New-York tribune., 1907-11-04
THE ARMY DEPLETED.
ENLISTIfENTS FALL OFF,
Troops Noe SO Per Cent Short
More Pay in CiUH Life.
TFrom The Tribune Bureau.1

Washington Nov 3.-The artillery. cavalry
and infantry of the United States army have
lost so heavily by failure to re-enlist. by men
purchasing their discharges and by desertion
\ that the situation is felt to be serious by the
officers charged with the duty of maintaining
the enlisted strength OF the standing army.
Small even when recruited to its full author
ized strength, the army as a whole Is now 33
per cent short Some companies theoretically
of one hundred men are represented by actual
organizations of fourteen fifteen privates.
BattaliOnS of presumably three hundred men
can in many instances. muster not eighty
ninety privates and non-Commissoned Off
GERS. Conscription is declared by some officers
TO be the only practicable method of maintain
ing the authorized strength, although that sug-
gestion is not countenanced by the admnistra-
tion and would be repugnant to American
ideals.
Ever possible effort is being made by the
War Department and the General Staff to rem
edy the situation, TO induce re-enlistments and
20 secure recruits, but with little avail, while
the smaller the army grows the greater be-
comes the necessity for frequent change. the
harder become the duties of the men remaining
in the ranks and the more unattractive becomes
the service as a whole. The general prosperity
Of the country. the higher wages paid in every
line Of commercial effort, and the general scar
declared to be the chief causes of these condi-
tious The army has become mere prentice
school for the trades, and any man who has
served a term and acquired a good conduct
certificate can Immediately secure civil employ
Yneut at wages from three to six times as large
As the army is authorized to pay. And civil
empoyments afford opportunity to marry, free
dom after the days work is done and absence
Of foreign service In the army. it is now
an
thing approximating home with friends and
neighbors is impossible.
FEW IN THE RANKS
One Of the most striking instances of the de-
pletion of the army is shown by the case of the
10th Company of coast artillery, which pa
raded in January, 1900. with 101 men in the
ranks but which. when called upon to parade
on October 15 Of this year. could muster only
fourteen men in the ranks that being the total
strength Of the company. A hardly less strik-
ing instance is furnished, however. by the 7th
Infantry which recently attended the Mckin-
lev memorial exercises at Canton. The entire
regiment Of twelve companies was ordered TO
Canton and should have been about twelve hum
dred strong. AS a matter Of fact, the Twelve
companies and the band were represented by
only 4O6 men, while one company could muster
only ten privates fit for duty.
The coast artillery suffers more than any other
branch Of the army because of the highly skilled
character of its men, who, by the time they
become proficient as soldiers. are really high class
skilled artisans. The coast defence corps is now
80 per cent short Of its authorized strength and
even that is far too small to afford one manning
detail for the Notifications already constructed
One coast defence officer recently determined
that because Of the elaborate system of tele-
phones which constitutes important part Of
the fire control system, it important that
every man should be educated in the mechanism
Of the telephone, the insulation and stringing OF
wires the detection of the causes of trouble and
the best methods of remedying defects. To that
end he took a telephone apart and explained
the purpose of each piece Then he. taught the
men. one by one, TO assemble the parts 10 detect
defective insulation, TO diagnose the more fire.
ouent causes Of trouble and TO remedy the de-
fects No sooner had he completed his task,
however than a neighboring telephone company
offered employment to every man in the COM
pany at wages Of from $50 to SO month, with
opportunities for material increase. The conse-
ouence was that almost every man left the COM
pany as soon as he could get away the tele-
phone company in many instances advancing
the money to purchase the mems discharges
The pay of these men as privates had been
s13 month and keep, minus certain charges
for uniforms, etc.
ONLY ENOUGH FOR SQUAD DRILLS.
The same difficulties confront the infantry
commanders. One captain reports that for some
time his command has been so small that 1t
has been impossible TO have other than squad
drills His company attended the lake ma
roeuvres with thirty instead Of one hundred men,
and at the grand review, before the soldiers of
many nations" battalion turned out with less
than eighty men in line, while one company
contained one officer and fourteen men.
A colonel Of infantry in Nebraska reports TO
the War Department that in the vicinity of his
post ordinary farm hands receiving from
$50 10 $50 month and board, which makes the
S13 month Of the soldier appear pitifully small,
while many of his men have left the service and
secured positions clerks. engineers. streetcar
conductors. statesmen. nnemen, firemen, etc, at
salaries Of not less than S75 a month, and in
many instances at from 500 to $50 a month,
the latter being secured as a rule by non-com-
nissioned officers, who had received perhaps
SIS month in the service. Five have
left the army at infantry post in Texas to
accept positions at from 1925 TO $3.50 month.
The value which is placed on the army good
conduct certificate is clearly indicated by the
case of railroad company, which has written
10 the War Department complaining that some
Of the soldiers have forged the good conduct
testimonial on their discharge certificates, thus
seriously misleading the company which al
ways makes place for good conduct men,
but does not like TO be taken in by ex-soldiers
who have not earned that conmendation"
MORE PAY IN CIVM. LIFE
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