The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-10
TROPICAL SERVICE
OECIMATEs RANKS
OF SOLDIERS
Congress Will Be Asked To Increase
Infantry To Lengthen Intervals
of Service IN Sections Where
Death Lays Heavy Hand.
frequent Trips Reduces the Eff
cheney of Those Who Are Not
Claimed by Disease,
sY II. LEE cLoTwoRrHY.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Dec. To-
Congress will be asked this winter to
provide for sufficient increase Of IN.
.antry 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
time OF peace. The physical mani
festation OF the reasons can be seen
at the United States Army transport
docks right here in San Francisco. IL
is not necessary To go-to the tropics.
There are two great national IN
surance organizations, the Army anu
the Navy.
Each year hundreds OF millions oil
dollars are paid TO these organizations
for security insurance against inter
nal disorder and foreign assressions.
The fundamental principle OF all III
sarance is TO accumulate assets uu'-
ing normal periods TO meet excessive
less incident 10 the inevitable petlods
vi abnormal conditions.
The assets OF the ordinary insur-
ance corporation engaged IN ISSUING
policies against fire or life loss are
computed in dollars.
Ranks Reduced BY Disease.
The assets OF our military insur-
ance organization which secures ouF
national prestige and internal peace
are computed in men, equipment and
discipline.
In time OF peace our military SER
vice is naturally supposed to be under
going perfection ia organization %
meet the eXigencies OF war the same
as a private insurance corporation -
during normal periods. Strengthening
its assets 10 meet pestllence or con
fiagration. AS notorious fact known
TO every student OF defense problems
our mobile army. owing 10 ihdd ?
apate numbers ana Imperfect orgallizA-
ton, instead OF being perfected Tor
the demands of war is being decimal-
ed BY disease IN an effort 10 meet
the peace time demands made upon
II
Upon the infantry line which carries
the heart and punch OF the army.
excessive tropical services has ialG
heavily the hand OF death turing
these days OF peace. With Spl 80
regiments cf infantry from which 10
draw the principal garrisons ~ our
oversea possessions. the tours OF
tropical service fall at such. frequent
intervals that neither officers nor
men have opportunity 10 recuperate
from the fleets Of the enerraun5 cir
mate before being ordered again 10
the tropics. The Nh regiment o. in
fantry which has just returned from
the completion OF its third tour OF
Philippine service since 1898 offers 4
startling illustration OF the ap-
palling loss the nation is apathetical-
Nv enduring III men aud money a.
consequence OF our supposedly eco
nomic poicy cf military defense.
20 Officers Victims.
Of the 81 officers ~ the prime of
life who sailed With this regiment 10
tho Philippine in 1898 only "a ser
remain on ne rolls ol the arm OF
the - officers who have been killed.
or incapao itatcd for active service
only ! were lost IN action The re-
naming % were victims OF excessive
tropical service.
Since 1895 this regiment he
foreign service OF which Is Ia 20
measure exceptional. has served near
~ seven and a half years in the Phil
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