The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-10
NOW TO REDUCE THE ARMY.
The Department OF the En.t.

inc department OF the INST
To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sr: As
often as it is proposed to reduce the regular
army TO ten thousand mon as the limit COM
patiblc with safety. the Republicans. headed by
the Shormans, Garfield, little Hale. and tho
rest Of their tribe, rush to the front protesting
that the limit of safety has already been reached.
They are all ready to swear, and to support the
oath by long reports full Of involved and intri-
cato calculations that $4,000 mon is tho lowest
limit for the regular army compatible with the
existence Of the United States as n nation.
They insist shat the real necessity Of the times
IL strong Governments" that the army is
now In such feeble condition that it needs an
Increase Of numbers rather than a decrease.
People who do not examine their statistics are
imposed upon by them.
Let us slit carefully the statements Of these
gentlemen. with a view to ascertain whether
the taxpayers OF tho United States cannot save
some Of tho s31OO0OOO which they now waste
on their army. To do this moro plainly will
begin with the Department Of the East. because
it is the one in which New York city is situated.
and because it embraces tho most populous
States 81 the Union.
Tho Department Of the East Is n part Of the
military division Of the Atlantic. and its COM
mandcr. Maior-Gen Hancock. L. S. A.. is also
the commander oithe whole country cast Of the
Mississippi save only the State of Illinois. A
shor; time since tho headquarters Of this de-
partmout were in New York city. but owing to
what most army officers consider tho "miser-
able pnIsluony of nigRnriiy Congress. they
wern lately removed 20 Governors Island. New
at least relieved from me exorhitant rent once
paid for rooms in Houston street.
~" first question thHt arises in considering
the DeuHumcht ut the East r. What Is the u-e
ot ~ We az. not az war with any one. to need
the -.rVic, 81 u NWor-G'ucral- proper COM
wrnl; an IL So happens That tn very States
which are embraced in the porarimont of tho
East are th0-e which already have a certain
iorre Of miiitia. fairy organ.1 Therefore it
can hardly be said that regulars arc necessary
iosuNr. tac country from foreign invasion.
Thg dcLarlment em races al New England
81" whole CANADIAN frontier. and has vi rhigan,
Wisconsin. ami Indiana ON its Western border.
occupied ~ troops. These troops are artillery
4nd infantry for the most part. There * the
First Artillery. under cob Israel Nogdes. who
r. 'c!sod acknowledgement salute the other
lay 'ton tie Rrtsh Admiral az Newport; eight
win uie" band. at Fort N"Hcnry. Baltimore.
and the Third Artillery. under Getty complete.
besides odd companlrs from other regiments.
and The Whole ~ thc Twenty second Infantry
i,.al " som" lily COMPANIES 81 soldiers. with
several hundreds 81 on 'rr-. Tho que stion Tor
o." taxpayers 81 IN" mon i whether these
tr,"i- are n"'d"l ,wh.rr they are. and II not.
whether Il would be- best 10 move them else
where 9r to save cxpcns, By disbanding
inrm nni 81 reducing the army TO that extent:
Newport Forts Nfrlfrnry Baltimore aud Non
London Boston. Portland. anl New York take
up the AT li'ry. except a few cOinianics on the
Canada frontier BIT We also find that ali Il
these places have plenty 90 militia near at hand.
who could man the forts much more chcaply in
timc of need. v" also ilnd that tho forces NJ
present u''uIylng the forts are rs "A rule. en-
tlreiy too small 90 man them properly In rase II
a real alta =. and that their AS ignmeut il an
uun. "es-ary expense 70 the country. to conceal
M ig. that th"r" If no useful work for them 10
do. No one knows this b.tter than Gen. Sher-
man. hut he also knows that. ii he confess,
the truth, congress could not cgnsciontiously
refuse 10 reduce the army. by disbnnding tho
artillery regiments now employed in the De-
partmeLt II the Last. A careful examination
ui the artillery arms oi the United States army
man whose salary docs not depend on the de-
cision. that a single regiment is all that the
country really needs. The artillery IL the most
expensive Of AL the arms Of the service. AMI
use. For no dulles Of sea coast defence the
militia = perfectly adapted. IT. i bn given an OBJ
portuuity 90 trim. Here in New York city we
hay" nearly 5000 excellent militia troops. who.
in tho event az war. would ho Obliged TO man
our harn' forts. vt they never have any train
ing At their proper duties as heavy artillery
simply le'ausu the regulars are always in tho
forts. Those New York militia regiments were.
most ~ them originally raised expressly for
SEA coast artillery duty. but the only reminis-
crn'" fN'y retain OF their origin is in some
such orn,mont ~ the gold grenade which the
min-s - the Fifth and Ninth New York. and
A. for the Twenty.second United States In
iantry. that j. worse than wasted in n chain Of
Iori~ Ia VI 'higan established IN the days when
lrimeNai rest covered the shores Of the upper
nN.s wnile two companies are at Buffalo, in
unuilcr rcmlnl-ccnco Of the war % 1912. Fort
P9rter. wtsir The city limits. There Is no sort
e question that II every ono ofthese antquatci
forts IN ihr Canadian frontier wore evacuated,
ana gltAcr shut w or sold This country would
he richer and stronger. The question of the
7 4 Is ON