Evening star., 1907-08-20
WHY men LEAVE the ARMY
GEN. GREELY DISCUSSES MILL
TARY DESERTIoNS.
Pay Should Be Increased, He Says,
and the Ration Should Be Given
More Variety.

An important feature of the annual re-
port of Nal Gen. A. W. Greely. command
ing the northern division of the army.
which included the Departments of the
Lake. the Dakotas and the Missouri. with
an aggregate strength. June 80 1907. of
1920 men. is that which treats OF deser-
tons of enlisted men. He says the main
reasons for desertion. It was the universal
opinion of a large number of commissioned
and non-commissiOned officers. were small
pay. the lack of the canteen and resultant
trouble in dives surrounding the army posts
and the low standard and general WORTH
lessness of recruits.
Gen. Gree.y sets out the soldiers daily
earnings at 73A cents. in contrast to which
the average of the minimum daily wages at
all posts throughout the division for un-
skilled labor was $40 day. He says the
pay of trained non-conmissioned officers Is
much less than the pay of skilled workmen
in civil life. The general says that in Great
Britains army of 30.WJ men, the only
other large army besides Americas filed
by volunteer enlightments, deserton is less
than one-third of 1 per cent.
Army Rations Monotonous.
Gen. Greedy holds that the army ration
while excellent in quality and doubtless of
sufficient nutritive value in quantity and va
rety, does not satisfy the American soldier.
When not supplemented through supplies
from gardens. post exchange profits. etc, it
furnishes only a meager. monotonous diet.
He believes that an increase of the ration
will make the service more attractive, and
says that various things found on every
American table, even of the poorest table,
are entirely lacking In the army ration, al
though they appear on the naval list
Gen. Greedy in habits and efforts has al
ways stood for abstinence and temperance.
but he says he is now convinced from off,
cal inspections that canteen privileges
should be restored to the extent of selling
beer, and he says that If the cauteen is not
restored there should be enacted legislation
similarly restricting the use of liquor by all
federal officials and emp.oyes. 1t is beyond
reasonable doubt. he says. that the estab-
llShment of the canteen decreases drunken
ness, and that its elimination has largely
Increased liquor drinking and dissipation
among enlisted men.
The deterioration In the standard of re-
cruits he says appears to be moral rather
than physical. and. Gen Greedy holds Is
corollary of the small pay given the men.
Some Remedies Suggested.
Considering another cause for desertion.
that of civilian hostility. Gen. Greedy says
that although there appears to be a general
unfavorabe attitude toward soldiers in uni
form by civilians. yet it dos ;iot appear to
edy for that would be an extended e.s)r. 10
set clearly before the country the fact that
the average soldier represent a high grade
of American citizenship. being superior in
physique. in intelligence. and. it is believed
morally to the average man in civil life
He recommends that the pay of all enlisted
men, except recruits of less than one years
service be increased from 20 TO 80 per cent:
that the term of enlistment be made five
years. and that the minimum penalty to be
imposed for desertion should never be less
than the uneXpired term of enlistment. Gen
Greedy urges also the necessity of ma
terially increasing the pay of officers. and
declares that unless II is Contem plated that
the army shall be officered from an aristOc-
racy of wealth, for officers position is
fast becoming impossible for a man with
out private income. increased pay should be
given him.
A paragraph is devoted to the question of
machine guns, and Gen. Greely says that
these important additions to infantry regi-
mentS in the northern division are not in
| that condition OF efficiency and preparedness
that should be expected of them
For various reasons which he sets forth
| including the fact that officers and men
| look forward to spending half of their time
on foreign service. Gen. Greely expresses
| the opinion that the Infantry branch of the
army should be materially increased to a
minimum of fifteen regiments. but II duty
| in Cuba and on the isthmus Is to be part
! of the army work In the future it should be
| twenty regiments.