New-York tribune., 1907-12-04

/ the Span!sh War was not with the then existing
officials OF the War Department; II was with the
/ representatives of the people 5 whole who-
for the preceding thirty years. had declined to
/ make the necessary provision for the army IN
I less ample provision is now made by Congress
10 put the medical corps where il should be pun
disaster in the next war Is inevitaole, ana me
responsibility will not lie with those then IN
/ charge OF the War Department but Wlth tIioSe
who decline TO make the necessary pro-
/ vision \ well organized medical corps thor-
CughIv trained before the advent OF war In All
the important administrative duties or a MIL
tary sanitary corps, is essential TO the eTflclehc!
Of any large army, and especially or !arse
! volunteer army. Such knowledge OF medicine
and surgery as is possessed by the medical pro-
/ fession generally Will not alone suffice 20 make
| an efficient military surgeon He must nave u
addition. knowledge of the administration anu
sanitation of large field hospitals and camps
in order TO safeguard the health and lives OF
men intrusted in great numbers 10 ms care a
hill has long been pending before the Congress
for the reorganization OF the medical corps i'S
! passage is urgently needed
But the Medical Department is not the olhE
department for which increased provision
should be made The rate of pay for the oIn-
GERS should be greatly increased; there Is no
higher type OF citizen than the American regu3
lar officer, and he should have d talr TeWtlu
for his admirable work There snouid oe d
relatively even greater increase IN the pay 10.
the enlisted men. In especial provision shouId
! be made for establishing grades equivalent 10
those of warrant officers in the navy Whicn
should be open TO the enlisted who serve
sufficiently long and who do their work Wen
Inducements should be offered sufficient TO en-
r
/ life occupation The prime need OF our pres
ent army is 70 and retain competent
non-commissioned officers This difficulty rests
fundamentally on the question or pay. Inc
non-commisSioned officer does not correspond
with an unskled laborer: he corresponds 10 tiie
best type OF skilled workman or TO the suo-
ordinate official in civil institutions. wages
have greatly increased in outside occupations
in the, last forty years and the pay or the SOL
dier like the pay of the officers. should be pro-
portionately increased. The first sergeant OF a
company. if good man. must be one OF sucti
F executive and administrative ability, ana sucii
knowledge of his trade, to be worth far
more than, we present pay him Ihe same
is true of the regimental sergeant major IneSe
men should be men who had fuzzy resolFeu 10
make the army life occupation. ana they
should be able 10 look forward 70 ample reWaru'
while only men properly quallieu SLuulu pe
given a chance to secure these final rewards.
The increase over the present pay need not ne
great in the lower grades for the hrst one OF
two enlistments. but the increase Shoui0 De
marked for the non-commssloned offcers OF tne
upper grades who serve long enough 10 IIdHe
il evident that they intend TO stay permanently
in the army. while additional pay should De
given for high qualifications in target practice-
The position of warrant officer should be es-
tablshed and there should be not oniy an IN
crease of pay but increase OF privileges anu
allowances and dignity, so as 10 make the SId~e
omen TO non-commissioned officers capable or
nIling them desirably from every STANDPOINT
The rate of desertion in our army now IN tinne
of peace is alarming. The deserter shoutu oe
treated bv public opinion a man guilty or
the greatest crime: while on the other han9
the man who serves steadily in the army shouiu
,I DC ora of the hest citizens of this Republic
After twelve years service in the army my own
belief is that the man should be gwen prefer
ence according 20 his ability for certain types
of office over all civilian applicants Wlthout eA-
animation This should also Apply. OF coui &, Sc
TO the men who have served twelve years ~
the navy A special corps should De proNlued
TO do the manual labor now necessarily ue-
manded Of the prvates themselves
Among the officers there should be severe eN
aminat tions TO weed the unfit up 10 the
grade OF major. From that position on a%PPoi'i; % =
rla7N- hy-
should be understood that a man OF Iie'IlS
average capacity could never get beyond the
/ r,ositioD of ma tor while every man VINO serves
in any grade certain length OF 'lIne pIlor ~, 70
promotion TO the next grade without Gctung ttl'
promotion to the next grade shouIu oe rOa a,a
with retired. The practice marches anu me- ueIu
mannuvres of the last two or three years naS
beeu invaluable 10 the army They Shouiu ne
continued and extended. \ rigid ana not pei
fnnrtorj examination of physical capacity has
been provided for the higher grade olncers. s Iil
will work We'll. Unless an oficer mas d So go
phvsioue unless he stand hardshlp rue
we'll and walk fairly. he Is not lit for any
r,ositioa even after he has become coloneI-
Refore he has become colonel the need IoE
physical fitness in the officer is almost as sreae
as in the enlisted man. l hope speedily 10 see
introduced into the army a TAR more FlS!u an,
thoroughgoing test of horsenansillp loI al Ie'
oft5rers than at present. There should be a
chief of cavalry. just as there Is a chiei Oh d.
tillery -, ,,,.;,
needed for the benefit of the army Is a law 10
equalize aud increase the pay OF oi1lCers ailu @
nj
,nd revenue cutter service. Such bill has been
nrenarcd which il is hoped will meet with Noh'
favorable consideration. ne next i,l,So - ~
sential measure is to authorize a huhoel w
evtra officers as mentioned above To make ti'e
army more attractive TO enlisted men. II Is an
solutelv essential 20 create service corps siS't
AZ nxists IN nearly every modern army III the
world 10 do the skilled and unSkllied iaoo'' III
arshlv connected with military admiriStra-
tion which is nov exaCted. without luSt CoH-
nersation Of enlisted men who voluntarily en-
tered the army TO d" service ~ an The
different kind. There are q nunoer OF otheI
lnlss necessary to So organize the army as tc
rrnn,ote its efficiency and facilitate lis raplo
expansion in tlne o1 ""'' ""0 '"' "''
!, was hoped the Hague conference might
laal with the question IF the hlnltallon ~
.,r,},alnents But even before it had asSeI'p!e"
Informal inquiries had de
IT. N,,,, ,-,IOi,ed that as regards naFaI
INV ' arynamentS the only ones Ia
which this country had any interest II WaS
hopeless to try I" devise any t!ah TOT i M'ior
therl va, thc slightest po~sibilitE OF SecurnnE @
the assent of the nations gathered at me
Hacuc. No plan vas even pfopossT ~. -
would have had the assent Of mere ti'il '''''
first class power outside Of the thi'eo STATE ~o'a1ts
The only plan that seemed at an ie,'StDle ,i",
or Ii.nitire the size of battleships, met with n'
Cayn,. a, all 1t is evident. therefore that II -
folly for this nation to base any nope % Set u
ing peace on international aSEeE@iiitllt @ a.
to the limitation Of atm%ments. Suri ~ pf.'S i .re
fact il would be most unW.Se i"r rs l" STOP tiie
,phuildirg Of or navy lH uui4 one p't'-
shin of the best and most advtrc"t type yea.
,,n,Id i,,refv keep feet mp I" ITS pTeseh.
core This is not enough. Ii my juds'nent
- ,,J,,l This -eqr. provide fur four b1tJleShii'-
~, =. :. tile 10 build hattesnps u1less IN
adait,on 10 providing the men. and the means
rny tboro1,gh training. provide ne auXlh2ile5
ro,. tnar, unless Ne provide docks the coalinS
.,..ic,e The roliiars and supply ships that they
rcd W. are extremely def lent IN coalinE
stations ara docks on the PaCrc. "hu TINS Ht-
6ciencv should not longer be permitted 10 exist.
plenty of torpedo boats and destroNerS Shou'N
ha min Both Oh the Atlantic ard P;tSiic
coasts Notifications Of TN" beSt Ale Si"ul" ne
al .,reHte.t ia ~uOrS