Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-05
The War Department Changes Do
Not Apply to Line Officers.
THE STAFF OFFICERS ALONE AFFECTED
1t is Expected That an Order Will
taa Soon Be Issued
THE UMBER ON DUTY

The full force and effect Of Secretary
Lamonts plan Of reorganizing the busi-
ness methods Of the War Department are
still of grave concern to those likely to be
affected thereby. The Few order of things.
IiIcluding the general use of the card sys-
tenn In all the bureaus. will go into effect
with the next fiscal year, beginning on the
1st proximo. The few officials in the secret
are hard at work arranging all the neces-
sary preliminaries. AS is usual with the
business of the War Department. the mat
ter is shrouded with heavy air Of deep
mystery
Several things have recently developed in
regard to the proposed reorganization, not
the least surprising of which is that there
is really no foundation for the report that
the officers who hold snug berths In WASH
ington are to be sent back to their regi-
ments.
AS matter of fact the order does not
apply at all to officers Of the line stationed
here. but only to officers of the staff. The
latter cannot be "sent back to their regi-
ments." for the very good reason that they
are not attached to that branch OF the ser
vice. They can be detailed for duty at the
various department headquarters outside of
Washington. but 1t Is stated there would
be no economy in that. AS one Of them
put II, there Is no special advantage to
the service in transferring staff officers
to other places where they are not needed"
Line and StaR Omcers.
1t is different with the line officers, mas
much as there has been constant complaint
that many regiments are short their fun
quota of officers because of the practice of
assigning them to other duties. The num-
ber of line officers on duty in Washington
Is twenty-five, distributed as follows: Of
flee of military intelligence. 3: tactics, 1;
haadnua ri in ntal
commission, A; recruiting service, /; War
Department proper, 3, and war records Of
flee. 3. 1t is said that none.of these will be
disturbed.
Representing the various staff depart
ments in Washington there are at present
forty-nine officers. as follows: Adjutant
generals, 8; judge advocate generals. 2;
inspector generals. 3; war records, 1; quar-
termaster generals, Z: commissary gen.
erals. 8; surgeon generals. 8 dncluding
erals. 3; chief of engineers. 8: chief of ord
nance, 5; and signal officers, 3. The Secre-
tary's order limits each Of these bureaus
to three stan officers. including the chief
Of the bureau, and unless It Is modified
will fall with special severity on the officers
of the adjutant generals offics. the quarter
master generals office. the commassary
generals office. the surgeon generals office
and the ordnance department.
Forthcoming Order.
Besides affecting the busintsg dstSns of
the department. the -spfercsasa4s, OF the
orders will result in the ordering away from
this city of about. ona-half tina officers on
duty in the bureaus named, and in some
instances more than one-haif. Directions
will probably be issued in few days
specifying the bureaus where reductions are
to be made and the names OF the officers to
be detached. The list will be awaited with
interest.