The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-12-10

tlluL Tic tOi pOid 40 huNht "hoSV o4uuN
does not have two or three slips In Its
arrangement. Also the corporal must
quickly learn the pet point OF each
inspecting officer. With n 1t may
be the size of the cake of soap; with
another the darn on the pair of socks
or the minute particle Of dirt that col.
lects under the movable slide Of the
sight leaf Of the rifle.
During the hours that are free from
drills and duties the corporal must
know where the men In his squad are.
He Is supposed to see that they battle
at least once a week and keep their
clothes and persons neat. The last
thing at night, as taps Is blowing, he
reports his squad as present IL each
one is on his cot, or anne such I'M
fortunates as may have misjudged the
length of time required to return to
camp or the amount Of liquor they
could onsum safely.
Such are the routine matters the
corporal has In charge. The question
may arise as to how he enforces his
authority In these matters. The rules
are all so framed for q soldiers bene-
fit that, however much he may have
been without standards OF order and
neatness before enlisting, a corporal
with force and tact can usually carry
the man along with the rest with little
necessity for discipline. The means
Of discipline are not lacking, however,
and here the details above have a real
value.
oiscIpIInino He Men.
There are many of these pieces of
work which do not call for G complete
squad, and there are Jobs done under
a sergeant's oversight with a man from
each squad. The corporal can always
assign the man who was last out at
drill call or whose rife was denounced
as unclean at inspection to these de-
tails, as well as those Of cleaning up
the tent each morning.
Most men learn after they have
spent a few Of their spare hours chop
ping wood or cleaning pans to obey
the orders of the corporal Some there
are, of course. who have to be re-
por<ed to the first sergeant for con-
fnement to the company street, or
whose repeated offenses lead to the
g~uardhouse. The corporal who proper
ly enforces his authority knows that
the whole iron system Of discipline Of
the army Ia behind him.
In the more purely military matters
the corporal IL equally important. We
hear much Of the recruit and the drill
sergeant. II O company has efficient
corporals. IL IL more often the latter
who introduce the recruits to right
dress and port arms and explain the
nice distinction between squads right
and right turn.
Many a period OF company drill be-
gins with the captains command
"Corporals, take your squads for az.
teen minutes In the school Of the SOL
der and school of the squad; and II
Is there that individual attention can
be given. Close order drill Ia of course
In larger units, but even there the
proper execution Of a company move
ment frequently depends on the cor.
poral. and woe be TO the n who fails
to distinguish between "On right into
line" and fright front into line." fol
he will find his squad moving at right
angles to the rest of the company.
In open or deployed order. such al
would always be used under battle
conditions. the squad becomes tn,
smallest fighting unit and the corpora
becomes the leader whom the squad
must obey, follow and stick to. Her,
he Is usually under the supervision Of
a sergeant, but Il In to him that tn,
squad looks for orders and the ordel
which can properly be used only by 4
corporal and which IL the simplest II
the Infantry Drill Regulations" Fol
low me |" Is the one which takes tn,
squad away from the column In which
Ii has been marching, arranges II II
Its proper position on the firing line
advances II by rushes and finally lead
II to the bayonet charge.
Guard Duty.
II Ia the squad leader who IL giveI
the target designation and range b.
the platoon leader, and who Is re
sponsible for the volume and accurac,
of the fire. The Infantry Drill Regu
lations" say that an battle officer
and sergeants endeavor to preserve tn
integrity of squads; they designat
new leaders to replace those disabled
organize new squads when necessar,
and g that every man Ii placed In
squad. Men are taught the ~necessit
Of remaining with the squad to whic
they belong, and In cas- IL be broke
up or they become separated there
from to attach themselves to the neal
est squad"
A distinct form of the military dut
OF q corporal Is the guard duty. Thi
may be In the nature of police duty
such q having charge Of the me
known az the military police, detaile
to preserve order In towns near
camp. This work frequently require
q high degree Of ability to size up
situation and acf prompflv