The sun., 1893-07-09

A Minor Change Effected nrd the Chief
Problem StItI Upsptyod.

| IrObicn
wAsurYGroS July S--one step has been
taken Mt Inst In the process OF roorganizing
the territorial commands OF the army. which
has been 40 long under consideration. The
Department Of Arizona disappears md 10 suc-
ceeded by the Department OF Colorado. under
the same commanding officer. Gen. McCook.
with an enlargement Of It's nrea. IL receives
both Colorado and Utah from tho Dcpurtme ent
Of the Platte. which is to that extent the loser.
On the other hand. 1t parts with southern Cali
itornia. formerly belonging to the Department
| of Arizona, but henceforth to bo included in
tho Department OF California. under Gen.
Ruger.
We may surmise that the reduction in the
| Department Of tho Platte was due either to the
amount Of military work imposed upon that
department, or else to the fact that tho geo.
| graphical position OF Colorado and Utah would
more naturally bring them under the same
military government rs that Of Arizona and
| New Mexico. This last consideration derives
| tho more force when we observe that the
| headquarters OF Gen. McCook are transferred
| from Los Angeles to Denver. The former
| point was at tho extreme western end Of the
| old department.. whereas most Of its active
| field work was in Its eastern portion. in New
| Mexico and Arizona. This fact had often pro-
| voKed tho suggestion to change the hend-
| quarters to n more central point but the
people Of southern California had always been
able to prevent any such change. With that
region now put in n different department, the
movement OF Gen. McCooks headquarters
eastward became u necessity. and with the
addition Of Colorado to his command Denver
has not unnaturally been selected for them.
or the wisdom Of that portion OF the new
plan which puts the whole OF California into
one department there can lie no doubt Indian
hostlities which formerly had to be thought
Of are now very subordinate matter in that
State. and the main consideration ia the stra-
tegic value and needs OF the Pacific seaboard.
which are Of such character that the division
of the State between two departments should
no longer be made.
Yet all this is only one factor in the problem
to be solved. and not the principal factor. A
general readjustment OF divisions and depart
ments is what Gen. Schoield is understood to
be aiming at. Under tho present anomalous
system there are eight departments. two Of
which are commanded by Major Gen erals and
the other six by Brigadiers. This wao the
result Of aboshinR; few years ago, the mill
tary divisions which had furnished the
Major Generals with commands superior to
for abolishing them was that the divis-
IONS p tho mere et
Headgu te at %ushinrton Hs causing ing nsed s
less delay in the transmission OF orders and
se t n We S Extra
with their stats. But while ali this sounded |
very we'll the practical working OF the new |
Gen, scholleld. Indeed. the natural method !
wou I'D be. Instead OF reducing MAJOR. Generals |
to department commanders like the Briga- |
diers. to give them commands commensurate |
with their rank and presumed abilities and |
have the two junior Major enerals supervise |
the EommaIds Of Brisa!or;; ;Gepsras report;
commanding the whole army.
This last, in fact. Is now, what it IL, proposed
way; The natural eeograrhicHi lines Of diyis.
ion, 1t is agreed. Is between the East and the |
ySa Mss h bS s Of Sc sd s Ao9 Il. ana rm n
most oi its force is conce ntrated. East ofthe
board are the principal forces. though here
and and there regiment Of Infantry may be
ion Of the East into three military depart:
reporting to the other Major: General. would
as ssm@ssd Ths Nsst nssds y sAi lar ,GfSss the
81 large
them East. merely in order to carry out the
Under the old plan the difficulty was not SO
great, inasmuch as there were three military
divisions ,sa 5. Of the Atlantic the Missouri
q Major. General. and Ieutenant.G General
in Washington commanding the army. the
TNASihS oNSiAcu az hASe S.nhS0 .hity pcIIoCts !
In reality it was not So, The Division of the
Atlantic contained only the Department Of the
Ia st. and even this was purely nominal affair.
being commanded by the division com m ander. |
The Division of the Pacific contained but two |
derartments. those OF California and the Co.
!umbia. and the former was also commanded
by the division commander. The great bulk
OF the current labor and Of the concentration
Of troops was in the central division that OF
the Missouri. and there the division COM
mander had most Of the departments and OF
the Ergaher- Generals under him.
It will be seen. therefore. TINT the old divis-
ION system was very unsymmetrical. and the
disposition to abolish it can be understood.
Yet at least 1t suggests the way in which the
existing obstacle to restoring the divisions
might TO overcome. There is really no reason
why the Major-General commanding the East
ern div ision should have as many troops. or as
many departments, or rs many Brigadiers un-
der him ms the one who commands the West-
ern division. BY. giving him Texas. which is
and should be n department OF itself. he would
get one more department than the old Division
OF the Atlantic. while new department OF the
great Ian es might encfo oach on the Northwest.
giving h. i'm a part Of the old Division OF the
Missouri. But for the present the plan OF re-
storing the divisions hangs fire. Gen. Howard
probabl cares little about il. as he will retro
before long and meanwhile commands Just as
much in his department as no used to com
mand in his division: while Gen. Miles sces in
near prospect the command OF the whole army.