Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1898 — HOW TO ENLIST IN THE ARMY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HOW TO ENLIST IN THE ARMY.

Net One in Ten Can Come Up to Unde Sam’s Requirements. ifkhy are called, 0* think the* ire called, to serve Unde Sam in the Regular army, but few are chosen. The swaggering tough stands on the walk outside of the city recruiting office, and says, with a leer, “I guess dey’ll take all dey kin git.” Then he goes up stairs and finds that 95 out of 100 are rejected, induding himself. The army varies from the navy in the fact that there is no ban to promotion from the ranks to the highest grade. General Nelson A. Miles, at the head of the United States army, is not a graduate

of West Point, and there are many instances of private soldiers and even “outsiders” becoming commissioned officers. The appointments to the war school of instruction at West Point, on the Hudson River, fifty miles above New York City, are made by Congressmen, each representative having the right to detail an eligible youth, between the ages of 18 and 21, from his district when it is not represented at the Military Academy. The President also has been given the authority to appoint ten, “at large,” and usually grants the favor to the son of a former or present officer of either branch of the military (which includes navy and array) service. Entrance examinations and annual reviews of book knowledge are the same as at the naval academy, and during the summer the cadets go Into camp near West Point. The fact is that, aside from drills In seamanship, howitzer and boat practice, the course of instruction at both the academies, West Point and Annapolis, is very similar, for the naval cadets are exercised in Infantry tactics, fencing and broad-t sword exercises, and on their daily evening parade present fully as imposing a presence and exactitude ot martial stride as the military pupils. The special difference between the two schools is in the age and pay of the students. The West-Pointers, as Indicated in the age requirement for admission, are older men, and, while their annual stipend during the scholastic term of four years is about the same as

that .given at Annapolis, upon graduation they become second lieutenants, and receive a larger salary than that allotted to those completing the course at the naval academy. Promotion with them to the grades of first lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel and brigadier general is fully as slow as it is in the naval service, but their compensation is always comparatively larger. For this one reason the army might be considered the more favorite branch of military service, yet there has never been any popular or privately determined feeling that it was so. To those that wish to enlist as privates there are recruiting stations to be found in every large city of the United States, and the applicant may select either the cavalry, infantry or artillery. The applicant must necessarily fill the special requirements of age, stature and chest measure and be in good bodily condition. If so, he is very liable to be imediately enrolled and receive clothes, shelter, board, medicine, surgical attendance when necessary and the exorbitant cash sum of sl3 a month. But, then, the entire allotment is worth $45 or SSO a month, and there are some men who can’t earn this sum. The promotion of the private soldier may be very rapid in time of war. If he Is an educated man and of any especial ability, he may be wearing a colonel’s epaulets before he returns

from the fields of battle. In the piping times of peace his advancement is to that of corporal and sergeant, technically termed noncommissioned officers, and then if he has influence or his own individuality dominates he may be allowed to attempt the examination for a first lieutenancy. If he succeeds in passing both the physical and mental demands, he is then a commissioned officer in the United States army, and his career is as free before him as if he had all the training and glories of a West Point course. If you desire to enlist, you must be between 21 and 30 years of age, of good character and habits, ablebodied, not less than 5 feet 4 inches in height and weigh between 128 and 190 pounds. If your height is above 5 feet 10 Inches and your weight more than 165 pounds, you may join the artillery or Infantry, but not the cavalry.

A RECRUITING OFFICER.

THE RECRUITING OFFICE.

MAGNET THAT DOES THE BUSINESS.