Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-26
THE REGULAR ARMY.
A Plan fol- Its ReorEa nixatfon Now
der NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

A Plan for Its Reorganization Now Un-
der CONFEDERATION.
Washington, Feb. 22.-The sub commit.
tee of the house committee on military at.
fairs is busily engaged in perfecting a plan
for reorganization of the army, and has
made considerable progress in the work.
There is some division of sentiment about
the expediency o. any reorganization of the
regular army. Its opponents suggest that
it would be better TO enact a law providi1 2
for the more efficient organization o fthe mi.
litia of the respective states, and to accom-
plish this, they propose to reduce the reeu.
lar army to 10000 men. While no actual
c lllslon of views occurred between the ad.
vocates of army reorganization and the
friends of a more efficient militia system.
yet it ia known that very decided differences
of views exist among those who have in
charge the subject Of reorganization. The
principal difference that has arisen in regard
to the proposed change in the formation OF
regiments from the two to the three battal.
ion system. Old officers of the army have
urged the retention of the system that served
40 we'll during the late war, but the sub CON-
mittee think the advantages of the three
battalion principle are very great, especially
It's elasticity, by which it will be easy to
expand the regiments from the minimum
OF their peace footing to the maximum for
war without increasing the number of reg
lments. Among the points so far agreed
Upon by the committee are these: Tha,
the regiments shall be organized upon the
three battalion principle, with one colonel,
and three majors to each regiment; thai
promotions in each branch of the service
shall be by seniority 10 that braDch-for In.
stance. promotions in the infantry that the
ordnance department shall be placed under
the chief of artillery : the number of officers
Of the armv shsll be reduced by compulsory
r ,irement; the number of staff officers in
the different departments halll be reduced (:
the adjutant and inspector generals depart.
ments to be consolidated; the number of
officers in the med cal corps and Judge
advocate generals department to be
reduced promotions in the different staff
departments to be On the principle ofsenior.
ity the grades Of general and lieutenant
general to cease at death or vacation BY the
present incumbenta; the number of major
generals to be reduced to three, by refusing
to fill vacancies occurring BY death, ETC,
until that number shall be reached and the
number Of brigadier generals 70 six of the
line, BY the same meane; that the army shall
number $4,000 in the field.
The military committee seem to be i'm.
pressed with the importance Of, as one Of
them expressed it, some general system of
uniformity in the laws governing the army"
Upon this subject q republican member of
the COMMITTEES ssys . uniform system for
governing the army must be secured, mas
much as the symmetry of our military or.
carnations is being ptrsistently disturbed
y special legislation for the benefit Of out
side individuals having influential poll ical
friends and BY aspiring army officers. Every
now and then special bills are introduced
creating additional officers in the quarter
master generals and adjutant and inspector
generals departments; also, bills for the
restoratioa TO the army of officers Who have
been dismissed BY court martial. or Of ,boss
who have been mustered o1t, years ago. q
super.uneraries. Special bills for iii theee
purposes ~ now pending before the nil.
tary committee Of both branches Of cor.