The conditions under which soldiers served and their effect on rates of desertion were much discussed in the U.S. Army at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The unidentified officer interviewed in this article addresses reports of bad food and other allegations of poor conditions at Davids Island that were said to cause recruits to desertion or attempt suicide. Published in The New York Times on August 9, 1889. Reproduced through the courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers and The New York Times.