The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-09-02
BROUN SAYS NEW
ELEMENT IN ARMY
HELPS DEMOCRACY
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colonel in Egypt who drew up his
men and told them:
GDon't Call Me BILL"
"An English general is coming
here today TO inspect the regiment,
and remember. damn you, don't call
me BIZ until he goes"
An instructor at British training
camp told me that the Canadians
were now among the best disciplined
troops in the army, but that the Aus
-tralians still gave occasional trou-
pie. Every now and then" he said.
"a couple Of them win sneak down
in the woods and camp out alone for
a couple OF days"
British officers will tell you that.
although the Australians fight well,
their losses are much higher. than
they would be with better discipline.
II there is such a possibility as an alb
solutely democratic army, II has been
much impaired by the poor work of
the Russian republican army. The
scheme of submitting each plan of at
tack to the soldiers before II IS order
ed cannot be said to have proved ef-
fectiYe. . --E.
The question OF discipline in the
American army is complicated by
many factors. Before the war there
was a gulf between officers and men
fully as wide as that in the English
army. 1t was not due to lack of
democracy. 1t was a gulf founded on
fundamental differences of character
and education. On one hand, there
was the officer class, carefully Sc
lected and carefully trained, and, on
the other. the enlisted men, haphaz-
ardly accepted from the floating pop
ulation. Professional armies the
world over are recruited largely from
the industrially inefficient during
times Of peace.
officer Hoped, Him.
An American regular of no great
promise was bewaiIing the fact that
an officer had hoped him because he
executed a command imperfectIy.
Well" his companion answered.
wouldn't the farmer bawl you out II
he told you to feed the horses and
you didn't give them as much as he
told your 1t was the typical point
OF view OF the old type of profess
sional soldiers. He was drawn from
the "bawled out" class, and he could
W 80 SAAs " Odhl OUT
methods.
Things are largely changed now.
More than half the American army in
France is made up OF men who Joined
after the declaration OF war. They
were not jobless or inefficient. Multi
tudes Of reasons sent them into the
ranks. few wanted to make the
world safe for democracy Many more
desired adventure, an ocean voyage
and a trip to Paris, and perhaps Ber-
lin.
All Sorts of Officers.
There are men drawn from MANY
classes in the army, and there will be
more. Already there are all sorts of
officers. There is the regular from
West Point, the occasional regular
from civil life, the officer who came
through the Fort Leavenworth train
ing school, the reserve officers, and a
number OF former "non-coms" recent
ly elevated TO commissions. The
greatest sticklers for discipline are
the reserve officers.
Tho officers who rose from nom
CONS are somewhat stiff and formal
in the exercise OF their new-found
honors. All have been transferred
from their regular regiments, so that
they shall not be associated with the
enlisted men they knew before they
held commissions. Some officers be-
lieve in leading their men. others in
driving them, while still a third class
combine the two methods. One of
the best young officers l have seen
in the army is absolutely informal
with his men at times. He comes to
their concerts and hands cigars to the
quartet and consults with them as to
what song they shall sing.