The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-12-23
sY n. LEE cLorWoRrHY.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. Gloon.
gress will be asked this winter to
provide for sufficient increase OF
Infantry to lengthen the intervals
OF tropical service.
The reasons are, for the most
part, the present appalling and
needless loss of life and money to
the nation, in a time of peace. The
physical manifestation OF the rea.
sons can be seen at the United
Y States army transport docks right
here in San Francisco. 1t is not
necessary to go to the tropics.
There are two great national in.
surance organizations, the army
and the navy.
Each year hundreds of millions
of dollars are paid to these organic
atoms for security insurance
against internal disorder and for.
eign aggressions.
The fundamental principle of all
insurance is to accumulate assets
during normal periods to meet eX.
cessive loss incident to the newt
able periods of abnormal condi-
tons.
The assets of the ordinary insilr-
ance corporation engaged in issu,
ing policies against fire or life loss
are computed in dollars.
The assets of our military insur-
ance organization which secures
our national prestige and internal
peace are computed in men, equip
ment and discipline.
In time of peoce our military ser
vice is naturally supposed to be I'M
dergoing perfection reorganization
to meet the exigencies of war the
same as a private insurance cor
poration is during normal periods
strengthening its assets to meet
pestilance or conflagration. AS a
notorious fact, known to every stu
dent of defense problems, our mo-
bile army, owing to inadequate
numbers and imperfect organiZa-
the demands Of war, is being deci-
mated by disease in an effort to
meet the peace demands made
upon it.
Upon the infantry line which car
ries the heart and punch" of the
army, excessive tropical service
has laid heavily the hand of death
during these days of peace. With
but 80 regiments of infantry from
which to draw the principal gar
lisOns of our oversee possessions,
the tours of tropical service fall at
such frequent intervals that neither
officers nor men have opportunity
4 orecuperate from the effects of
the eneryating climate before be-
ing ordered again to the tropics.
The Eighteenth regiment of in
fantry. which has just returned
from the completion of its third
tour OF Philippine service since
1898. offers startling illustration
of the appalling loss the nation is
alphabetically enduring in men and
money as consequence of our sup
pOSedly economic policy of military
defense.
OF the as officers In the prime Of
fife who sailed with this regiment
to the Philippines in 1898 only 10
yet remain on the rolls of the army
OF the ~ officers who have been
killed or incapacitated for active
service only four were lost in ac-
ton. The remaining 20 were vic
tins Of excessive tropical service.
Since 1898, this regiment. the
foreign service of which is in no
measure exceptional, has served
nearly seven and half years In
the Philippines and less than four
and half years in the United
States.
Eliminating all sediment which
unnecessary sacrifice Of life always
arouses; eliminating all theoretical
value of the service OF these
trained military leaders to the gov
ernment: eliminating the incidentai
weakening Of the military organic
alton through the loss of highly
trained officers and reducing the
Ayalue of these men to dollars and
cents we find that the government
has invested approximately $35. 900
In each Of these officers. The loss
entailed from the 20 victims of OK
CpgSiye service aODrOyimntes 300 =