The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-05-04
HOW TO RECRUIT AZ ARMY

$. c. Pierce. of Sunnyside dropped
into the Courier office a few days
ago and suggested a plan 10 keep
the army up 10 the strength de-
sired he and the editor together
finally got 10 n point where the
Young men Of the country were
falling over each other to get into
the army The pay ~ the soldier
was reduced from SIS n month 10 s.
per month. and still they kept com.
ms and n last We simply had 10
turn them away.
We nre willing 20 bet nirl,ls Co.
pennies that the plan Is practical.
and that the officers training
camps that are now being estab-
.lishel over the country would no
.haVr been necessary II the plain had
hrrn IN uSr during the last ten
years.
HERE n the idea. The officers
tho regular army are all v
Pointers or college men. Tho IN
slruciors At West Point are mls'l
detailed from the officers Of j.
different regiments. An officer is
competent. IN fact more competent.
.to train other men for officers than
any class n instructors that e r 81
found IN the country The I'd
TO give the enlisted mon the s.mr
course of instruction Is IL given tho
cadets when they enter West Point.
\ nan ar hoy. I'm order 10 enter
the military school AZ West Point
has to pass an examination. There
lre IN the regular army a very
small per cent Of the enlisted men
able Ia pass this entrance eNami-
But they ran be- prepared.
IN times of peace the ordinary
duties of a srldi'r arr rrhl. The
daily drills last from two n three
hours AZ the longest after the re-
.cruit drill Suppos. the enlistment
period Is seven years. Tho soldier
Is required I oailrnd school ~ or
eight hours every day. Enlisted
m"n could b. used ~ prep in
slructor,. When the student was
sufficiently advanced N enter West
Point the officers If thu regiment
.rould begin m" work there and tho
enlisted men could receive the
advantage Of university lrainng.
With the number of officers asSlg.
ned tn each regiment there would
be- no lack Tor rrofs.
The tim" of me mon would then
%" taken mp With their WORK and tho
iiripliur should. be- more on the
order "f q ,Ih"ul The gov crumrni
would furnish The nrrr,,ar, text
iuo.s clothing etc, m ii f. fur
ush"d nHv. and m" ~pay-SSp per
mouih-Vnuid boz as much a, many
If M" Young mon attending regular
school, are allowed
Parents who could moi afford 10
educate ih'ir SONS would put them
% m, army in be- educated After
o seven year course of INSTRUCTION.
the, would be- discharged and would
b" prepared io hold koud joh,
They could belong In the reserve
corps for any length Of time he
sired, aud In case ~ a crisis like
the present one. there would be- no
shortage Of competent officers.
Tho army then. instead Of turning
out men unprrpared 10 meet the
requirements uf civil life, would
turn out men who would become
good citizens. Ne do not mca
that the discharged soldier Is moi a
good citizen. but the idea Il that
the DISCHARGED soldier would rank
with the men with a college educa-
iiun.-rank above the average citi-
zen intellectually
by reducing the pay from sib To
- per month the expense Of main
tanning an army under a plan SINH
larry to the one outlined ahove
would not be- rs great a. il has
been under the present system. The
army would serve IT. purpose in
time of peace. and the country
would be prepared In ease Of war,
IN addition to becoming me " the
most popular aud practical insii-
iuilons m the country for the
training of young men
Il D, very likely that an army
officer could explain IN lwo minutes
hat such a plan is not and never
will be- practical, bot II sounds good
whether practical or not.