The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-22
GREAT VALUE OF
ENCAMPMENTS
Continued from page 1.)

As to the value of this schooling
Gen. H. c. Corbin says in his last re-
port: "The importance and utility of
periodic concentration of troops OF
the regular army and organized mil
tia in large camps must be apparent
to both professional and layman OF
the regular army officers and men OBJ
tain experience in matters pertaining
to organization, supply and tactical
operation of large masses, impossible
to obtain at their regular stations:
the organized militia learn by expert
ence and observation, numberless I'M
portant military lessons in military
administration, lessons which would
otherwise be denied them, and share
with the regular the opportunity OF
experience in those major matters to
which reference has been made"
The last report of the Secretary of
War shows that fifty States and Terri
tories report organized militia for :es-
under the law of 1903, with a total
strength of los. 1893, distributed is fol-
lows: General officers and general
staff, 1,1os; engineers, 1850; cavalry.
1870; heavy artillery. 2,459; lighs ar
.':;c'y. 3,34o: machine gun batteries,
ia; infantry, 90,s22; signal corp: L..
L.. fosprtal corps, 1852 These fig
ures include only the organized or
drilled militia. Every State in the
Union, including all of the Southern
States, now report State Organize
tons of militia, subject to national or
ders-Virginia, 2,133 troops; North
Carolina, 1907; South Carolina, ,665;
Georgia. 2,76O; Alabama, 2,035; Louis
lana, 1921; Tennessee, 1.763; Texas.
2,151. and soon. Indiana reports III
officers and 1925 enlisted men; total.
1895. OF the to tai appropriation OF
100000 in 1907, si,5Oo,OOo went for
arms, equipment and camp purposes,
and $500, 900 for the promotion of
rifle practice. OF this Indiana received
s44,ss2 on the first account and Sl4,-
96l on the second.
During the recent encampment
many persons remarked upon the
number OF tall men among the troops,
quite number being six feet or more
in height. According to statistics the
average height of Americans, the
country over, is feet Z 40 inches,
but the average height of men in the
West and Northwest exceeds that OF
| those in the East 1t is believed that
the mingling of races IN the West has
resulted in a slight increase of aver.
age stature Some OF the tall men
even among the Wisconsin troops had
the marks OF Danish or scandinavian
extraction. The average height of the
Danes at nome, in Denmark, exceeds
| that of any other country IN Europe
except the Nonwegians, and they seem
to gain slightly in stature by trans
plantation to America, that is in the
second generation But 1T is believed
The men of Indiana average in height
fully up to those OF any other State in
the Union On this point there is rec
ord evidence.
During the civil war a record was
made Of the height and ages of 11s,254
Indiana soldiers OF this number, not
to mention those of less stature. there
were 1910 who were feet inches
high; 15,472 measured feet inches;
15.047 measured feet 10 inches. s.
7O6, feet IL inches: 6,679 6 feet; -
1874, 6 feet inch; 1857, 6 feet inches
4O6, feet inches; 1886, over feet
| 3 inches. No American scientist
stood higher than Mr. Gould. He was
a personal friend of Arago and Hum
boldt and has opinion on any scientific
question carried weight. His state
ment, after investigation and compari-
son, that "the Indiana men are the
tallest of all nations of the United
States" is very interesting 1t shows
that in this, as in other contests OF
merit. Indiana is right in il"