El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-29
U. S. Army Needs No MoHy-Coddling
Says This Officer; Old Days Recalled
By T..
In April Infantry Journal


IT IS going TO take the average man
1 and woman in the United States
about two year. to find cut just what
sort Of an animal a soldier really is.
Just at present enough well meaning
and earnest folk to fiji about one
thousand open air lecture grounds are
Obscessing themselves with the idea
that unless TIE American army is
thoroughly molly coddled the world
won't be any safer for democracy than
bottle Of rum is If found in transit
through Idaho; and they are working
overtime TO turn a perfectly good
husky. built and geared for . scrap.
into Little Lord Fauntleroy prcpar-
ing Tor an evenings entertainment IN
the nursery.
II all the misdirected energy that is
being wasted on plans TO rescue the
morals OF the young fighter and pro
tect his chest. throat. Indigestion and
home cooking appetite from ruin were
devoted TO providing the essential
things for a real army. the agErega-
ton that followed old man XerXes
over the plains would look like the
salvation Army compared TO the Army
Of Freedom. and the bOche would be
sending out distress calls In advance.
Money Wasted on ~Press Dope"
I can say with absolute truth. that
the amount OF money spent in the
country for the hire OF press agents
alone to exploit the various schemes
for raising money for military char
tiles exceeds the total cost Of main
tanning the German general staff
And the small part OF IL all is that
Young America, on his way TO a mans
job. doesn't want and doesn't need
any mouycoddlinE 10 keep him fit.
Nor are his morals in danger OF land
ing him any nearer perdltiOn than
they would IL he were back in civil
life doing business at the old stand.
Men haven't changed any in the
personal sense since Philip Of Mace
don went out looking for trouble and
laid the foundation for son Alexan-
der's somewhat extensive operations.
And / am minded TO recall. for appli-
cation to that formula laid down By
Patrick Henry when he said that he
knew OF no way OF judging the fu-
ture excepting by the past, the max
ing OF the Thirty first infantry. en-
the days when the Philippines offered
q field for adventure and some action.
What n soldier Needs Not.
Possibly, in the reading Of the story,
10 may dawn upon the populace that a
soldier doesn't need 70 be loaded down
with an alarm clock, a box OF bon
bons, the latest work on How TO En-
terrain Your Friends AT Cards" a foot
photograph and The Lives OF Saints
in order TO hike Is niles a day and
shoot the living daylight out OF a lot
OF sausage makers who had a mind TO
get more earthly space in which to
operate their sausage mill
1t was back in 1888. The summer
was just beginning 10 put the brakes
on the negro who drives the cotton
truck on Main street in Memphis.
sen J. Mel Carter was then a lesser I
ieht IN the recruiting service. climb
ing along TO his meritorious own
just n HE Aggregation.
The call had come for men TO 1oln
he Thirty first. and they were 20 /
zone from Tennessee. Arkansas. Ken
-uoky. Ohio and Indiana Memphis I
vas a center OF recruiting. They be- I
gan 20 come along In punches In an I
I'D hotel over on the water front the /
lrmy kept the recruits. preparatory I
% shipping them along 10 Fort I
-homas. where Big jim" Petit was .
B aiting 10 lick them into shape. along
With Lloyd Brett. John r. 1IclIahon .
nd Hunter Liggett-au save Big
i'm who Is dead. being now gen I
rails OF the line, outstanding among
heir fellows like so many oaks in . Il
mighty forest
NOBODY sent the fellows along in II
motor cars: nobody came along with n
OF flowers and extra blankets4
nd shoes, and advice on the subject Of u
Welding the wine or the lips when n
hey are red II was just a plain BE 1
Of lads who were ready I
o shoulder rifles and do hitch under.iI
he flag.
It was a gathering OF country boys. n
Z mechanics. OF fellows from the 1
eamy side, of college lads and men \
Z family. all being stirred in the
reat melting pot where men drop in /
lad in dress suits and overalls and
ONE out as like as two peas in khaki
nd blue.
Had No aTFelfare League
They marched away carrying, good
ess knows. nothing save light hearts.
o take a train for the fort. There 4
hey were reported 10 thu adjutant;
hey were sent along TO the old bar
acks Of the Sixth infantry. and
unked. bedless and crowded. but
Apply. in the quarters where a regi-
tent had slept that had its name I'm
old all over the pages OF military
ist0ry Of the land.
Jules Ord had just fallen to leave
is hero form along the line Of the
1mmand's martial story.
~ 800