The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-23
DEsERrIoNs FRoN TEE ARMY.
A Defence % the service BY IN Eniissca
Man % Eighteen Years Expertencs.

iaru brtef against tne army Inc pnoto-
graphs depicting the life OF the aver
age recruit as one studied round OF mon
otonous and unconGenial tasks, the parts
played by the army mule In the training
1 Of enlisted men. the diEGing OF bitches In
/ the blazing sun &C. ad nauseam. are
( all eunnnRIy eontrived to convey 70 the
mind OF the lAymAn q false idea Of the normal
/ life OF the soldier. Mr.. Willard has published
/ photographs Of convicts and other classes
! Of prisoners engaged at hard labor serving
| out sentences OF courts martial in punish
ment for various crimes. TO illustrate the
| daily occupations Of the soldier. He aays
that the present liberty OF the recruit 10
cirrumacribed by a man with a gun. ana
to bolster up this false statement supplies
! q photograph OF q prisoner with his guard
. The man with the gun in the foreground
IL the guard. and. in all probability. the
canvas coat worn by the prisoner will
reveal upon close examination the badge
| Of disgrace in the army. the large letter y
/ Mr.. Willard omits the information that
these prisoners are debarred from per
forming the honorable duties ~ the soldier.
from sharing with him the social life OF the
company and the post that they are class
apart and undergoing terms OF confinement.
and that their stOtus IL considered. for the
time being. as on q par with that OF the
criminal in civil life who 10 deoarred from
zenship while undergoing punishment.
A. for the wild statement that the most
! important part Of the soldiers training
from the point OF view % the post com
mander 10 digging bitches. sweeping walks.
&c. IL should he dismissed with the con
| tempt II 80 richly deserves. In these DAYS
| OF Standardization. the exactinE require
mentS OF modern military training and the
frequent unheFalded visits Of War Depart
In ha AReaila of
training are carried out to the letter the
post commander IL permitted very little
latitude to give play TO any personal lido
syncracies OF his in the matter Of landscape
improvements. A. . matter Of fact. more
than 10 per cent OF the policing and scaveng-
ing In an army post Is performed by pris-
oners
Another fruitful source Of deaertion. we
read. Il the hike over a dusty road in the
dog days | have before me a. I write the
Itinerary TO be followed by my regiment
m its annual practice march. commencing
next week The total distance IL 200 milea.
TO be covered IN seventeen days. or by
hfteen marches. making the length Of the
average march some thirteen miles. surely
not enough 10 overtaI the strength OF
boy scout Manv girls walking clubs"
will exceed this disfaucs during their sum
msr outings. and the same Itinerary will
hold good for most of he other army or
carnations during the present summer
season. VIII this heart breaking perfor-
msncs daunt ths soul OF our valiant pri-
vate and fore him TO DESERT n nv
experience counts Tor anything. I am sure
that II will not he true explanation OF
the preponderanCe of dssertions IN sum mer
Is that existence for the des.Tter presents
fewer and simpler problems IN summer
than u does IN the winter season. The
man who Siil think twice before quitting
his comfort able quarters IN winter time
without a dollar IN his pockst for food
taxes 10 the niVhwayS during the dog DAYS
without moments hesitation. whether
10 funds or not
The soldier - not driven 20 AXE 20 The
long wh'e road b, the grabbing 81 a. re-
ot brush under blazing suns or The cleaning
out % ~ smelling -fshs- want to 90
nu f~'ori here 20 tho -hr,f that during q
msn IA Three dfTrr-u' regiments I have
no. seen h- soldier clear more fhan ~ acre
81 EI"I mi 80 brush Lliogri her, nor have
seen N" man Nh" objected - grooming
hI- hor-s' even "u % summer dsN.
ih'- "tng- ne 20 3" las' straw in the
burden - 'hs Iuag offering soldier n.
uHirf's.-- 'f ftuuE ~ the Wa. department .
hos found "Npr"-~t"n ~ novel form ~
torture. mugs'ng have h-en nuEg-i.
I an scuu-tnied WIN hundreds Of soldiers !
Who Wen" measured and photographed.
aud have - To hear OF man. not con
Wet. Who dtd not aCpuie-ce In he necsssity
Of the process The ruit who voiun- |
iarly takes the oath Of enlistment With a
man Who ,ritiDis~s the muKEinR pro,e -s
To the honest soldier u ~ really a matter
81 lutte moment and he forSe'- all about
u the n-Ni baN ] have a strong suspicion
that our author 'uled his dara on muKginR
from he same tainted -ourr-- where his
Information on dt'h digging. Ay orig
nat 81. from the criminals in military prs
ons, Nho have the greater reason o f-arh
There remains The di-h Washing .aues-
dismiss NJ Mll.r! I hope thai some
N...H.a
Mattresses 10 wait upon the gallant bows
~ table wash thew dishes pass them the
finger poNl- a. ihl- ~ he hslycon tame,
when our fellow 'l'iyen- shall his solved
the domestic servant problem Ia the
m"tnwhle. We .oldier- must wait upon .
each other a. table when our turn comes
around ana perform for ourseive. the B
humble but verF necessary duties !
,htt Bridget HildA and Freda perform /
Tor our CIVILIAN neighhors Zach private
soldier takes his turn ~ this duty about /
Z VIE" Zach month, the work occupying him |
ne month - spent as waiter and dish ]
What does the army promise N. Young
enlisted man, aud - this promise per
formed IN. army accepts the rscTuisi
fora term Of enlist nent of three wears, !
undertaking to train him during this time
In the basic duties of Cltizenahip and nsVs
him, 10 most instances, = higher WaEe than |
h" could command IN civil life. With promise
20 return him 10 his home upon the expira-
ton Of his contract. or earlier IN CERTAIN
legal formalities are complied With. q better
hAhs UibI~ NAfIui fNVen, more tutRlll- .
gent supporter u our republican inst tuition.
and iheir petpetusiion The payment Of |
cash for discharge nv purChaas IL waived
nv he 6oNernment In many deserving "a ses /
and every facility ~ offered TO the recruit, 4
TO Leave he service IN = legal manner II he
becomes dissatisfied with q soldiers life
Vow A. TO tn" manner IN whi"h the army
fulnl- hs part Of the contract The
training or The re- r'Iit IL progressive and
PRO eed. along phvsicsl and mental lines
NJ posts have RvmnAsiums Completely !
spuipped with apparatus and A'hletk' feld. |
for outdoor trarL work and baseball The |
daily drills of the command also aim 10 \
develop he physical side Of the soldier |
Spes iaiyatton 10 not ENCOURAGED rather
the obi@"' aimed a. u hts symmeirtcai ,
Development Track competitions are held I
AZ Intervals ana prizes awarded for ey- 1
'ellen"e IN the different events To nro
vide Tor mental training there are schools
lec'nree delivered nv hts oricers during /
The drilI hours, and libraries The soldier
- en- outraged in every legitimate manner
10 take M correspondence Course or some /
other line Of mental improvement More /
than hall OF zach day IL his own for self !
Improvement, or N his bent IL in TIN, direr- /
ton for -elf-lndui Rence
IN" Immediate purpose ~ this training
" character building, the ultimate aim
the development of the military. that 4.
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