The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-10

I its aim and method, without iurthef uesorlp-
| ton, and which is usually supported on the
| ground of the means 1t affords for instantly
| swelling small army to great one without
| i,ppairipg its eficiency--you have your mould,
Yonr in vour men. The other is the sym
nstrioal system, proportioned on the aomitted
| nssds of a certain number OF olhcers 10
Given number of men, just as IN compete
| theoretical army a,certaln raNlo VI huuUe,S
| ovist in the three arms of the service. This
| o,,stsrn fonnded OH the military unit, and
| S,,;i, nm tberefrom is recommended usually
| ns baing neriect as far as 1t goes, and as being
tbe most economical, because the most eff
c;ent In proportion to its size, at any given
moment
TENS is again waged in Congress. We had
almost pronounced it an interminable contest.
The truth is that both methods are good. 1t
ia like the old theological dispute regarding
Hfsith" and "works;" and If we could get in
some way happy compound of the cadre and
the small army, we should be as fortunate as
a religious sect that unites faith and works in
just proportions.
The plan Of Consolidating bureaus is, in
one sense, sort of cadre organization. Sup
pose, for example, that the new depart
ment of Supply" be created lin accordance
with the testimony delivered last week be-
fore the House Committee) to embrace the
present Qusrtermsster, Commissary and Pay
Departments. 1t is clear that the duties of
these departments will be kept distinct, and
the acquisitions, vouchers and so forth, be
separately prepared and filed. In other
words, we shall have, just as before, trained
officials, accustomed to their distinct lines of
work, and, in the contingency of war, il
would be the affair of a moment to analyze
and separate the Department of Supply"
into its component parts. The same is true
OF the Ordnance and Artillery, and, in gene
rQl Af oil tha l..
tions." Meanwhile, the absurdity OF keep
ing up such an enormous clerical force-for
that is about all it amounts to-with so small
an army in active and garrison service, is very
manifest.
We may take it for granted that about this
part of the army reduction-namely, the con-
solidation of Washington bureaus-there will
be little dispute. With small house nobody
wants gigantic porch. Moreover, with the
reduction of the force by third (for it is con-
templated to cut down the infantry to that
extent), the bureau work will be very slight.
If we are to spend only so much on the army
as the proposed reduction of the Appropriation
bills will warrant we must contrive to let as
much of it go beyond the bureaus and staff
departments as possible.
Turning now to the regiments themselves,
we may admit all that can be said of the ex-
oellence of the cadre system; that it gives us
large body of skilful ..and experienced Off
GERS; that it furnishes the sketch which it
would be easy to fill in with the body-the
skeleton of great army.
But the trouble is simply this, that our
present object is economy; and so dispropor-
tionate is the pay of officers and men that to
cut off few thousand of the latter, and keep
ali the former, would be saving at the spiggot-
to let 60 at the bung.
Moreover, there is at present in civil life
hundred-fold larger body of trained officers
both OF the volunteer and regular army
than ever before. Hence it is idle, for the
sake of saving good material, to make a
skeleton organization, when at the first call
Of the country ten thousand good swords
will be offered to lead her troops. The
country, we repeat, is full of officers of all
grades, educated and experienced to degree
which army officers in ten years of peace could
not attain.
Experience, finally, shows that, so far from
remaining in the army, the general rule with
officers ia to quit 1t after brief service. The
outbreak of the Rebellion found great part
of our most famous regular officers, including
Grant and Sherman themselves, in business
life. Hence, not only can we count on our
best soldiers going back to the army in time
Of war, but it is clear that, with or without a
cadre organization, we cannot hope to retain
even q majority of them in the dull routine o.
service in time Of peace.
We may accordingly hope that the advo
oates OF bringing the infantry force down
numerically 33a per cent. will agree to cut
down the force in body, whether by absorp
| ton or otherwise, and let the reduction in
| clude officers as well as men.