The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-04-15
CRYING FOR REFORM
IN ARMY OF BRITAIN
Radical Demand for Democrat.
szatioa Reveals Problems
Of Finance.
Nenn, tse taaaon nme.

eEhE~AAh--fttls4 N1aS HSSl assN NsS1sssSl.l assslo
ny VARGAS radical ana labor members
snat s&e army should be ~"demoera-
GzsS." Nc &neS however. has pre-
casey deemed The meaning Of the term.
or AAS stated c4SaT3S what is N his
=asa& N making this proposal
ls: rs START with an understandings
aHaG: pazna&, Democracy IS that form
II government u which is vested in
a2& exercised by She people at large
IL SaSt tas army is AlGeA6y de-
-aaS-4Gza&
TAs ASaSs Of commons IS elected by
It's people, ana the army IS maintained
by tAs votes OF the house 81 COM
were II not far the passing o. the
a-5sy al annually the army would
cease 20 exist saS the empire would
vanish with =, tov the army IS the
solder q ths empire \ the de-
sIsct2aa Of the army ana Of the en-
SSCs IS 8 single operation.
Commons Controls the Army.
This house q commons supports the
s-Zay by voting supplies, and car ef-
3aa; What changes It pleaSes in or
ga1i5a1o2 sa6 numbers by exercising
tbs authority ca1SltGGaoaly vested in
ms lower chamber.
ThaSs T3ghs the hoGss OF commons
frequently exercise whether for good
OF ta- evil and the army IS con-
SN=AN~"e - ~ q
Z j. o-sEaocraaZed,
= democracy Is often more stupid
a16 more E5raanlcl than an ~autocracy
aEc 4 Is Qot necessarily devoid Of
sa2Se.
Every democracy recognizes thai in
az armed force ST exact Discipline must
os observed, and that those who are
Eully q crimes Of Seditions TO the
q1a5uaice Of good order and military
discipline must be brought TO q more
exemplary and speedy punishment
EhEa The usual forms Of the law allow.
tbs condition is expressly rec
Dl-Eed by The preamble OF the army
tannE4l) act and The rules and regula-
Eols which govern the army are
framed = accordance with the pro-
VISIONS Of that c and consequently
Issued from The people and are demo-
crane.
Position OF the Crown.
L. he position Of the crown In any
sense opposed TO n democratic ideal
IN RELATION 10 the army? Certainly not,
en- i Is by the viii OF the people hat
n KING cslgas, and the crown is as
luch the offspring of democratic
ideals rs the resi- Of our constitutional
system.
The defense Of the realm has been
Wisely nt-nsTed by the constitution to
the c-own According to the opinion
OF Il most eminent 1urists the
suTferr1a potestas" IS inherent in the
crown. Z the crown could not re-
lease itself from It's tenure Il 1t would.
In al Q-emocractes, IN France as we'll
ss In The United States. the head Of the
state, as the French constitution de-
clsrss, dispose de Ia force armee," and
n failure on the part Of the ministers
o. lns head OF the state to keep the
latter regularly informed of all pro-
ceedings relating 10 the disposal of
armed forces is unconstitutional and
uerogauory TO the established demo
cratic practice.
IL for example. any minister in the
recent crisis failed 10 keep the king
regularly informed, or failed to take
MS orders. Or authorized, or failed to
prevent the Legitimate use Of the
kings nar1s such act would be uncon-
stftatfonaf and undenocratic. and no
possible excuse for such act or ornis-
sion could be valid.
What Do Radicals Want?
What after all. Go our radical and
labor Members want? II they want the
terms OF 3 recent army order to be
exactly carried out they have nothing
70 complain Of for il q been admitted
III both houses that no orders given to
q army are been disobeyed and that
b conduct Of ali ranks has been ex-
snap2ary< These admissions destroy at
z stroke the whole fabric of criminal
ilbe5 which we haye lately been privi-
legged 10 wonder AT, and the country will
Judge between The army and its ac-
cusers.
Bet II the parties Of the left desire
II possess an instrument which they
can 1ase for their own political ends, an
instrument wholly devoid of conscience
and convictions. and suitable for such
en- adventure as the coercion Of a
deersy religious and Protestant COM
yrSTy4kr &. rryArb refuses fy he iyiy9a ont
OF tie united Kingdom. then &c an
army cannot be recruited in England
End u9tsst be sought for elsewhere.
The left parties should recruit u
srr1Y somewhere between CaiIabria n
KorGofaa and officer IL with soldiers of
nc Gcu6t. such an army would be fit
sor any parDoac, and when not In use
Is might eoFceivably-aithough 1t also
might not--3ac passiveiy in a corner
awaiting It's masters commands.
income Of the Officers.
L%t us suppose. however. that these
fdeae are fantastic, and that what ne
left PARTIES desire ie that officers
should be able 70 live on their pay. and
should no longer be indispensable to a
candidate for a commission In this
ease ard in this form q very large num-
ber Of officers will heartily welcome
more characterization, n 1t In a COM
pIete mistake &c uppo that the ma
5offsy Will raise any objection to 1t.
There Isl an idea. born OF ignorance.
and scduIoDsIy fogtercd by politicians
OF the baser sort, that the corps OF Off
GERS in orr army ID wealthy. 1t Is be-
cause the actual reverse is the case
we ave 10 make superhuman eff
forts 10 find candidates for commits
Biors.
II has been proved by inquiry that
the average private income of Sand
hurst cadets, including candidates for
the Indian army, Is $3.50 a year, and
that. excluding the Indian army. the
average private income Is between $500
and $3.50 a year, leaving out the
sprinkling OF rich men OF whom there
may be half a dozen In Zach batch.
Considering that no officer q serve
at home unless he has at least 1900
to $4,000 a yea In the cavalry. 1t Is
obvious that the aso why we have
such difficulty In filling the commits
stoned ranks Is a financial reason. and
that until this obstacle has been re-
moved we canno entertain the hope
of enlarging our horizon of choice or OF
49,