The Cairo bulletin., 1907-11-22
SOME CAUSES
|0F DESER tom

see, with replies 10 that question:
What's the matter with the army IAN
said grizzled old sergeant AZ one "A
tho Chicago army recruiting Offices.
The reagons given for assertions are
pretty close to the mark, too. But
there are some others
Pretty often desertions become cpl
demic In military post. ANY num-
Der of things can start an epidemic of
assertions, and nothing can stop N
short OF switching the whole layout tt,
another post, and even that doesn't ~
! ways work.
Il recall the desertion epidemic that
/ broke out In Fort Sheridan few
| years ago. Inside OF three months
/ only skeleton Of the command was
( left. The thing was started BY an, out
| fit Of unpopular officers, who fell tn
| quarreling among themselves
"One domineering OR unjust officer
In a post can cause more desertlons
than bad rations or crncifying fa-
tigue or practice march duty. Once (
knew little runt OF a shavetail just
ont from West Point cause rs men
from one cavalry troop to jump the
outfit within two months after he'd
Joined down ia Arizona,
THE death Of well liked officer 0r
even OF very popular enlisted man
viii often start an epidemic OF dcser-
lions. Once at a little two-battery
post In the far northwest where ! was
stationed there died first lieutenant
who was immensely popular with the
enlisted men, and that in spite Of the
fact that the drink had got him.
The assertions began the next day.
The post was not only lonesome, "
seemed almost uncanny without him.
Little unscheduled things will start
assertions. The reappearance at a
post of former member of the out
fl logged out In joyous multi and
showing other evidences Of prosperity
always has the effect OF getting the
gang a-going.
Once belonged To nm outfit that
was stationed at the presidio OF San
Francisco. One Of our men caught ON
as faro bank dealer Of d big san
Francisco gambling house At the wind
up of his second enlistment II wasn't
long before he had an interest In the
bank himself. and he got the money
fast.
Well, all diked out In expensivr
clothes aud wearing the sparks ana
dingdongs, he used To drive out to the
Presidio behind a stylish PAGER In q
trig trap with yellow running gear.
After few months Of that the COM
handing ofiicer of the Preside had 10
request that exswaddle as a special
favor 70 him to cease his visits at the
post. A large number Of desertions
were easily traced to his visits.
THE gang would look their ex-matA
over and become ambitious all of q
sudden. II he had made such fine
thing of 1t in civil life why couldn't
they do the same, or make some kind
of a stab at 1t anyhow? So they
hoped out of the Presido gate, not to
come back any more. just because
they had seen all OF these signs OK
prosperity on d man who had once
bunked under the same roof with
them.
'Rnmois about the transferring OF
outfits, too, Is another cause, and in
the aggregate a big contributing cause
TO the desertion business. Men who
enlist In certain part Of the country
for service in that section don't like
TO make long shift to another part
with a different climate. More deser-
tons result from the shifting about OF
regiments than ever appear In the fig.
ures.
Queer, too, the distance some sol
diers will go when they get mixed up
with women. The most aggravated
case OF that kind ever saw was when
! was in the Philippines the first
time.
with my outfit was q snappv,
hustling youngster from Tennessee, a
boy not much past his majority who
got the corporsI's chevrons very soon
after hitting the islands for nervy
work in campaigning. The kid had all
Tie uiHhfUSb VI ~ uttT rpfHtFfs nHAft 6S
he was well educated. commission
wasn't any too high for him 10 look
n he'd been Of that mind aud had
kept out OF trouble
But he got all wrapped. up. with
Filipino girl, the daughter OF Fiji
Pine president down Mindsnao way,
and when we were ordered TO Manila
10 take the transport for the. United
States he couldn't see the thing Of
leaving the girl. believe they'd been
married. Anyhow, when we went 20
Manila this judgment-lacking gossoon
stayed behind with the Filipino wo-
man.
But he did something even more
idiotic than that When the old man
sent a noncom and some bucks back
for the hid be was insane enough TO
Join the enemy-the war Was still
going on down there-instesd Of Just
taking 10 the underground and stay.
ing there for spell until the search
for him was over. They sef tsrn by
the tine our transport reached the
States