New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-02
REORGANIZING THE ARMY.
AN IMPORTANT BILL PASSED BY THE
SENATE.
THE HOUSE LIKELY TO ACT FAvoRABLY UPON 1T
WHAT 1T PRovIDEs-INDIANs AS SOLDIERS
TrrpnR.pR To THE TRIPUsRJ

WHAT PRONlDtS-lNDlA.sS 40 ''HSA'@''-
BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TBrRusEJ
Washington March lone Of the most important
of the many measures passed by the Senate yesterday
was the bill 20 provide fox the reorganization OF the
artillery and infantry forces OF the Army Senator
awley saws IL Is measure TO which the most earnest
thought has bee given by leading Army men and legls-
lators during number OF yeats, ana III tie form IL
passed the Senate il represents the concurrent ludg
ment of the most expert and trustworthy authorities.
General schoed and the Secretary OF war were among
the last of the authorities who gave their views to the
Military Committee Of the Senate and they were both
in conference with the members OF that committee
during the time the bill I'm course OF construction
The hill as was noted fully yesterday provides for
the increase Of the numbec OF enlisted men Oh all grades
i'm the Army 10 10000 exclusive OF the Hospital corps
and general service clerks and messengers, the total
being 900 greater than that fixed by the present law
novel feature of this measure Is that the Increase
win ipc,ude not less than 1000 Indians. The Presl
dent may also in his discretion authorize the enlistment
NJ sucb proportion OF coored men In one or more Of
the seven regiments OF artillery the Interests OF the
service may demand
General schoed stated 10 the committee his belief
that the feature Of enlsting Indians would be most
effective step toward their civilization The Indians,
he THINKS quickly take TO military life and ready
10 do ANYTHING that white man VIII do, although
their idea OF life is that man should do no work.
some OF the best scouts, he says were the most war
like of Indians General Scho1eld says he wrote re-
Gently 20 some Of the Indian companies OF scouts and
ntmated them that he expected them 10 go with the
Army In case OF foreign the same as white com
panies and they very proud OF this confidence.
General Schoneld also thinks that Indians make good
soldiers OF course some OF them are good and some
Of them are bad but they not treacherous. as Is
generally supposed. u know Of only one instance
where they proved treacherous,' said he. land that
was at Fort Apache, ylnre some Of them turned upon
the troops and gave them pretty severe fight
The main OBJ ect OF the BILL however, Is TO Increase
the efficiency Of the artillery. The necessity OF
doing this cannot be better shown than By quoting
some of the remarks made in these private hearings
before the Committee Military Affairs by the secre
tary OF War and the MajorGeneral commanding the
Army The Maior-General recommended the reoFGan-
izaton of the artillery into seven regiments instead
of five and dropping the additional fIStleuenantS'
these extra subatern officers being in his Judgment no
longer necessary In that recommendation the secretary
ooncured fully and he stated TO the committee that he
deemed il important that authority for these new reS-
ments should be granted. An interesting statement
made by Secretary Proctor was this in which he SAID
In view OF the diminished requirements for the use
Of the Army against the INDIANS ~ , e se in a. times
OF the most perfect apparent security the 19hE ~ S D5
the Army should be kept up S PGP4ruV9 om no T
With or great Increase OF population tIe reiauHSo
strength Of the Army is RAPIDLY G Gnt ane ooo
larger than now, tie ratio OF enlisted to population
only MN IN o OF RST s trent Or S1 less than IT is
now the ratio was LEO OF per cent ~ tlie Pes onn
time with population Of oOoOSS Onr II + man for
every 1850 of population.
General schofeld made this statement:
The improvement in modern firearms has produced a
change in the method Of fighting. That must be done IN
open order 4 battalion of ten companies cannot 90
effective lighting Already the fd5m 81 GTiT
stead OF the one battalion formation that we have now
In this country we have not followed In the wake OF
twelve wears To adopt it would be to put the militia
on a sound foundation. In the event OF foreign war
we must depend upon the militia and volunteers for
cur ermy as we have always done. After long
recess Congress has undertaken the Work or deIehdB
orr Interests 10 NEE that system We must have
the propcr number o. men TO take care OF the guns
and instruct the militia when 1t makes Its annual
nearly all the men away from the artillery 70 I'LL up
the cavalry and infantry 70 me S aTey G SS
enough TO handle the big guns. In Official
reports that we have submitted mi d. We Tn. nave we
Innate is based upon the number OF guns already
made and to be made. We find that $4,000 men VIII
Notifications that Congress has mapped out: one
fourteenth of this number win be sufficient ior tns
summer. There should be seven regiments OF ar
tIiiery with sixty men to battery. l think that Is
and would better preserve the organization
member Of the committee asked General scho-
field how much would the increase In the artillery
under the bill which has been passed by the Senate.
The answer
1t will be about $500 or abOut one.half Of the
aggregate increase that Is proposed 70 make In te
enlisted men of the Army. Half Of the 5000 would
20 into the artillery. We are giving that branch
little over 60OO The Indians would take the places
on our Western frontiers Of such soldiers as would
under this proposed law so into the artillery. IL Is
not contemplated that these 1000 Indians viii be
divided into reg mens as some persons had supposed
IL is contemplated To separate thcn ana 10 pnt 2OO
o. 800 Of the Indians In n regiment
il was General Schofeld's opinion that there would
be no more Indian wars If this policy Of enlisting
considerable number Of Indians for service In the
Army were adopted 1t would not only instill pride
into the Indian so that he would do anything that
a white soldier would do. but IL would be draft
upon the fighting strength Of the Indians Of the West,
and would thus render them less formidable as foes,
less aggressive and less dicuh 10 handle control
Senator Hawley feels confident that this important
bill will become law before the expiration OF this
Congress-
CUBA WARMLY INTERESTED IN THE FAIR !
pHoMINFNV CITIZENS THE COMMISSrON-