The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-13
ENCOURAGING ENLIsTMENTs.
Better Pay, Better Rations, Better
Treatment.

Treatment.
Editor National Tribune: For sew
eral years the question has been how
to secure desirable enlistments for the
Army and how to prevent desertion
after enlisting. To the writer some of
the answers are evident:
1. There ought to be an increase of
pay to correspond with greatly increas-
ed cost of living, which will include the
latter-day demand for means of enjoy
ment and pleasure. One hundred years
ago Lewis and Clark. with detail of
80 men, made the round trip to the Pa
cific and back, consuming two years.
inside of an appropriation of $4,000.
To-day it will cost the Government as
much to transport and subsist Gen.
eral of Division and his staff to make
the same trip in Pullman cars, taking
only 10 days time. The pay of officers
as well as enlisted men ought to be in
creased to equal that in civil life for
similar requirements.
2. There ought to be a total reorgan-
ization Of the Subsistence Department.
which would bring it up to equal the
demands of the average American in
civil life. OF course, the ration" as
authorized by statute, would appear to
be ample. Some parts of it are. but
the facts are that much of it is meager
never has been-so that the messes
have always had to supplement with
additions purchased outside. from COM
pany funds. And it il pitiable fact
that il is one of the reasons urged for
the restoration of the canteen. I'm order
that the profits from it could be used
for the purpose of buying food for the
messes." Just as tho this Government,
with the billions Of property that it can
IL -. 90
manded by its soldiers. Then, again,
the manner of serving the ration-the
way it is cooked-everything is done
in way that would apparently indi-
cate that the only effort was to save in
cost of preparation and labor. Let the
authorities do az they have been obliged
TO do in the construction Of the Pan
anna Canal in order to hold the en-
ployes they must have to get the work
done.
And, also, the spirit of the age de-
mands that the enlisted man should
receive more considerable treatment
from his. superior officers, -Flunkeyism
is abhOrrent to an American-born
Leaves of absence ought to be allowed
without so much restriction. Gym1a-
Sums, reading rooms and means of
recreation have been provided for by
act of Congress. but there seems to be
UNNECESSARY uSldy III licli-
Degrading and humiliating punishment
for trivial offenses ought to be done
away with, and forfeiture of leave"
and pay substituted entirely. Finally,
the soldier ought to be treated as
man.
The contention that the beer canteen
ought to be restored to prevent the
men frequenting the low dives is n
direct insult to the manhood of the
American soldier. 1t is in the power OF
the Government to suppress the low
dives, but that fact does not seem to
have occurred to the advocates of the
canteen There is '.in the air. a con-
viction that the use of intoxicants is
unnecessary and the results all evil
and only evil. and that without mitiga-
ton, so that efforts to return to the
dealing of it out again by the Govern
ment will be of no avail, so that re-
ports made to Congress to induce the
restoration will be futile. There will
be no backward step in this matter. So
mote it bell. S. Brown, Quincy, Ill.