New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-08
APUY NOTES OF INTEREST.

VI
The report Of the Secretary Of War, major par.
OF which was published In The tribune se'e,a'
davs ago has been discussed and digested by OH
GERS and enlisted men of the Army Win i"'e"
and eager interest. But what will Congress 90
with the recommendations?" is now the question Oh
,ho dav Sneaking of the desiraby OF the reoI-
panzation of the several corps, the Secretary says
.shou,d our Army ever be brought into coiNsioh
with disciplined foreign troops, our present io'"a
ton would prove SO defective as to turn the scare
apoins, us in q conflict terms otherwise equal
An officer commenting on this at the dinner Oh inc
Loyal Legion Wednesday evening salu: II 10
ca serious as this then the sooner the reorganiZa-
ton takes place the better changes anu IN
movements in arms, ammunition. and equipments
have forced upon the leading straes,s.s anu ssi,,
clans of the great armies of the world the neceTsy
of broad departure from me ola s!s'e"'' i'e'
why not in the United States?
7, the REORGANIZATION is effected as laid down on
the lines suggested by the Secretary OF war; 'he
distribution of officers and men would tnen De ABOUT
as follows: Officers proposed-CaValry' w. iiah'l!'
I go. artillery 900 Men proposed-Cavalry' oV'V'
infantry 1865 artillery 400 This would mean an
Increase OF officers IN the following grades Majors
IL. cantains 49, and decrease OF 10 IN the lieu
tenants grades Resolving the erect Oh t"ese
changes into money, the Secretary says tha' LOT
nav rations and clothing of the Increased NUMBER OF
enlisted men proposed an increase Of sl-z"o" IN
rrua, concentrations will be needed. The proposed
increase in the number of line officers involves an
Increase fo- salaries Of about 100000 1t would
rowever provide places for the enlisted men who
have passed their competitive sxa a.i, U" % ~
commissions and also for the ''additionais IN lhe
second lieutenants' list who have been tinp pa
fieniIv waiting for "casuatiH5' 10 make vacancies
for them.
Communications have been received from officers
yho urge that The Tribune advocate movement
toward reform In the matter of uniform IL is
not a new thing for officers to ask the newspapers
IN helm them in their efforts TO secure reform
through the National Legislature. AS iac''
changes in uniform have been agitated py corre-
spondence to papers published exclusively for the
dissemination Of news and opinions o. oicers anu
men of both the Army and the Navy, as well as 10
tho yrea, netropoltan journals for several months
One officer SAYS that the uniform may be MADE
more satisfactory without making any raulcdi
change in it. He is grevousy panied that the let
tiers ~. S." which. he says. may be Interpreted as
meaning Uncle Sam. should be required on ei'her
side of the dog collar of the blouse. He says II
too strongly savors Of the custom of branding the
or s" on each flank of the horse owned by the
Government. If 1t is necessary to continue this
practice he asks why not go step further ana
obge all of the retired officers 10 add the letters
IL c." on the collars of their coats, so that. ike
the unservceable animals in the Quartermastei
Department. which are so branded, they ma! De
recognized as oeongag 10 Ihe s' of III makes
other suggestions Of which is that the DOG
blouse
one OF many officers who tank that lmprqvemen,tis ~.
ma, be made in the military uniforms with beneft
to the service.
General Thomas L. Casey clears up an interesting
BIT Of history IN connection with the date OF gradu-
alton of Little Phil Sheridan. and incidentally
tells an Interesting incident in the career Of the
great cavalry leader. The impression that Sher-
idan was graduated with his cass in 1852 is an err
r,neous one; he was graduated in the following
year. But this loss OF year was not through
lack of book larn:n' - e.. because he was I'M
able to pass his exanlina tiUn-but 1t was because
che had too much fight In him" Marching TO dinner
one day at West Point OF the cadets in class
below him. but who officer of that class,
while Sheridan on.y private In his own class
sharply spoke to sheridan and ordered him to Walk
he would see him after dinner, and when that time
came ring was formed ana the Two cadets Dega an
Queensberry rules; but sheridan was getting the
friends sheridan was reported for lighting and
for treating his superior with disrespect, with the
result that he was turned back year
The football season having ended ct the several
posts attention is being given to matters more
closely alcl TO society and popular entertain
ments are arranged for or are being Planned for
the winter season. The programme made out at
the HEADQUARTERS of the 18th Infantry. at Fort
Douglass U;ah Is one that promises most de-
lghtfu season. and yet 1t corresponds with that ar
ranged many of the other posts one OF the
Ian Endeavor Society among several Of the en-
listed men ct the barracks, OF which Chaplain d.
r. Lowell is the leading spirit At Fort Smelling
in Minnesota. great interest is taken in the winter
carnival to be held in St Paul the latter part OF
January The tobaggan slide needs only a few
inches of snow to make the coasters merry; in the
mean whc toboggans. skates and snowshoes
being put In order.
The reports of the working of the seventy-three
most exchanges show some of the advantages which
they give 10 the soldier. Many of them have
libraries gyrnasiums and appliances for outdoor
exercise and sports. The gross receipts from them
last wear amounted SlJ1S455, the expenses X,lS9
933 thus leaving balance OF $3232 OF which $50
SS7 were returned dividends.