the Prussian army. In Cromwell's "model army" there were many devout men who believed that God had a plan for every human soul. A soldier who believes that he is thus personally selected to do a fighting part usually has sufficient faith to be indifferent to life or death. Personally it must be well whatever happens. The thought of such a soldier never interferes with or upsets his habit of discipline. The effect of thinking upon military habits depends upon the character of the thinker and the kind of thinking indulged in. Thinking may strengthen or weaken habit. Thinking which interferes with habit is bad from a military point of view. Correct habits make a good soldier. This is the old idea. If we aid to correct habits, right thinking and feeling to back good habits, we have a better soldier. This is the modern idea. Right thinking and feeling without correct habits is a useless combination. Habit, however, may become too strong to be broken by any thinking or any interference from the brain. Rip Van Winkle often promised to reform but his sub-foremen insisted upon their daily allowance of grog and got it. Good habits are as persistent as bad ones and are as hard to break. This is the basic value of habit as a military asset. VII THE MILITARY HABITS HE process of acquiring any habit is usually analyzed and expressed in four maximums. I Select the habit. 2 Demonstrate the habit. 3 Secure abundant and genuine practice with every effort of will and attention directed to acquiring the habit. 4 Allow no exceptions. I. SELECTION OF HABIT The military habits you are expected to acquire are prescribed in orders or are traditional in the Service. Discipline may be defined in terms of habit as embracing all habits desirable for the economical management of an army and the fitting of men for field service. The course of training should aim wisely to manipulate the environment of a soldier so as to develop in him, without waste of time or effort, the valuable habits desired. These are: A. Military bearing. B. Military courtesy. C. Putting forth physical and mental efforts. High level of efforts. D. Self-control: mental and physical control. F. Smartness, exactness, and promptness. H. Mental alertness and confidence. I. Team work in practices useful in campaign and in battle, which insures tactical cohesion. A. Military Bearing The smart carriage, which should always characterize soldiers, has been evolved as the most practical position of readiness. It is the most economical position as it best sustains and carries the weight of the body and gives the organs the utmost freedom and ease in functioning. A military bearing is so associated with mental alertness and confidence, as to have become the outward and visible sign of an inner excellence. In riot duty, the military bearing of an armed force and its precision in drill are elements in maintaining order. In the popular mind, efficiency is so predicated upon appearance that a well-drilled body, by its machine-like precision, often paralyzes the activity of a mob. During the Pennsylvania strikes in 1877 a company of engineers, under command of Captain William R. Livermore, was marching through a turbulent district in one of the cities. They were surrounded by a mob of strike sympathizers, who hurled abuse and missiles at the soldiers as they were passing a defile made by piles of lumber on either side of a street. To steady his men, the captain halted the company and executed a few movements in the manual. The company was closely watched by the rioters, who stopped their fusillade, to see what the soldiers were doing. In the hush that followed the cessation of activities, nothing was heard except the captain's voice giving commands and the rattle of arms in the manual. Suddenly a shrill voice called, "Look out for them, they ain't militia with bouquets in their guns." A stampede was inaugurated, the rioters fell back and kept a respectful distance. They suddenly acquired an exaggerated idea of the efficiency of the soldiers by their precise drill and military bearing. During the Chelsea fire another incident occurred, illustrating the effect of soldierly bearing. One of the State troops clad in a misfit overcoat, and uncertain of his movements, while acting as sentinel, warned back a crowd from passing a certain street. The crowd walked over him. In an adjoining street a marine on guard, no larger than the State sentinel, but with a natty, set-up and wellfitting uniform, diverted the crowd by sharply coming to port arms, and directing them in peremptory tones to pass the other way. B. Military Courtesy All rules of military courtesy have for their object the due subordination of juniors to seniors. Due deference to rank impresses the soldier rendering the courtesy and his comrades who see it. Proper deference recognizes and creates a prestige which makes obedience easy. Courtesy will be discussed later when we speak of the instinct of subordination. C. High Level of Effort In all walks of life precept urges the steady application of one's best efforts to the work in hand. A high level of effort should be as much a part of an officer's make-up as the uniform is part of his clothing. Whenever interest flags, we feel a loss of force and the need of a renewed initiative. An officer must maintain his interest, or at least, force himself in the going as if his interest had not abated. As a leader and school master he must always be giving more than he receives from his men. This is the price of suc |