Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-18
Soldiers Dissatisfied With Un-
military Duties.
SERVICE CORPS IS NEEDED
Inspector General Finds Campaign
Badges Improperly Awarded.
MEDICAL TRAINING DEFICIENT
Field Work Not Up to Standard
"Construction' Conditions
Under Criticism.

! The increase in size of modern military
posts and the introduction into them o.
park features in the way OF lawns. shrub
berry. we'll kept roads. etc. have added 81
much to the labor and fatigue work to b,
performed by troops that it materially in
terferes with military duty and contrib
utes to dissatisfaction on the part of tn,
| soldier.
| SO says Inspector General Darlington il
| a report to the Secretary of War. In hi!
opinion the remedy for these conditions 1.
the organization Of a general servics
corps to do the labor at the post. thu:
leaving the soldier free to do militar,
duty.
Award of Campaign Badges.
AS campaign badges should be given a:
the mark and distinction Of service ir
real campaigns-that is. campaigns unde,
war conditions-in which event they would
be a real distinction, it is recommended
that they not be awarded except for serv'
ice in campaigns where there have beer
actual hostilities.
The inspector general says the medical
effort to take proper care of the sick
and the hospitals. Medical supplies are
sufficient and of good quality. Regula-
tons for their use and care have been
generally observed.
The health Of the commands Is good.
AS a rule the sanitary condition Of the
posts, he says, is good or excellent.
One inspector has stated as his opinion,
derived from both observation In cam
paign and field work and the inspection
OF posts. that the medical field training
is not up to the standard. and that more
attention should be given to the duties
Of the Medical Corps In campaign work,
as preparedness for war Is of the first
Importance.
Military Administration.
Several radical recommendations for
changes in military administration have
been made to the War Department by
Col. J. L. Chamberlain, inspector general
Of the Philippines division.
1T may be asserted without fear OF
challenge" says he. that construction
work in the army, under present condi-
tions, leaves much to be desired. Train
ing necessary for work Of construction Is
entirely foreign to that which is neces.
sary for an officer of supply depart.
ment.
Construction requires technical
knowledge Of high order. Such knowl.
edge is possessed by only a small per-
centage of the officers Of the quartermas-
ter's department, while in the Corps OF
Engineers every Officer receives special
training along those lines.
us is. therefore. recommended that all
matters pertaining to Construction be
transferred to the Corps of Engineers.
1T is believed that the detail system,
so far as it applies to the Pay Corps,
should be discontinued. Energetic. am
bilious Officers OF the line, as a rule,
object to. this detail, and justly 80, on
the ground that the time 50 spent Is to
them a complete loss professionally.
II have become convinced that the army
would be better off II the office Of chap
lain were filed by contract instead of
by permanent appointment. The salary,
perquisites. opportunities for seeing the
world, etc, would furnish great aftrac-
tons for ambitious young men Of all
denominations.
LAS their residence status in civil life
is not permanent. service for a greater
or less period In the army would not
prejudice their future prospects. 1t
would. In fact, add materially to their
equipment for whatever positions they
might be called upon to FILL"