Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-07-04
ARMY REORGANIZATION BILL
Proposed Reform Of Uncle Sans
Military.
Senate Military Committee's Scheme
10 Provide More Modern Or.
G~anization for United
States Army,

Washington. June 25.-In the hurry OF
the closing days OF the last session OF
congress " was not generally no.ed,
perhaps, that the senate military
committee had reported an i'm.
portant measure TO provide a mod.
ern organization" for the line of the
army. Since II conforms closely to the
general Views of Secretary Lamont. II
viii undoubtedly be the measure acted
upon mex winter.
In general, the organization Is to con-
sist OF 10 regiments Of cavalry and 2s
OF Infantry, as now, but two regiments
are to be added to the artillery. thus In
creasing IL to eve There are to be
IL batteries for each artillery regiment
as now, ana two batteries OF each regI.
ment may, In the presidents discretion.
be organized as field artillery, as in the
corporals, two ~farrlers and one saddler
~corporals. twofarrlers and one saddler
woul be added to each field battery.
AT the presidents discretion also any
other battery may have two additional
~sergeants. Instead OF "a first lieutenants
and 10 second lleutenants. as now,
there Will be only II first and ~ second
lieutenants, two OF the former serving
as adjutant and quartermaster. re-
spectlVely. This reduction OF subal.
terms, while insurlng promotions. would
reduce the cost of the new o~rganiza-
ton, n 1t is admitted that n first
lieutenant for a battery Is enough
The infantry has a similar organize.
ton; that Is. OF twelve companies. in.
stead OF the ten nomlnally maintained
now. and the eight actually manned
These twelve companies are 10 be or
ganlzed into three battalions OF foui
companies each. Hence. there will be
three majors instead Of one, as now for
each infantry regiment. with twelve
captains, fourteen frs. l~ieutenants and
twelve second ~lleutenants. One OF tht
first l~ieutenants will be selected as adj.
jutant and one "a quartermaster.
The cavalry and the engineer battal.
ion remain as now. and II will be OBJ
served that the new bill Is reduced &c
the simple purpose. In the main, OF in.
creasing the artillery and giving n three
battalion organization to the infantry
OF course, however, the addition OF
twenty-four batteries of artillery and
fifty companies OF Infantry TO the pres,
ent organization, with even 100 com.
panles OF infantry, beyond what are now
actually manned. requires an increase
OF the enlisted strength. This Is accom-.
plished by raising the present limit OF
$4,000 men, in Guiding Indian scouts. bui
not the hospital corps, to 10000, includ'
ing both scouts and hospital corps.
The infantry, like the artillery. would
gain greatly in promotions. on this
subject the new bill provides that ali
vacancies created or caused by 1t shall
be flied by seniority promotion in the
arms, respectively. This matter has
been one OF much discussion. and is
likely TO provoke debate next winter.
But while this Is a matter for those
interested in details to settle. 1t may.
I'm general. be asserted that the new
bill provides In a very simple way for
the generally admitted need of strength
ching the artillery and infantry force
The plans set forth 10y Mr.. Lamont In
his last annual report differed some.
what I'm details from the bill which the
senate committee has reported. particu.
larly as TO the proposed artillery regl'
ments, which he then limited to five
adding. however. two foot batteries tc
each OF the five regiments. He alsC
xTHvssss ssassjanet fer .tne ar.
enlisted men. and each field battery 10
whereas an infantry company was Z
have IS and a troop OF cavalry so. Blu
the bill reported by the senate com
mittee represents the latest results O
the consideration OF the secretary ans
the committee. and Is commonly called
the Lamont bill.