The Paducah evening sun., 1909-10-28
.HOMESICKNESS
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Ills ARMY DISEASE
FAMOUS GENERAL SAYS 1T 1.
PREVALENT.
Causes Desertions From Ranks OF
American Standing Army Every
Year.
IN THE DEPARTMENT REPORT.

Washington, Oct. 2S. Omitted
Press. )-Brigadier General Charles
Morton. commanding the department
of the Missouri. one of the Oldest. in
point of service, of the officers of
the army. is official sponsor for the
idea that the greatest trouble with
the American soldier is homesick-
ness and that of the plainest, un-
modified variety. Desertion has long
been the most perpiexing problem
Tor the officers who are constantly
striving to build up thoroughly
trained army units. No sooner have
they started on their task when the
recruit. beginning TO undergo the
metamorphosis into the soldiery reg
ular. takes a notion TO get back to
the undisciplined order or civil life.
More recruits take their places and
the process is continuous so that the
army officer is constantly confronted
with this variety of embyro soldier.
Like the poor of the bible, he is al
ways with them.
General Morton. who has had time
to study the problem for the forty
eight years he has been in the mill
.tary service. believes inconsistencies is
the trouble, and for this reason sug-
.gests a modification of the stern
treatment which is meted to the de-
serting soldier boy who overstays
his leave to get a glimpse of home
whence he set forth with beating
heart to achieve glory for thirteen
dollars a month.
Says General Morton in his report
to the department.:
II am fully convinced that the
major portion OF the desertions by
very young men. in the early part
of their enlistment terms, is due to
homesickness and disappointment
over what they enormously antici-
pated a soldiers life to be. The
numerous attempts by this class of
deserters TO enlist again and the
number found to have succeeded
demonstrate that the desertions were
not due to causes inherent to the
service nor TO real dissatisfaction
Herewith. This is further demon
strated by the fact of so many who
surrender from desertion and of
those apprehended, desiring to serve
the unexpired term of their enlist
ments. l would recommend, in out
lire, proclamation to restore to
duty without trial for desertion this
class of deserters where the deser-
tions were not attended by any other
agfTavating circumstances, condi-
tiSned upon their reporting within
three months to their respective
organizations for honorable compile
tion of their terms of enlistments. /
believe some such relief. IL consistent
with law. should be extended to the
very young men now serving SEN
tences for plain unaggravated deser-
tion soon after enlistment.
IL believe that many men who are
absent from their organizations with
out leave for various causes, not
with any original intent TO desert re-
main away from fear of punishment
upon return and become deserters.
For this and many other obvious
reasons j would recommend that
Post Commanders be authorized in
their discretion to try for absence
without leave cases where soldiers
return to their COM
mands within three months from
original date of such absence"
General Morton takes occasion in
the report to say his tribute to the
army of today. Speaking of himself
as commander of the department, he
says-as the closing comment in his