St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-11-17

may be withheld from men entitled to more
consideration than many of the successful
Practically, it is now possible for company
commanders 10 give these valuable appoint
ments to young men who have enlisted for
that sole purpose, ana who have not rendered
any meritorious service except to qualify
for the examination. thus excluding bona
tde soldiers who have been induced TO enlist
in the hope of obtaining hard-earned and
legitimate promotion. The present system
gives great opportunity for favoritism.
Doubtless there have been eases of IL, and
there IS danger that the abuse may become
very serious one.
In order TO secure exact Justice to all, and
give tull effect TO the benefcent purpose of
congress, the initiatory step should be with
the men themselves. Any enlisted man or
two years service who is citizen of the
United States. should, under certain fixed
rules, be permitted TO compete for a com
mission. By this means the operation of the
law would be made absolutely impersonal.
and every man entering the army would be
impressed with the fact that he had an exact
and even chance for commission. This in
formation extensively disseminated would,
IL Is hoped, further recommend the army 10
desirable men,
suggestions of the department. with respect
TO this matter. will be submitted TO congress
at an early date.
Three-BattaiiOn Formation.
AS military question there is no differ
ence OF opinion as TO the ACCESSIBILITY and
necessity of the three battalion formation for
infantry. Every European power has adopt
ed it and all of the leading generals OF our
country, including Grant, sherman and
sheridan, have recommended it. Now that
our small army can be stationed i'll larger
posts the conditions of service are fully
suited TO its use. 1t already prevails in the
other arms of the service, and there are even
stronger reasons for 1t in the infantry; be-
sides. all ought to be uniform. If we were
ever met by a military contingency, we
should then be forced to adopt It and with
out proper preparation. Officers are regu-
larry detailed TO instruct the militia and col
IegeS, and they necessarily instruct IN that
system of organization which is recognized
and fixed by our laws The country win not
adopt higher standard of military organi-
cation than that which the government offers
as model. Our army is simply a nucleus. q
skeleton organization on which TO build In
case OF necessity. and a correct organization
IS more important than numbers. If the
present system is as erroneous as all military
men agree in saying it is, and believe that
to be the case. there ought to be some way
found for making the required change. AS
the matter requires Legislative action 1 can
only commend the subject to the careful
consideration of congress.
The reasons for the recent reduetionin
the number Of companies. adopted on the
recommendation of Gen. Schofeld, have
been fully discussed in his report and he
points out that this change is an argument
IN favor Of rather than against the three
battalion formation.
Artillery.
bill for the reorganization Of the artillery
has already passed the house. and awaits the
action of the senate. No objection has, to
my knowledge been raised to il, ana. as its
desirabllity in order to meet the changed re-
ouirements of our service has already been so
fully discussed. think il is unnecessary for
m n nd ar TINA 10 hot sol
relative 10 this matter in my report for last
year.
Retirement of Officers.
BY law the officers must be retired when
they reach the age of sixty four years, and
may be retired on their own request after
forty years service; but very few avail them
selves Of this privilege. Such retirements
are now unlimited. but the number of all other
retirements is restricted by the statutes to40O.
That is. enforced retirements made in pursu-
ance of a general policy can be made with
out limit, while the only retlrements which
are made because of the actual present in
capacity of the officer to perform duty are
expressly restricted. RetiremeatS ought to
be carefully limited in some proper way.
The retired list. or any privileged class,
should be strictly confined within the mar
rowest limits compatible with the necessity
which requires its creation. But. having
such law. it should be a just one-just to
the officers it is intended TO benefit and lust
to the service il was intended to relieve.
| The number of officers now awaiting retire
ment is about sixty. These men are per-
forming no service whatever, but receive
full pay, while Junior officers doing their
duties for them are unjustly deprived of both
the pay and the rank which the law intends
10 attach to the positions they are filing
OF the 400 officers on the limited retired
list So were retired by reason of the loss of a
limb. and 80 others, making l43 in all. were
retired for wounds. Only 81 of the 4Op are
West Point graduates. and all but % of the
whole number Sc we'd in the War of the Re-
bellion. The limited retired list is a legacy
OF the war In about one-half the cases the
records show affirmadveiy that the
retirements were made for disability
contracted during that period. III
| fact, by direction of the act of
! july %, 1866, some of these 400 officers
were appointed in the regular army at It's
| close. because of their wounds: and of SUBJ
! stantially all it may be said that after having
| undergone the severe strain of the war they
were more readily disabled by their subse-
| Quent service aud exposure in the Indian
campaigns II is to be observed also that
these men, if not in the army, would be gen.
| orally drawing large pensions.
| The incongruity of the present law Is illus
trsted by the fact that where officer is dis
| ahle,1 in the line of duty, instead of opening
| the way for the prom Otion of juniors it may
and often does actually reiard it. An officer
put upon the limited retired list remain:
| there so long as be lives even if he survive;
the age Of sixty-four by many years
thereby preventing the retirement of
| another officer and the consequent
/ promotion of juniors. If he had been re
| tired for age in regular course this could mo-
occur. The limit now established is prope
| enough if the law were so amended that thi
limit could be construed according to Lh'
reasonable intent of its purpose. An amend
ment providing for the transfer of officer
! from the limited to the unlimited list whel
| they reach the age of sixty-four would still
! permit only 400 retirements other than thos
| who could be retired for forty years service
or by virtue of the sixty-four years provision
! Whatever the limit be. sucn is the only rea
sonable basis for it. A Dill to that effect
! already pending in congress, and if it b
enacted l believe that with the limit as
now is the evil will correct itself.
Volunteer Records.
On the Sth and 10th of July, 1880. I trans
ferrsd to one division, to be designated tn
Record and Pension Division of the Wa
J Department" all the hospital and servic
records of the volunteer armies in the wal
and all business in the department pertain
ing to volunteer soldiers. This consiste
chiefly OF calls from the pension Office fo
information necessary for the adjustment c
claims for pensions 1t also included case
| from the second auditor for evidence II
| quired in the settlement of old accounts an
a large amount OF miscellaneous bushes
relating to information required by state!
soldiers homes. the Grand Army of the RI
public, and other organizations entitled to i
When this change was made there was o
hand an accumulation of unadjusted and VI
answered cases as follows:
From the pension Office ...........2 %. ~
From the second auditor. ......... :. ), O
Remuster case. ...... ...........-... 4. Sc
Desertion cases. .......... 49,. go. :. !, "a
All other cases. miscellaneous. ........ 6.5l
Total ........ -. ,65
There were received from July s. 1899,
the end of the fiscal year, June so. 1896
30I. 23S cases, as follows:
From the pension office .... -. I99, 80
From the second auditor. 81. 4S
Remuster cases. ...-........... $50. 4.32
! DesertiOn cases ............. ...... S.5
All other cases, miscellaneous ....-- $3.50
Total ............. ....3 i, %
Add cases on hand. ............... 40, %