. a clean. self
respecting man. and few are inherently
bad, and they do come, Notwithstanding
opinions to the contrary. f-cyn ne bette,
class of young Americans.
Desertions. then. are not confined TO the
worst element in the army alone; il takes
toll both from the good and the bad, seem
ingly without rhyme or reason. and in the
great majority of cases without causation
from within. The experienced Captain of
twenty years service may lose as many
men as the young Lieutenant fresh from
the Point or from the ranks; the best dis
ciplinrd companies and regiments drop az
many as others in which the standard is
not 30 high. Nevertheless there is a certain
proportion Of desertions caused by the SOL
dier himself forcing out undesirable charac-
ters: but to-day this forms small minority.
In a general discussion of the causes
OF desertion from influences without the
army it Ia at once apparent that a high
place must be given to impatience Of res
straint so characteristic of the present
generation Of young Americans.
There has been a marked decline in mar
tial spirit Of the American people. No one
can doubt this II a close analysis is made Of
the class OF men, with few EXCEPTIONS
who are volunteering for the army to-day,
and who did so during the war with Spain
and the consequent Philippine nsurrection.
There we're some true and patriotic
Americans ready for service anywhere
in 1893; there were many others who vol
unteered with strings and others who
sought special organizations, such as the
Rough Riders and Volunteer Cavalry, but
the greater majority OF citizens did not
offer their services because, as they ex-
pressed this truth, others would, and others
did to the extent required;
H.. I.,nIt sNf nj nirtf Ixy
causes desertions by depriving the army
OF a type of men who in the past consti-
tuted a splendid class OF non-commis-
stoned officers and who were in every re-
spect excellent, reliable and sticking SOL
diers.
IL has never been demonstrated that
any soldier ever deserted for the single
reason of harsh or i'll treatment on the
part OF his officers, and this cannot be con-
sidered as one Of the potent causes for de-
sertion. Within the army there arc un-
doubtedly reasons why men become dis
satisfied. and the amount Of pay received
when compared to the standard OF civil
life is small, and under present conditions
inadequate.
probably drop OF, simply because a higher
grade Of men would be attracted to the
service; treble 1t and they would cease
entirely. That, however. sannot be ex-
peStSed ,S ond Present nt conditions %s .rios
the best judge OF causes and effects within
the army: and ask any one Of them what
is the greatest single cause for desertions.
and he will answer without question, the
abolition OF the canteen, the loss Of the
soldiers club. With the canteen there
was a centre OF amusement for the soldier
to pass his time in leisure hours.
n never was drinking establishment
pure and simple. as has 80 often been pub
lished. There we're combined the features
Of light drinks, harmless anusements.
such as card games without gambling,
pool. billiards. a lunch room. and a reading
room well stocked with newspapers and
periodicals.
The soldiers themselves give other rea-
sons for discomfort peculiarly pertaining
to the military side; and among those
worthy Of consideration. by the fact that
they were repeated very generally, are
practice marches with the entire kit, which
extend throughout the year and become
hard and monotonous. They fail TO see
the practical benefit to be gained by such
an increase of hard work, and are discon-
tented because no additional pay follows.
Many other reasons we're advanced,
such as non-military work In posts. SOL
diers enlisting rather to get out Of work
than expecting to do as much as in civil
life at a decreased wage. They noted
a change within the organizations them
selves, a lack OF esprit de corps, caused
by the loss Of 80 many experienced soldiers
and the influx Of inferior recruits.
No soldier objected to the military side
pure and simple. nor thought that II had
been in the past too hard; but the COM
bination Of the old with 80 much that was
new, and 80 perhaps difficult. left them
too little time to themselves, and resulted
in the chronic condition Of being tired OF