Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-09-14
RECRUITS ARE SCARCE.
some Reasons Given Why Men DO Not
Care 10 Enlist.

Captain O. B. Meyer of the Four
teenth cavalry is the recruiting Of
ncer at the salt Lake recruiting sta
ton, He says the reasons why the
army is SD distosteful 10 the average
eligible American. is because the pay
of S13 per month Is entirely insult
hcient particularly as out Of this must
come his laundry and shaving ox-
pcnses. Then the rations are by no
means equal 90 the eating one can
get outside of the army COmmissary.
Nothing Us fresh except the vegetables.
Then the amy cooks are none of the
best as the demand for good cooks
On the outside is too steady al hct-
ter pay. for them 90 get into the
military service. The absence OF the
cuntcon Is "a source Of discomfort and
being coWpclld To wear uniform bon
times OF peace is disliked. However.
there ls a bill now before Congress
Cqudli2ing the pay OF soldiers which
may help tho situation.
Along tho same line, Col d. C..
Galbraith. acting inspector general
~ the army. says In his annual rec
port:
There is a crying need Of making
the army more attractive TO the priv
ate soldier The report discusses
the grievances of tho soldier. concern
ing small pay. insufficient rations.
faulty uniform, conditions attending
onlstments and causes of dosortions.
Some OF the causes of dcsertions and
changes suggested follow. Lack of
permanently of commanders Of come
panics. shifting commanding per-
sonnet with the regiment and the de-
terIoutipu of the rcEimouial spirit tN-
rgnical scrgeatus and lack of home
interest ana encouragement which
sustains tho volunteer regiments.
The report says that ~ the FIRST enc
listmcnt were for one year dcscrtlons
would almost disappear and recruiting
would be facilitated. II is suggested
that if the enlisted man were allowed
tu wear he dress instead OF service
uniform ia theatcrs and public places
discrimination against him mlEht hU
lcssoucd. A more expensive better
hitting uniform should be provided
"Thc American people refuse to Doc
scared over the possibility of war; ANA
the gospel of preparedness receives
sc1ut attention. When Wr r1nlcm-
plate the humilItng shlcks that may
br inflicted ou uur national pride in
tho iist clashes of arms with thc land
forces of any first CI1ss uuNuI. Mr
would wish that moro heed Hcrn give
cn to the lessons of the past and thr
warnings of the future A strong hrst
thr numbering of our latent forces.
hIt $40 hnd ourselves unable tH hn
th. ranks of the FIRST lius.'
Ten moro infantry regiments are
needed according 90 Col G1lhriil'
&c. shows tnat the burden uf foreign
service falls with undue severity on
tho nuntrNmen ANA that thDr prri-
ODDS of enjoyment of homo stations trp
extremely limited. compared with
other branches of tho service.
According 90 Washington diH-
patch there a oYery prospect that mo
army officers who art Interested lu
legislation relating 90 the infantry ANA
cavalry arms viii try, sooner Or ntpr,
probably during thp coming session
of Congress. Go seek to have enacted
"a Iaw which VIII create "a chief OF in-
fpniry and q chief Of cavalry officers
with the rank of brigadlpr general,
90 boz stationed n Washington. Ia
that event those Officers would be- cN-
onlcio members of tho general stan
after the manner 1f tho chief of ur-
uucrN They would have to do exc