New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04


in unusual cases no man should hold such
temporary appointment longer than one
such period, in order that the inspectors
may have an opportunity to try out va
rious men and determine their capacity
for command.
Bear in mind that mere enthusiasm in
military work and efficiency in drill, or
even efficiency as a drill master, does not
made good officer. Unless a man has
natural gift of command of men, the facil
ity of handling men, the personality which
compels men to follow his lead without
question, he can never be a real efficient
officer. no matter how much he may know
about drill In the course of time an in
spector will be able to recommend to the
company that certain men be made perma-
nent officers, and if such men are accept
able to the company they should be so
elected or appointed, as the case may be.
Bear in mind that the company is, in
sense, a club, inasmuch as there is no en-
listment. as there is in the national guard,
and any man TO be an efficient officer must
be one who stands we'll with his men in a
general sense. And let it be understood
once and for all that no man is ever to be
made an officer simply because he IS
prominent citizen" or because he has a
friend who is somebody of Importance, or
because he is something in society,"" or
has plenty of spending money and may be
induced to literally contribute to the de-
fraying of expenses. Let no man be ap-
pointed or elected to office unless, first, he
IS found to be fully capable of fulfilling the
duties of that office, and second, that he is
sufficiently in the good graces of the men
to hold their loyal support.
Two Bodies Necessary.
In the course of time various companies
will be brought together in a battalion or
regimental organization, under the super
vision Of an Inspector, with officers acting
temporarily, until the inspectors are able
to recommend to the general staff men who
are fit for the regimental field and staff,
and the final selection of permanent officers
of such grades should be subject to the APP
proval of the general staff, which will be
based on the reports of the inspectors
Until such officers are chosen or appointed
the general organization outlined at the
outset can be one of a temporary nature
only, and that is why, as mentioned before,
the organization and the instruction must
march together.
Some one is going to ask why there
should be a duplicate rganization-one
of the volunteers and one of the retired
army officers-and how the activities Of
the two are to be harmonized, or cor
related" as it is now the fashion to say.
This scheme looks rather complicated, ana
possibly is an unhandy one. OF course,
it would not be necessary in an organlza-
ton like the national guard, in which the
men, by enlisting, by taking an oath of
allegiance, bind themselves to serve GER
tain number of years, under such officers
as may be set over them and to do certain
things. This enlistment, with the taking
of the oath, takes on the nature of a con-
| tract between the individual and the state,
and one that can be enforced by law, with
penalties provided for any breach of 1t.
/ But our voluntary army is not such an
organization. Enrolment in it cannot be
made to take the character Of a contract
1t will be purely voluntary service, and
enrolment will be more in the nature Of
membership in a club than enlistment
in an army. OF course, certain national
guard officer of high rank will frown at
| this idea, because he has set his face
against "ping-pong soldiers" and advo-
Gates tearing up the floors of the armories
| in order that the men may practise dig
ging trenches in the earth below. But a
company Of volunteers will be assembled
and held together much as is yacht club
or an athletic club-one organized to pro-
mote certain activities, and one which viii
/ be made up of men who are actively in
terested in such activities. Therefore, we
must have the national organization and
state organizations, something like the or
CARNATIONS of athletic and other sporting
clubs. on the one hand, and we must have
the organization Of retired military off.
GERS on the other; the one to assist in
keeping alive the enthusiasm in military
work by means Of the club spirit and the