Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-11-22
The ARMY.
Annual Report OF tho Secretary of war
Beneficial Eject Of Late Laws-Tho sub
Ject OF Coast Dsfenses Considered.

Of the secretary OF War has been made pub.
tic, aud is Of more than usual interest to the
army
Ofthe recent act OF Congress relating 70
lineal promotion and examinations for pro-
lions. the Secretary says:
'The operation OF the law ls postponed In
the cGse OF present First Lieutenants only.
Whatever advantages there might have been
in the old system of regimental pr motion,
they were such as would prevail In large
army rather than In II small ono and In war
than In time of peace. On their present
basis IL certainly could not Increase the
esprit do corps Of Ind vldual regiments.
The change Ia no ominently just to officers
and Is fittlngly nougurated In connection
with its companion measure In the me
act. That mea .ure provides for system OF
examination. Tor all officers of the army
below the rank OF Major, AMI makes
their right to promotion conditional
on them There are exceptional pro
visions however, In the inter 'sts Of oilic RS
who came in from tho volunteer service.
The measure rs whole Is one oi great I'm.
portance To the efficiency and high profes.
sionnl standing OF the officers Of the army.
Although IN keeping with the practice OF all
the great European Powers. 1t Il thorough
~ American In theory, being based on
recognl lon Of merit and capability. Here.
tofore officers have been entitled to promo
ton In regular rOte, without any regard to
coincidence or Incompetence 'fhciency or
inrfiiciency.
Under the head of courts martial the Sec
rotary Days: by the act of April II the time
within which u person can BIO prosecuted
for desrrtion has been limited to two years.
The act OF October l, instituting sum
mary courts for the trial OF cert In petty
offenses. pr vides n prompt and very salts
factory method for the adjustment OF such
matters. II will oftentlm save the soldier
fr III u long precedent confinement In the
guard house aud relieve the investigation
OF his cnse from the cumbrous machinery OF
n formal court martial The interests II the
accused are carefully guarded by the terms
OF the law, and the right Is especially re-
served TO him to deman and receive trial
before court m ,rtial II he so desires. The
ill.d+finel lin Is OF pu Iishment in the artl
Giles OF war have been corrected by III" act
Of September "a, authorizing the President
whom punshments are left by those nrs
cles to tn. discretion OF the court
martial, to prescribe and define limits
which In time of peace they shall not
exceed. As thlrty-two OF the thirty four
art icles OF war, under which enlisted men.
can he tried, leave tue punishment entirely
to the discretion Of tn" court martial. the
only check hcretoio Q upon their vnriable'
ness and the disparity of punishment pre-
v Ill ng In different derar; menti has been
the executive cl,m ncy. 1t has been the
aim OF the departm MT, by system OF re.
mission OF sentences d emed excessive, to
partially remedy that evil a course only
de ensibl" on the ounI OF it, imper tive
necessity, since II tended to impair one OF
the most salutary elements OF all punish.
mrnt Its certa mtg, and 20 pervert the
proper use of the pardoning power. the
net places the whole su ct upon very
proper and satisfactory basis. 1t may be In.
teresting to not that. althoug tn" 'egisla'
ton referred to was enacted 100 late to have
h d effect during the present year, still the
number Of courts marital rs reduced to
l.5S2 the past year from 1893 the year be-
fore, decrease Of I'll or II per cent.
The subject Of coat d nse rec Ives from
tue So, tary IA large share Of nttentio I. He
saws: at has bein .ur traditional p rlicy
fro u the n 81 to void entangiilg ALI rec
W" ar" separated by an OCEAN from the
Powers which na al, ,reat armies. The
militarI res urces the Nation have been
so recently demo ,stratrd and itsn twork cf
railroads Is s adapted IT, rapidc ncentTa.
tinn ~ troops o any threaten d p lint that
n hosIi Q or is Ike y % seek an ent cunt
er W h us un u own oil A mall army
sue ess, / Is not probabls trat an larg'
one will in ur tn risk We hay ;, TN reforr.
little to fear fiom inv sion AMI are ee from
the rec ssitv of nninta min, lar!e staining
armies or OF for flying against land attack.
But our ! ng ctas IL peculiar y ex'
r. sc to ~ ut ack from thu sea. So Ong Hs
AN enemy can r"a h vulnerable DIN with
GU ex7osi g h ms I to our mnd f"' ccs he
may inflict bows viii h we are unable 10
pa ~ and ~hicn ma, 4 use losses III 10 Ue
endure. modern aud bn ~ cons,i-
tu es II permanent def nSe uron Dattlc-
field. chosen In advance, whore no fianki g
Ia possible MI whore an enemy must force
his way abandon tn attack. In such "A
contest ships Of war are placed under every
disadv ,ntage. The channel IL selected
where heir depiOymrnt Is difficult, while
they nre at the center Of concentrated hre
fr IN many dispersed gum"
He uggest> 10000, 20 per year as ample to
prepare the coats In ten years.
The question OF d.ser Ions so much dis.
cussed through, ut the public press within
The past year the Secretary deals with ut
length. He says: "Tne number of .eser
tions from the army Tor th past twelve
months ending Sept mber 70, were s,OS6, rs
agalnst k,i6l T. the same er cd las year. u
Il ~ rer cent This result is due
tn such improvements in tn" service as
could be ccomplished under existing leg
lsiation. The net OF Con ress entitled, IAN
act to prevent desert lons, and for other pur-
po-es,' approved Jun" Is. 1897. was passed
too In q to have had much effect mp to this
date. Because oil the time requ req TO work
out its details, the Rener ! orders TO carry Il
into operation were not issued till July rs.
and Could hardly bee me fully eff CT vo Ht
once The fgurns however. for August nd
So ntrmber W re S0s, Ms compared with 8
he Same months last year AMI Sis the year
before. n decrrase Of IS and W per cent"
Tue expenditures Of appropriations under
the direction Of the Secretary Of War for
he fiscal year ended June 80. 1871, were as
10 lows:
Salaries and contingent ex-
penses ............... :. .........S I,ss0. 7Oo7I
Military establishments; support
at tie army and military acad.
envy. 70 S6l. bOs.Sl
Put 10 works, nclu ling river and
harb and imp ovrmunts..... Is, 1885 |
objsc a............ 6n7l 96O.ll !
lnfuI AZ TAG I