The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03
with those who now decline TO make

WIN tnose 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
or military sanitary corps. il essen.
tial TO the efficiency of any large army,
ana 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 milf.
tary surgeon. lie must have, in addi.
tion, knowledge OF the administration
and sanitation OF large field hospitals
and camps In order TO safeguard the
health and lives Of men intrustcd I'm
great numbers to his care. A bill has
long been pending before the congress
Tor the reorganization OF the medical
corps. Its passage Is urgently needed
But the medical department is not
the only department for which lncreas
ed provision should be made. The rate
or pay for the officers should be great
ly Increased. There IL no higher type
OF citizen than the American regular
ONNas nave IulT
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 eucour.
age really good men TO make the army
life occupation. The prime need of
our present army Is TO secure and re
tain competent noncommisSioned OH
GERS. This difficulty rests fundamental
ly on the question OF pay. The non.
commissioned officer does not corrc
spond with an unskllcd laborcr. He
corresponds to the best type of skilled
workman or to the subordinate official
In civil institutions Wages have grcat.
ly increased In outside occupations I'm
the last forty years, and the pay Of the
soldier, like the pay of the officers.
should be proportlonatcly increased
The first sergeant OF company IL n
good man. must be one of such cNecu-
tive and administrative ability and
such knowledge OF his trade us 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 "A life occupation. and
they should he able to look forward tn
ample reward, while only men proper
ly qualified should he given Il chance
TO secure these final rewards. The In
crease over the present pay need not
be great In the lower grades for the
hrst one or two cnlistmcnts. but the
Increase should be marked for the non
commissioned officers OF the upper
grades who serve long enough TO make
IL evident that they intend to stay per
manently In the army. while additional |
pay should be given for high qualiica
tions In target practice. The position
OF warrant officer should De establish.
ed, and there should be not only nm in !
crease OF pay. but an increase OF privi. !
leges and allowances and dignity. ., |
as TO make the grade open to nonccm- |
missioned officers capable of filing |
them deslrahly from every standpoint. |
The rate OF desertlon In our army now
In time Of peace Is alarming. The dc.
serter should he treated by public opln-
Ion as n man guilty of the greatest
crime, while, on the other hand. the
man who serves steadily in the army
should be treated MS what he is-that |
Is, as pre-emlnently one of the best cit
liens of this republic. After twelve
years service In the army my own be
lief Is that the man should be given a
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 prlvates