The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08
S. VOLUNTEERS WOULD HAVE TO FACE RIGID TESTS
Available Supply Of Recruits Would Permit A@emblage Of Highly Fit Army,
All Under 80 and Over 20, Thus Lessening Mortality From
Illness When Actual Service Was Demanded
Z THAT would the United states

W yIiAT would the United States
w do II forced by any of the
W warning nations tn maintain
It's dignity and the freedom Of the
seas, without compromise and at any
cost?
The first call might be for 3OO. 900
volunteers, if we found ourselves
Obliged to fight, IL might be for jOO,-
600. Doubtless President Wilson al
ready knows how many men he will.
IN such an event, summon at first
from civil life to- the colors by procla-
nation.
suppose the event to happen; what
than? We'll. for one thing. the new
American volunteer army would un-
oouat~dly average much higher in
Ihysical fitness than any army ever
before assembled by any nation. This
is no: a mere boastfrl surmise: 1t is
a statement based upon known and
definite facts. So vast "a number of
men would be available that the Gov
eminent could afford to pick only the
best. The supply of volunteers would
lie so much greater than the demand
that the standard to be met by the
individual recruit would he most ex-
acting. Fledgling youths. such as
were enlisted SO numerously in the
civil war, would not be accepted.
only a thoroughly able bodied man
can stand the exposure and hardships
of campaigning or acquire the endur-
ance to fatigue and resistance to dis
case requisite for an efficient soldier.
II is a matter of record that in the
civil war the mortality among volun-
teers from causes other than wounds
was nearly rwice as great as among
the regulars. The physical exnmina-
ton to which they were subjected on
tnlisting was less strict.
No volunteer would lie accepted who
Is less than > feet I inches tall OF who
weighs less han l2S pounds. All APP
plicants for enlistment who are owe
60 years OF age would he rejected
Experience has shown that a man
loses efficiency FOR soldering purposes
every year after he passes 30. Ger
many. at present. is putting into the
field hundreds OF thousands of men
who are V % 40 and eve v @ 50.
II is for her a grim necessity, but
their inferiority as fighters IL des-
tined to affect seriously the future ot
tho war.
The ideal recruit is about 81 years
old. At that period of life he has not
yet gained the maximum of his physi-
eli strength and development. but he
Is more easily broken into the ways
Of military life than later. The vet
.-an.. II NaI.!ean We're mn OF 2s
TO = years; The sOldlers VI ms OH
guard" were 2S and 29. His oldest
fighting men at Austcrlitz were 81.
ON the other hand, save in excep-
tional instances. volunteers under 20
would not he accepted for the army
II we were drawn into the European
conflict. Men below that < are st"l
boys. physically speaking. and not
fully fitted to withstand the hardships
and fatigues of war. Military history
contains many complaints of COM
manders whose hospitals were filled
with overyoung. immature soldiers.
Col. Nalery Harvard, L. s.. A.. an
accepted authority on such subjects.
says that the higher the social class
the better the recruit is likely To be
both physically and mentally. Good
food and healthful environment
make the best men. In European
armies the officers. for this reason.
are taller and heavier than the en-
listed men.
Yonng men from rural districts are
stronger. heavier. healthier and more
enduring than those reared in urban
communities. But recruits from the
cities posSess ~compensltinc adyun-
tages, being more adaptable, sooner
trained and quicker to acquire the
smart step and martial bearing OF