Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-12-07

s the government and what collections
ave been acquired are scattered and are
elerally placed In unsuitable and imper-
ectlv lighted galleries.
Not only there is not now. but there
never has been, any other nation in the
world so wholly free from the evils Of
militarism as is ours
The Army. There never has been
any other large ma
| tion. not even China which for so long
z period has had relatively to its num-
bers SO small a regular army as has
ours Never at any time In our history
mas inns nation suffered from militarism.
Never at any time of our history has the
tSular army been of "A size which caused
tne sightest appreciable tax upon the
| taNpaying citizens of the nation. Al
most always 1t has been too small in
SIZE and underpaid Never in our entire
history has the nation suffered In the
least particular because too much care
mas been given TO the army. too much
prominence given IT, too much money
| spent upon IL, or because II has been too
larSe, But again and again we have
suffered because enough care has not
| bcen given TO II. because Il has been too
small, because there has not been snffi-
Gent preparation in advance for possible
war Every, foreign war in which we
nave engaged has cost US many times the
| amount which, If wisely expended during
| we preceding years of peace on the regu-
| lar army, would have insured the war
| ending In but a fraction of the time
| ana but for a fraction of the cost that
| was actually the case. As a nation we
| have always been shortsghted in pro-
Ylding for the efficiency of the army in
| time Of peace. Ii is nobody's especial in
| terest TO make such provision and no one
| looks ahead TO war at any period, no
| matter how remote, as being "A serious
possibility; while an improper economy,
or rather niggHrdliness. can be practiced
| at the expense of the army with the GER
taiilty that those practicinE il will not
| be called to account therefor. but that
| the price will be paid by the unfortunate
persons who happen to be in office when
a war does actually come
But again and again IN the past
iittle regular army has rendered service
literally vital to the country, and ii may
AT any time have TO do so in the future,
It's standard of efficiency and instruction
! ls hlgher now than ever in the past. But
II is too small. There are not enough
officers; ana il is impossible to secure
enough enlisted men. We should main
tain in peace fairly complete skeleton
of large army A great and long con-
tinued war would have to be fought by
volunteers. But months would pass be-
fore any large body of efficient volun-
teers could be put in the field and our
regular army should be large enough to
meet any immediate need In particular
it is essential that we should possess a
number of extra officers trained in peace
TO perform efficiently the duties urgently
required upon the breaking out of war.
The medical corps should be much
larger than the needs OF our regular
army IN war. Yet at present it Is smaller
than the needs of the service demand
even i'm peace The Spanish war occurred
less than ten years ago. The chief loss
we suffered in il was by disease among
the regiments which never left the coun-
try. Al the moment the nation seemed
deeply impressed by this fact; yet seem
ingly ii has already been forgotten. for
not the slightest effort has been made TO
prepare medical corps of sufficient size
10 prevent the repetition of the same dis
aster on much larger scale If we should
eyer be engaged in a serious conflict.
The trouble in the Spanish war WAS not
with the then existing officials of the war
department: il was with the representa-
tives of the people as a whole who, for
the preceding thirty years, had declined
TO make the necessary provision for the
army. Unless ample provision is now
made by congress to put the medical
corps where IT should be put disaster in
the next war is inevitable, and the re-
spOnsibillty will not lie with those men
ia charge OF the war department. but
with those who now decline to make the
necessary provision. A well organized
medical corps thoroughly trained before
the advent OF war in all the important
administrative duties of military SAM
tary corps. is essential to the efficiency
of any large army and especially of
large volunteer army. Such KNOWLEDGE
by the medical profession generally will
not alone suffice to make an efficient
military surgeon He must have, In ad-
dition, 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 num-
DtiS 10 Ills CART n Dlil has iohE pNNh
pending before the congress for the re-
organization of the medical corps; Its
passage is urgently needed.
But the medical department is not the
only department for which increased pro-
vision scould be made. The rate of pay
for the officers should be greatly in
creased; there is no higher type OF citizen
than the American regular officer and
ne should have "A fair reward for his adj
mirable work. There should be a rela
lively even greater increase in the pay
-. If.N L., gtsN
vision sh nd be made for establishing
grades equivalent TO those of warrant
officers in the navy which should be open
TO the enlisted men who serve sufhclently
long TO encourage really good men to
make the army a life occupation. The
prime needs of oui present army Is TO So
cure and retain competent non-cOmmis-
stoned officers, This difficulty rests fun
damentally on tse question OF pay. The
non commissioned officer does not CORE
spond with an unstilled laborer: he cor
responds to the best type OF skilled work
man or to the subordinate official in civil
institutions. Wages have greatly in
creased 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 SER
geant Of company, II good man, must
be one of such executive and administra-
tive ability. and such knowledge OF his
trade as to be worth far more than We at
present pay him The same Is true or the
regimental sergeant major. These men
should be men who had fully resolved 30
make the army life occupation and
they should be able to look forward to
ample reward. while only men properly
qualified should be given chance to Sc
cure these final rewaros
-he iaaiCase over the present day need
moi oe great in the lower grades for the
first one or two eniistments, but the in
crease should be marked for the non
commissioned Off, ef1 OF the upper grades
who serve long enough to make II evident
that they intend to stay permanently In
III the army, while additional pay should
be given for high qualifications in target
practice The position of warrant officer
should be established and there should be
not only an increase of pay. but an In
crease of privileges and allowances and
non co mmissioned officers capable OF NIL
ing them desirably from every stand
point The rate of desertion in our army
now in time of peace is alarming. The
desertsr should be treated by public opin-
ion as a man guilty of the greatest crime:
Will. on the other hand the man who
serves steadily In the army should be
treated as what he Is, that Is. pre-
eminently one of the best citizens OF this
republic. After twelve years service in
the army my own belief is that the man
should he given preference according
to his ability for certain types of office
over all civilian applicants without exam
nation This should also apply, OF
course, to the men who have served
twelve years In the navy. A special corps
Dor now necessarily demanded of the pri-
Yates themselves.
Among the officers there should be Sc
we're examinations TO weed out the unfit
up to the grade of major. From that po-
sition on appointments should be solely
by selection. and IL should be understood
that man of merely average capacity
got fh.l M