Show ARMY REG DED I 1 AS A UNNECESSARY iii U I Civilians Seem S em to Take est in the Institution GEN GL REPORT PL PC INSTATEMENT BY THE MIL MILITARY SECRETARY d Washington Oct Major r General Generali P F i C the military secre secretary tary tal r in n h annual report devotes devot s attention to desertions from the army Those Thole who know how bow the can canteen canteen canteen teen came to b abolished lie he states are not hopeful of ot its It restoration there is 15 no of ot any such increase so in inthe Inthe inthe the soldiers pay as will offset t the greater inducement offered in civil pur pursuits suits the comforts and even een luxuries that tutt are furnished to enlisted men in our service but injurious in their ef effect on men whose real business s is i to march and fight encumbered with few tow comforts and no luxuries and the discipline and instruction to which the soldier Is no now v subjected are not likely to be bo relaxed ela od in future people have little real Interest in the army in time of peace and from the tho earliest day of ot the republic have been accustomed tomed to look upon It as a amore amore amore more or less lass unnecessary Institution Enlistment in the army anny in m time of or is 1 not uncommonly regarded as aa evidence of or on the part of ot the recruits Change Chan je Seems Unlikely It is safe fe to predict that desertion from from the army will continue to be ex excessive ce lve until there shall have havo been a radical change of or public sentiment to toward ward the tho army and until the deserter shall come como to be bo regarded as the criminal that ho he is ii i to be ostracized I j und and nd hunted down as a relentlessly as any other transgressor of the laws In aws WS There J is I no reason to look for such a change chango changoor of or sentiment In the near noar future and there thero are arc some who believe that the Change ge will never come until our peo pee people peole pie le shall have leave learned learn d through na national nat national t disaster and humiliation that the effective maintenance of army of or professional protes ional soldiers is absolutely es essential essential to the preservation of ot the na national national national honor and life Uto and that the trained and disciplined troops of ot a modern enemy cannot be withstood by b hastily organised organized armies of ot untrained or half hult trained civilians J Losses During the Year The Tho losses In the regular army arm dur during durIng ing big the tho fiscal year were Officers killed In action or died of wounds dis dla disease disease ease easo etc 24 resigned or discharged 20 O dismissed 13 deserted 3 i retired 59 9 total ii d Enlisted men killed in action or died of ot 4 4 wounds disease etc 7 discharged upon expiration of term of oC service dis dig discharged discharged charged for disability by sentence of and by b order deserted 6 63 3 retired m Total During the tho year ear battle flags in cus custody custody tody tudy of or the tho war department were returned to the governors g of the states in which I II the regiment that bore them were raised rained lie He says sya there still remains here of ot orth these thas th flags General Ainsworth recommends M that these the e Union flags be to the theft I ft United States military academy and that the confederate flags flag be given liven to some general confederate memorial or historic 11 tor ic Ie association |