Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1918 — No Sergeants’ Messroom. [ARTICLE]

No Sergeants’ Messroom.

There is no sergeants’ messroom In the American army. Sergeants and privates have the same food, served in the same style and place. The age for enlisting is from 18 to 35 years. All men offering to join must be United States citizens, or at least have in their possession first citizenship papers. The term of service is three years, and twenty-five years be served before a pension is obtainable, except in exceptional circumstances. Soldiers’ widows get sl2 per month, while they remain single and for each child an extra $2 a month is allowed until the child reaches the age of IB years. Punishments in the army are very severe, two years’ hard labor being the minimum penalty for desertion, even in time of peace. A repetition of the offense is punished by a penal servitude of five years. If a deserter manages to hide himself so as to avoid arrest for two years, and lives during that period in the United States he may not be brought to trial. Any one returning a deserter to his regiment can claim a reward of SSO from the government.