The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-10

GERS and IT is impossible to secure
enough enlisted men,"
Interest is quickened. What shall be
done 10 bring the army up TO its
proper complement? The rate of Off
GERS pay, says the president. should
be greatly increased" and there
should be a relatively even greater in
crease in the pay for the enlisted men,"
therefore the enactment of the Dick
Capran service pay bin is recommend
ed. Under that bill the pay of officers
is to be increased from ten per cent.
in the highest grades to twenty five
per cent. in the lower commissioned
grades. and the president is authorized
TO fix the pay of enlisted men. If
there should be a relatively even
greater increase" in the case of the
stoned officers, they may expect lib
erai raise from the president
As Mr.. Roosevelt points out, there
are other things wrong with the army
besides inadequate pay Evidently
his attention has been drawn to STRIFE
lures on the service which have ap-
peared in the newspapers, often anony-
mously from q fear of exile to the
Philippines. Twice the president rec
| ommends the creation Of a special
corps" to 90 the manual, mental and
unmilitary labor which is now imposed
upon the enlisted man vastly TO his dis
gust and discomfort. What visitor TO
a post but has seen him in soiled
clothes doing hated chores that de-
tract from the dignity and smartness of
the soldier? When it comes to ''prac-
tice marches" Mr.. Roosevelt has no
patience with those who say that there
is too much hiking" in the hot sun
1or the physical welfare of the enlisted
men. Let the marches be continued
| and extended, urges the president. In
making the same recommendation with
| regard to field menoeures he is on
surer ground-there can hardly be too
| much training. Mr.. Roosevelt is not
satisfied with the Workmanship of the
army. He wants "a far more rigid
and thoroughgoing test" for all field
officers. Apparently the riding school
at West Point is at fault in its meth
DDS, or the officers soon lose their seats
and shun the back of a horse. We are
inclined to think that the president
by implication fails to do justice to the
equestrianism of field officers. There
may be some marines among them
but as a class they ride as well as he
does, or better
Mr.. Roosevelt IS extremely vague
when he proposes for the encourage
ment of the private soldier a rank il
the army corresponding to that of war
rant officer in the navy. How could +
be managed outside of the Coast Artil
lery; which requires the services o
skilled mechanics? A chief boatswain
a chief gunner, a chief carpenter,
| chief sailmaker or a warrant machin
ist in the navy is one of the NOSE use
full and intelligent men in the service
and often he receives more pay than
second lieutenant in the army. Some
| times but too seldom to excite tn
envy of his shipmates, he wins promo
| ton to the rank of Ensign. In tn
army commissions are to be obtaine,
with less difficulty by enlisted mer
and as there is now a dearth of sub
alterns the sober obedient and edu
Gated soldier need not envy the war
rant officer of the navy. The organ
ization and needs of the army are S
different from those of the other ser
vice that there seems to be few place
in the army which a warrant officer
could I'LL. 1t is a pity that the presi
dent instead of discussing reform
diffusely, did not confine himself to tn
Dick Capron pay bill and urge congress
to pass it promptly.-New York Sun.