Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 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 a military sanitary corps, is essen
tial to the efficiency of any large army,
and especially of a 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 mill
tary 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 and lives of men intrusted in
great numbers to his care. A bin 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 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
Il life occupation. The prime need OF
our present army is to secure and re-
tain competent noncOmmissioned Off
GERS. 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 or 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 4 company. If Il
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 a life occupation, and
they should be able to look forward to
ample reward. while only men proper
ly qualified should be given 4 chance
to secure these final rewards. The In
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 gualifica-
lions 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 deSertion 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
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 privates
| themselves.