The sun., 1878-01-29
The Army Question.

Gen. Pope, in replying to the circular OF
the House Military Committee asking FOR
suggestions on army reorganization, eN-
Dresses the opinion that $1,000 men Is too
small force for the needs of the country.
II the regular army is To do the work OF
State militias as some Of Gen. PoPE's troops
are now doing ut San Elzario, and II, IL ad-
dtion, scores OF companies, indeed, whole
regiments, are to be found, at the outbreak
OF Indian hostllities, a thousand miles away
from where they should be, having been
posted to look after popular elections. as was
the case In last summers Ncz Perez war;
II is hard to say how many troops might be
"needed"
But Gen. Pore throws out one valuable
suggestion which the committee should
study He says that we ought TO have
military system more In harmony than the
present with the spirit Of our form Of gov
ernmcnt and the feelings and habits of our
people:
An army organization il No more an abstraction than
the organization VI government and no more inds'
pendent Of the character of people their HABITS VI
lie and thought Au army. NO les than form Vi gov
must bc suited tO people or II 10 sure " prove
both inericient and nn'auslaetorA
Exactly how the required change in Or
does not indicate and could not be "a
pected to indicate, ~ he only undertook TO
furnish II line of thought, not definite sys-
tenn. Nor would it be- easy to declare Of
hand exactly how such renovation and re-
modelling Of the military establishment
should be or could he brought about. New
ertheless, II is clear that some system bring
ing the army into closer sympathy with the
people is needed and the problems Of re-
duction and reorganization should 60 hand
IN hand.
We find, for example, u large part ef our
regular army employed IN the monotonous
round of garrison duty In the coastwse
forts, many Of them in the harbors of great
cities We find others on guard duty at
arsenals and places of deposit for public
property. No doubt many OF these places
should have garrisons; but II they were
made the camps Of instruction for the mill
Tia, q large percentage Of regular troops
would be released for active field service IL
the far West, or wherever else required
while the forts and the public property woult
be sufficiently we'll cared for.
II be said that militia could not be relied
en for this purpose, we reply that militia
Nas relied on for exactly that duty III lSd
snd 1862, at not Il few OF our forts an'
ursenals. What was safely and properl.
done in time Of war could certainly be re
Icatcd in time OF peace 1t must also b.
noted that Il double advantage would com
u this system first, the freeing Of reg
plar troops for active service; and secondly
tile supply, ready at hand, and without ex
pense, OF the best training Tor militia, wit
.ul ~ uNtsnI Df mock ualtlrk. req
military life instead Of mock military life
and duties Of importance In place of thos
too plainly manufactured ~ allow an
Illusion.
1t will be said that such plan would b
impracticable under our present militia Oh
ranizatiuns, because their members coul
not spare the necessary time from their oil
dinary business; and further, that II militi
70 30 serve would have 10 DE nationt
militia-not taken away from Its loci
abode, but national in being subject to Con
gressional organization and to the contr
of army officers. We admit that how Il
requisite organization Is to b" brougl
about is not question to be decided ol
hand. But as the present relations ana con
pusition Of the army and the militia resu
In the latter falling into hopeless weakne
In the majority Of States, while the arm
performs the duties properly belonging
the militia, almost any change would DC i
the better.
1t IS further evident that the applicatl'
OF very small fraction OF the annual arm
appropriation To the State mllitlas would pr
cure in return the garrison and other duti
lust spoken OF, and secure the organizati'
uf "A large and creditable force, under ge
eral State control, but under army supt
vision and instruction. and performil