The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-17
ARMY SYSTEM
OF AMERICA
Only Merit Counts in the Selection
of Officers

The most important feature of the
new American National Guard act,
says a writer in the London Chron-
icle, is the taking of the nomination
OF officers out Of the hands OF gov
ernors of states and placing this
function IN the custody of the pres
ident. This removes the whole mat
ter from the political field.
The president with the sanction
of Congress can call for any number
of volunteers and they are placed on
exactly the same footing as other en-
| listed men except that they must be
dismissed as soon after the procla-
nation of peace as practicable. The
writer continues: When ii is re-
remembered that the United States
has no reserve force as it is operated
in Europe. and that the law limits
the standing army TO 100, 900, it will
at once be seen how important are
the new powers to the nation.
In theory of course, compulsory
service for all male adults between
! the age of Is and As should provide
an army sufficient TO satisfy the most
aggressive and ambitious nation in
the whole world, but the American
people being a peaceful and kindly
folk in the main, have allowed the
intention of the law to remain unful-
| filled in fact. So that while on pa
l per there are 6,127 600 organized
and unorganized militia" known to
the official records, less than the odd
i thousand are actually available for
!: immediate service, with little train
ling.
Il The enlisted or regular army
stands at something less than $4,000
of whom nearly one-haf are employ
ed on coast defense and other duties
or in the Philippines and other de-
Tendencies; probably $4,000 would
: be the uttermost muster possible for
the country at a moments call.
1t will interest Europeans to read
something of the democratic meth
DDS by which the army Of this great
country is Differed. Indeed it may
be that Great Britain will get some
flight upon the democratizing of her
own army in a review of the Ameri-
can system.
Briefly, there are three methods
by which a man can obtain COM
: mission; but there is no way in
r-biob 10 CON he opo,,00iod an ro1o1y
: Iby reason of his wealth or social po-
: sition. If there should prove to
: have been an unwise exercise of the
q presidents prerogative of limited Sc.
Il lections in a number of cases, there
= are so few as merely to prove the
3 usually wise choice made.
Fl Primarily, enlistment in the com
=lmissioned ranks is from the militar,
= academy and I ann assured that it Il
Il almost impossible for a cadet Il
fake a pass at West Point for in
= stance.
This academy is to the American
= army what Sandhurst is to the arm.
= of King George. There are differ
= ences, all in favor of West Point, a
= I believe, but on the whole there ar
= analogous institutions.
= And West Point knows nothing o
and poor as such. Ever
- youngster is proved worthy befor
. he can get there. When he succeed
= the nation provides for his needs 70
: six years and pays him enough t
= keep him cut of debt.
- In addition to the admissions fror
= the military academy, a senator
y congressional district and territor
- may have one cadet at the academy
= the District of Columbia having two
- and Porto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii an
- the Philippines sharing il he priv
= ilege.
- 1t might at first seem that such
= system was open to political use c
. abuse. But notice has TO be give
= that appointments are about to b
. made and any youngster who ha
= sufficient grit TO face examination
. useful as distinguished from orn;
= mental subjects may enter and take
- an equal chance.
Fl Promotion from the ranks prt
q ceeds on the same lines. From tim
= to time examinations are held an
= every man serving has the right
. proffer himself for the test. {
. course the number of acceptances
= limited, not by the number of pass
- but by the number of vacancies
= the time available. The chief pol
81 is that those who are successful WI
= find themselves not merely tolerate
= but welcomed as equals at least
= the majority of those with who
. they are 10 pass the remainder