Manchester Democrat., 1910-11-09

q.
hoods dream of being soldier. Per
haps you have pointed out to him that
he hasn't sufficient education to get
him into West Point. Perhaps he has
the education and you admit 1t, and
then try to discourage him by telling
him of the many difficulties that lie
before the young man who dreams Of
gaining shoulder straps through the
Point. In either event, the boy. with
the dream in his mind, replies that
he'll join the army as private, and
then, perhaps. you '.go up into the air"
at once at the mere thought of your
son being high private in the rear
ranks of Uncle Sans land fighting
force.
But why? Among all vocations
there is none that offers such certain
advancement and reward for honest
energy, and. there is none that has
such slight requirements or prepare
ton in the beginning. All that the
war department will require of your
boy is that he must be between the
ages of Is and 35 years. of good char
acter and temperate habits, able bod
led. free from disease, and must be
able to speak, read and write the Eng
lish language" That is all; for the re-
quirements as to height, weight, etc.,
are sufficiently elastic to admit any
young man that is not abnormal in
these physical respects.
If there is no recruiting office in
your vicinity, letter, addressed to the
war department at Washington. D. c.
will bring information about the near
est place lat which your boy can apply
for entrance into tho army. 1t is a re-
.quirement that applicants must pay
their own expenses to the recruiting
Office; but after being enlisted every
necessary expense in the life Of the
soldier. including food, clothing, bed
ding. medicine and medical attendance
Is borne by the government.
1t will be necessary for the candi-
date to choose the branch of the serv-
ice he desires to enter, whether In
the infantry, cavalry, artillery, signal
corps, hospital corps. ETC.. but as the
infantry is the most numerous, and
conditions in all branches are general
ly. the same, for the purposes of this
article it will be assumed that your
boy takes to the infantry, with the in
tention to work up straight in, that
line.
Passing his physical and mental e1.
aminations before the recruiting off,
Ger, your boy, beginning his career as
a private, will first receive SIS month
in addition to his keep as outlined.
His duties will be to police and clean
and take care of the barracks, squad
room. and grounds, keep his clothing
guard duty. He must rise at $50 to
in the morning, according to season,
and In 15 minutes respond to roll call.
then clean up his bunk before break
fast The forenoon is devoted large
ly to calisthenics and other drills. Then
comes dinner at noon. with more drill
in the afternoon, and parade for half
an hour Just before supper at six. He
is generally free in the evenings.
thc 81 no must report for check roll
call at II o'clock. unless he has a
s-.ss . he absent later. The barracks
are fitted with library, pool and card
tables, etc. for the use of the men.
Before ht has been doing all these
things very long he will discover. of
course, thar his company commander
conducts regularly a school for In
struction in the rudiments of ordinary
and military education, and, though
attendance ut this school is compul-
sorry only for noncommissioned officers,
your boy. with his eye on advance
ment, will attend every meeting of the
school. BY SO improving his oppcr-
tunities, and studying at night on his
own hook. an ordinarily bright private
may be promoted to corporal within a
year from his enlistment, and this
first of promotions will gain him an
increase in salary OF six dollars a
month.
+ AS corporal your boy will hold an
important place in the army organiza-
tion, as he is the direct officer in com.
mand of seven privates, the eight be-
ing known as the SQUAD" which is the
basis of our entire military system. He
will be relieved of the manual labor OF
taking care of the barracks and
grounds. and in paradas and company
drills. will always tale his place as
leader of his squad. He posts and re.