Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-07
MEpIcAL CORES roo sMA1L

The medical corps should be much
larger than the needs of our regular
army in war. Yet at present It is small,
even in peace. The Spanish war occur
red less than ten years ago. The chief
loss we suffered in it was by disease
the country. At the moment the nation
seemed deeply impressed by this fact;
YET seemingly 1t has already been for
gotten, for not the slightest effort has
of sufficient size to prevent the repeti-
ton of the same disaster on a much
gagged in serious conflict. The trouble
| In the Spanish war was not with the
then existing officials, of, the war de-
tves of the people as a whole who, for
the preceding thirty years, had declined
to make the necessary provision for the
made by congress to put the medical
corps where 1t should be put disaster IN
the next war is inevitable, and the re-
o viii not lie With he5e theh
with those who now decline to make the
necessary provision a well organized
medica, corps: thoroushly trained before ore
administrative duties of military sani-
tary corps, is essential TO the efficiency
Of any large army. and especially OF
! of medicine and surgery as is possessed
by the medical profession generally VIII
not alone suffice to make an efficient
dition, knowledge of the administration
and sanitation of large field hospitals
and camps in order to safeEuarfd the
great numbers to his care A bill has
long been pending before the congress
for the reorganization of the medical
corps; its passage is urgently needed.
MORE PAY FOR THE MEN
But The medical department is not the
.nn1X Ion nrfy, fnr
provision should be made. The rate of
| pay for the officers should be greatly in
creased; there is no higher type Of citi-
zen than the American regular officer,
and he should have a fair reward for
his admirable work. There should be a
relatively even greater increase in the
pay for the enlisted men, Especial
provision should be made for establish
ing grades equivalent to those of war
rant officers in the navy which should
be open to the enlisted men who serve
sufficiently long and who do their work
we'll Inducements should be offered
sufficient to encourage. really good men
!, to make the army a life occupation. The
secure and retain competent noncommis-
stoned ofticers This difficulty. rests fun
damentally on the question Of pay. The
respond with an unskilled laborer: he
corresponds to the best. type of skilled
workman or to the subordinate officia
in civil institutions, Wages have. great
ly increased in outside occupations If
the last forty years and the pay OF
, the soldier, like the pay OF the officers
should be proportionately increased. The
first sergeant of a company. il gooc
man, must be one of such executive ant
administrative ability, and such know
edge Of his trade, as to be worth fa1
r same is true of the regimental sergean
major. These men should be men wh'
had fully resolved to make 1ha t the army n
able to look forward to ample reward
t while only men properly qualified SHOULD
$ be given chance to secure these ma
\ rewards. The increase over the presen
$ pay need not be great In the lowe
! grades for the first one or two enlist
t ments, but the increase should be mark
n ed for the commissioned officers o
e the upper grades who serve long enoug
: to make it evident that they intend t
: stay permanently in the army, while al
!. qualifications in target practice s,se,,a tn \
n Established and there should be not onl
an Of PAY pas an ana dgn
o so as to make the grade open to non
T. Commissioned officers capable Of film
n them desirably from every 1, s. xn,T ON,
e in time Of peace Is alarming. The DC
3 serter should be treated by public oplr
ion as man guilt, OF the ne t creates me
n who serves steadily in the army shout
n be treated as what he, is, that Is, a
y pre- eminently one or the pest cltlZen
g vice in the army my own belief is ths
7. the man should be, given a preferenc
n according to his ability for certain type
y out examination. This. should also, az
g DIV, of course, to the men who hav
lie served twelve years in the. navy
e. special corps should be pIosaaep riv 70 !,
d manded of the privates themselves.
!" EXAMINATIONS NECESSARY
,r Among the officers there should I
he severe examinations to weed out TT
y unfit up to the grade of major From ths
20 position on appointments enIu'p he o1 unde
Is stood that a man of merely averae
ar capacity could never get beyond t. Il
position of major, while every man wi
;. of time prior to promotion to the ne,
=, - grade without getting the promotion
o. the next grade should be , forthwith wn es r
~ ~ maneuvers of the last two or thrt
g years have been invaluable to the arm
ID They should he continued and extende
tn A rigid and not perfunctory examln
~ ton of physical capacity, has been pr, pr
,t vided for the higher grade officers. TIL
or will work well. Unless an ofiicer mas a )
9 ", Ship, ride well, and walk fairly he
~, ~, not fit for any position. even after
~, has become a colonel. Before he hi
e9 become colonel the. need for physic
IN as in the enlisted man. nope speeai
IN to see introduced into the army a Il
ch more rigid and thoroughgoing test
ID horsemanship for all field officers tn:
nf at present There should be a chi
in of cavalry just as there is chief
,e artillery
We Ell AllHl1N' ~
CHI Perhaps the most important of /;
nd legislation needed for the benefit of t
ny army is a law to equalize and 1ncrea
rt the pay of officers and enlisted men
We the army, navy: marine, corps; ana re
on enue-cutter service Such bill has be
n prepared which it is hoped Will me
ar with your favorable consideration: /
its next most essential measure IS to a
es thorize a number of extra officers
ID, mentioned above. To make the arr
ur more attractive to enlisted men, it
he absolutely essential to create SerNl
ar corps such as exists in nearly eve
in modern army In the world, to do t
n skilled and unskilled labor insepara!t
in connected with military administratie
IS which is now exacted: without Just CO.
e pensa ton. of enlisted men who volu
In tarily entered the army to do service
ty, an altogether different kind. There q
ial a number of other laws necessary
Ilt Q, orcapize the army as to promote