Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-03


 with those who now decline to make the necessary provision, A well or ganized medical corps, thoroughly trained before the advent of war in all the important administrative duties of q military sanitary corps, is essen- tial to the efficiency of any large army, and especially of large volunteer army. Such knowledge of medicine and surgery as is possessed by the medical profession generally will not alone suffice to make an efficient mili- taYy surgeon. He must have, in addi- ton, knowledge of the administration and sanitation of large field hospitals and camps In order to safeguard the health md lives of men intrusted in great numbers to his care. A bill has long been pending before the congress for the reorganization of the medical corps. Its passage is urgently needed.
 But the medical department is not the only department for which increas- ed provision should be made. The rate of pay for the officers should be great ly increased. There is no higher type of citizen than the American regular officer, and he should have q fair re- ward for his admirable work. There should be a relatively even greater in- crease in the pay for the enlisted men. In especial provision should be made for establishing grades equivalent to those of warrant officers in the navy which should be open to the enlisted men who serve sufficiently long and who do their work well. Inducements should be offered sufficient to encour- age really good men to make the army a life occupation. The prime need of our present army is to secure and re tain competent nOncommissioned OH- cers. This difficulty rests fundamental ly on the question of pay. The non commissioned officer does not core spond with an unskilled laborer. He corresponds to the best type of skilled workman of to the subordinate official in civil institutions Wages have great ly increased in outside occupations in the last forty years, and the pay of the soldier, like the pay of the officers, should be proportionately increased. The first sergeant of a company, if a good man, must be one of such execu tive and administrative ability and such knowledge of his trade as to be worth far more than we at present pay him. The same is true of the regimen tai sergeant major. These men should be men who had fully resolved to make the army life occupation, and they should be able to look forward to ample reward. while only men proper ly qualified should be given a chance to secure these final rewards. The h. crease over the present pay need not be great in the lower grades for the first one or two enlistments, but the increase should be marked for the non- commissioned officers of the upper grades who serve long enough to make it evident that they intend to stay per manently in the army, while additional pay should be given for high qualitica- tions in target practice. The position of warrant officer should be establish ed, and there should be not only an in crease of pay, but an increase of privi- leges and allowances and dignity so as to make the grade open to noncom- missioned officers capable of filling them desirably from every standpoint. The rate of assertion in our army now in time of peace is alarming. The de- serter should be treated by public opin- ion as a man guilty of the greatest crime. while, on the other hand, the man who serves steadily in the army should be treated as what he is-that Is, as pre-eminently one of the best cit izens of this republic. After twelve years service in the army my own be- lief is that the man should be given preference according to his ability for certain types of office over all civilian applicants without examination. This should also apply, of course, to the men who have served twelve years in the navy A special corps should be provided to do the manual labor now necessarily demanded of the privates themselves.