The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-13
DECORATIONS FROM THE ARNy
Ths Mistake % Puishlng . FIr., o1,,..
~ q Getoay

To rHT EDIruk 90 THE srN S,, 81.
( Tan SrN has done me the honor 20 r...I.
editoriAlly 20 mysrtice Ola IN. Shs-,. :,
'he ARMY. published IN The S.p,srb..
'OsH' ppoliida. perhaps I may be permi,,.s
I TO make some observations upon that t.,I,
7 trusting that | may not darksu counsel h.,
uOrd- without Wisdom
Nv Undertaking ngure-- Of d.s.r,i,,
we're complied from War Department, dor
ment-. In saving that ds~nttions h.v.
been increasing steadily ever SINE rhs -
teen was abolished Won speak truly 49,,
You might have pat u stronger than 70 az,
serve that he soldiers life !. Of -,,,,..
cOlor,ess routine II YOU had said spt,,,
breaking mouotony aud drudserv yo,
would have been safely inside the marx
Hut where IN all INV ten page aFtirla Al.
you get - Elimmer Of anything Intended =,
make de-eTtion look like a solemn do,
for oil high spirited persons In the am
ranks, A. matter ot fact referred >.
peatedly 10 the fact that dessTtinn was,
disKTAre aud that the extent % At vas a.
pallinS aud humiliatIng not only ~ M.
army but tn the nation n 'hi~ yonrIu..,
of yours that ! regard ~ a. the duty ~
soldiers To de-erf even "a time 81 :s.=..
because they don't like l. -rtvi,s is a -,
very well II could hardly Pass a.. n -.,,or,
statement Ds--TttOn j. something mos.
than a mere NAHUM proh.uitum but uh.,
committed los thoughtl.-s youthfnl,
offender in time Of psa,. n should not ~
made q sTsy" 'Timinsl or-u'e punished
by vearS of penal =srVi'ude NlarEs pr,.
port ION of the desert tons from military co.,.,
o"curs in the hr~t few months Of ,ha
soldiers service. aud the more rou .pus.
recruits and finger print them and ,hry.,
them into prison and keep them there "a,
long terms the more defiance YOU Will s.,I
up In the hearts Of all soldiers In aud ort a.
.al "A a.. 81.
the country
They know these 'hings In Eurnns rh,..
weeks abS-nre Of . private who has se,v.A
In the French army less than three month.
IL not considered desert lOn and II the IA.
serter - captured he 10 generally returned
to the ranks In no case IL the raptur,d,
deserteT In time Of peace condemned IN
hard labor. as ~ done IN our army
our system Of punishment - wrong W.
put all the stigma possible upon the vou,htul
deserter for his first onenae In Ensl.,a
In q similar case q cap'u red dessrtey'.
friends rarely discover that he hAs deserted
lie ~ merely Kept in detention barracks 70,
a month or -, and ~ often returned 10 his
post Of duty FirSt ds~ertiOn ~ not = Grim.
in Holland. only q mi-demeanor n /.
hsh'ly punished over = per cent Of surh
i~ssrter- are returned To the army IN siI,y
days. The result Of Tits lenieu-y IL that a
young de~erter IL Abl~ -'iil to feel himself
man and not an eternallv damned skulEsr
seldom does he desert again Desertioo
from the British army - RAPIDLY decreasing
: y nov less than rer cent. while in our.
Last week in Hoston Mrs Celia L. Hub.
bard began habeas corpus proceedings In
The Federal court for the rplea - Of her snn
Edwin, who though only ~ years old mad
been sentenced 20 Two and one-half YEAR,
;honssnds of CAS-. " Of you,Sfnl n Ne. a..
being made 20 suffer IN This way for an ~.
fence which IN other countries - NOT con.
-,dered a crime but mere mlsdemeanor.
and say that our system 10 not only WRONG
but ~ l. damnahly wrong. and that as
nS,, atone. Ne are bound TO -aner for y
performed m the army service do no'
snec' the real situation. which - A. said
wee because OF the drudsery they mus
perform. not merely a. prisoners hut a.
Tree men. To some minds scrubbins pots
and pans. waiting ON table. digging bitches
ana cleaning stables may not constitute
dnldgery. and 81 cents a day may h con
siderrd ample pay for that -ort % ssrvics.
nndE fha' IA fhe~a DAYS Of good paw IN CIV
ihan life b" can do much better outsde the
better. should not make them work ~
hard. and Ne should try In every wav p"sa-
bic no, 10 degrade and humiltate them
II the army service l. not made more at
ira''tN~ and N" men arr not treated NOR
Ike men. Just a. surely a. the sun riss~ TO-
morrow iu-' 80 surely We shall have no
volunteer army ten years from now and
shall have to resort 10 the humiliai ing plaa
OF compulsory military service Not only
are thousands Of men getting ont 81 he
army by the simple process Of running aWsv
from hat ,hon-and. ot others are getting
themselves discharged either by purchase
or by purposelv committing such offence.
az viii result in their being kicked on ~
the service.
DrIdgeTy does cause dessrtion and par
itCularly among recruits In order that
The army might Ne saved from - greatest
diszrace Secretary Of War raft In 1906
re- commended plan of ptobat lonaTy ser-
vice nv which the Tutt might md out
Nhet her ~ not he really wanted 10 10
soldier and perform soldiers duties,
including the drtdgery. II this idsa seemed
good 10 Mr. Taft i've wears ago Vhy
u no. a EOod 'deA now II - h~csusa our
easy going Pre-ld~nt submits - ths present
poli"v 81 the War Depa rtmsni which IN
trying to hi this de-er'ion mark u fumbllns
The trigger like a blind man That pol"y
= policy Of ~ renuous inClemsnry toward
The private soldier The Depar' ment q
seeking - work on those prerious hard.
eninR theories which more than auEht else.
as General Funston declares. cause men 20
damn the -ervi'e. spartan rule IN these
luxurious days Excuse me, saws 'hs