The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-04

paid. Never n our enttre nlssVfy cuiar because too much care has been given to the Army. too much promins ence given 1t, too much money spene large. But again and again we have suffered because enough care has not been given to it. because 1t has been too small, because there has not been sos.Sle %sl Everg foreign o
 which we have engeged has cost us is many times the amount which, IT wisely expended during the precxer,nvs xcnv would have insured rhe war ending in q fraction of the time and but TOT 2 fraction of the cost that was actuany been shortsighted in providing Tor the efficiency of the Army in time of peace. It Is nobody's especial interest to make such provision and no one looks ahead to war at any period. no matter now remote, as being a serious possibility; while an improper economy, or ratner niggardiiness. can De practiced at the ty that those practicing 1t will not be called to account therefor, but that the price will be paid bJ the unfortunate persons whS Sos hapRenl atRnal,v to Come ns m 0"0'
 | think 1t is only lack of foresight that troubles us. not any hostility to the army. There are. of course. foolish people who denounSe any srn cmlS 2 2 hut II do not think that these people are numerous. This country has to contend now. and has had to contend is ample scope for all who would work for reform. But there Is not one evil that now exists. or that ever has ex- isted in this country. which IS, or eset s Q,
 to militarisn. Defamation againsa
 militarism has no more serious place in an earliest and intelligent movement declamation d4s astsH1'asui asain.t the worship of
 Baai or Astaroth. It is Reclamation against a non existent <evil. one which
 never has existed in this country, and appearing here. We are glad to help in any movement for international peace, but this Is because we sincerely sssvs sHs tha s Is our sSxd 'e hes esp ae
 sane and rational and not because there is any tendency. toward miittar- ism on our part which needs to be those in connection with industrialism not militia rism. Industry is laways neces- sary. just as war is sometimes neces- sary. Each has its price. and industry has. always exacted, far heavier toll of death than all our wars put togeth. :. CT. The statistics of the railroads of S' % sss SSpnt5s hs s fSr tas n he
 state Commerce Commission, show in that one year total of 10s ,324 casual sent the number of persons killed. Tn that wonderful hive of human activ- ity. Pittsburg. the deaths due to in dnstr,al th accidents in dsos were ,;Is s1s mines or on railroads. For the entire country. therefore, it Is safe to say that the deaths due to industrial accidents aggregate in the neighborhood of 20 uu0 Q SnCh a raCnrn makes inc death rate in all our foreign wars ute terly trivial by comparison. The num- Der of deaths in battle in all the for century and quarter. aggregate con siderably less than one years death record for our industries. A mere to show the absurdity of the outcry against militarisna.
 The medical corps sh hould be much larger than the needs of our regular smaller than the needs of the service demand even In peace;
 by Congress to but the medical corps where 1t should be, put, disaster in the next war is inevitable. and the respon- sibility will not lie with those then. in with those who now decline to make the necessary provision.
 But the medical department is not ed shend made rate of pay for the officers should be greatly increased: there is no higher type. of citizen than the American fair reward for his admirable work
 There should be a relatively even greater increase In the pay for the snoas be @nas dr m Srss equivalent to the-e of warrant officers in the navy which should be open to the enlisted men, who serve sufficiently ducements sh ouid be offered sufiicient to encourage really good men to make the army life occupation. The prime needs of our army Is to secure and officerss This dinicuity rests fands. mentally on the question of pay. The non commissioned officer does not cor respond with an unskilied laborer: he corresponds to the best type of skilled workman or to the subordinate offlcial in civil institutions. Wages have greatly increased in outside occupa- pay pay of the scidier. ike the pay of i he officers. should be approximately in- creased. The first sergeant of com. pany. if good man; must be one of ability. snd such knowledge of his trade. as to be worth far more than we at present pay him. The same is true of the reEimental sergeant maIor. These men should be men who had fully resolved to make the army life and they should be able to look forward to ample reward: while only men properly qualified should he given a chance to secure these final rewards. The increase over the .pres- ent pay need not be great in the lower grades for the first one or two enlist ments. but the increase should be marked for the non n-commissioned of- fcers of the upper grades who serve long enough to make it evident that they intend to stay permanently in the army, while additional pay should be given for high qualifications in target practice.
 
 Perhaps the most important of all legislation needed for the benefit of the army is law to equalize and in- men of the army. navy. marine corps