Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-27
ARMY REORGANIZATION
Secretary Lamont Shows the Importance
and Effect of His Proposition
Why the Military Forces Should be
bodied I'm q Pending Dill.

Secretary Lamont has prepared a state
ment to show the Importance and effect Of
his proposition for an increase and re-
organization of The military forces, as eni-
bodied In lii under consideration by
Congress. According to this statement the
underlying feature Of the scheme rests
upon the belief that public requirements
now demand an increase In the enlisted
force, which has remained at $1,000 since
1874. q number 5000 less than fixed BY the
act Of 1870, and actually needed at present.
Another consideration moving to the recon-
mendations IL the fact, admitted by all
military studeats, that the organisation Of
the troops into small battalions for tactical
purposes Is Indispensable to efficiency. Of
flcers who have participated in modern
battles agree. Ii ID said, that In order to
push nome an attack against an enemy
who Uses weapons Of today that kill at
necessary, as we'll as the distribution Of
tho attacking front into groups deployed
80 as to take advantage Of every foot OF
ground that offers cover or protection:
controlling the fighting force, and make
necessary q reduction in tho strength of
the unit to number which 4 single leader
can direct. The requirements can best be
met, Secretary Lamont says, by subdivid-
Ing the regiments into three battalions Of
200 or 400 men, and placing each under the
command Of field ofi1cers. Formerly one
colonel could keep in hand the movements
Of 1000 men in close order. Now q small
battalion deployed in open order covers
more ground than the front Of q regiment
did under the old system.
Importance of the Infantry.
Tho infantry Is regarded as tho arm upon
the efficiency of which depends the Anal
result Of a battle. The Secretary Of Wars
proposition looks to the addition OF two
companies to each Of the present twenty
five regiments. and requires tho twelve
companies to be subdivided in battalions.
to be commanded by one lieutenant colonel
and two majors, respectively. This gives
specific employment to the lieutenant COL
onel, whose duties are not now clearly de-
The artillery now has five regiments. each
with colonel, lieutenant colonel three
majors and twelve companies. TWO OF
these companies are organized as field ar
tillery. The remaining companies are drill
ed for service in sea coast ports and as
infantry. The Secretary Is unwilling at
this time to recommend an increase In
the number Of artillery regiments. but he
urges the addition of two companies to
each Of the present organizations. This
will give twelve foot batteries, organized
into three battalions Of four batteries each.
The field batteries are to constitute IN
additional battalion. Each battalion Is to
be commanded by field officer. The cav
airy, 1t Is said, needs no increase in num-
bers. as the Importance OF mounted troops
is gradually growing less. and the present
force Is adequate for the Indian frontier
in times of peace Now the cavalry regf-
ments have four field officers. exclusive OF
the commander. This Is thought to be one
squadron commander more than Is re-
Quired, and a reduction to three ID thought
advisable. Carrying into effect these
recommendations, the army would have
seventy-fve battalions Of infantry, fifteen
Of foot artillery and five Of field artillery.
This would pl Divide an army OF 10000 men.
organization which conforms to modern
requirements. The increase In the number
of enlisted men would be 10 IL per cent
that Of the effective force 70 per cent ana
that Of the cost Of maintenance per cent
Effect Upon Officers.
The Secretarys statement goes somewhat
into details as to the effect of the PROPOSE
ton upon officers. No additions in the
grades of colonel or lieutenant colonel In
any arm will result IL the measure becomes
a law. Each regiment Of infantry will gain
major. and the promotion of twenty-five
captains will be brought about. No cap
talns of artillery or cavalry will be pro-
NOTED. Each company OF artillery which
now has three leutenants Will lose one,
making the total reductions in this arm
ana grade sixty. 1t is said that this num-
Der of Heutenants can well be spared, as a
battery today does not need more than
two neutenants efficiently to perform the
required duties. By the proposed changes
l
fantry, siXty-four heutenants of artillery
and thirty-two lieutenants of cavalry, or a
total OF l65 lieutenants. will at once be-
come captains, and future chances of pro-
motion will be much brighter.
Increase of Rank and Duty.
Giving the rank of captain to regimental
adjutants and quartermasters is said to
be feasible and advisable, and the increased
cost only s., 800 year. 1t is proposed that
these officers shall perform the additional
duty of post paymasters and Commissaries,
under the direction of the regimental com
mander. 1t Is argued that the proposed
system Of promotion by rank now held by
officers rather than according to length of
service is more just and simpler in eXecu-
ton. Relative to suggested changes in the
number and pay of veterinary surgeons,
Secretary Lamont says that under the
present law an anomalous condition exists,
whereby four regiments of cavalry have
two such officers, while the other six regi-
ments have but one. The recommendations
would give each regiment one veterinary
surgeon, at the equal pay of ZOO per year
10 increase the pay of sergeant majors
and quartermaSter sergeants to SIG and $34
respectively, he says, would remove the
pI esent unjust discrimination of law, which
authorizes higher pay for the juniors in
rank OF these important non-commissioned
officers. Relative to the question of cost
of the whole scheme, Secretary Lamont
says that the additional enlisted men would
involve an outlaysof s1,2OO,OOO, and pro-
motions and additions in the officers class
S20O,OOO.