The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-07-04
ARMY REORGANIZATION BILL,
Proposed Reform Of Uncle Sans
Military.
Senate Military Committec's scheme
TO Provide More Modern Or.
eantzation for United
states Army.

Washington, June 25.-In the hurry OF
he closing days OF the last session OF
congress 1t was not generally noted,
perhaps, that the senate military
committee had reported an i'm
portaAt measure 80 provide a mod.
ern organization for the line of the
army. Since it conforms closely to the
general views of Secretary Lamont. it
will undoubtedly be the measure acted
upon mex winter.
In general, the organization is to con-
sist of 10 regiments of cavalry and 2t
of Infantry, as now. but two regiments
are to be added to the artillery, thus in
~ batteries for each artillery regiment
ment may. in the presidents discretion.
be organized as field artillery, as in the
c%orporals, two farriers and one saddler
~corpofals, twofarriers and one saddle1
would be added to each field battery.
AT the presidents discretion also any
other battery may have two additional
sergeants. Instead of "a firstlleutenants
and 10 second ~lieutenants. as now,
there will be only IA first and ~ second
lieutenants. two of the former serving
80 oNJuehiiG diA auat iIiaSkCi' y
spectively. This reduction of subal-
terms, while insuring promotions. would
reduce the cost of the new organiza-
ton, and it is admitted hat one first
lieutenant for a battery Is enough.
The infantry has a similar organize.
ton; that is, of twelve companies, in
stead of the ten nominally maintained
now, and the eight actually manned
These twelve companies are to be OF.
ganized into three battalions Of foul
companies each. Hence, there will be
three majors instead of one, as now. fol
each infantry regiment. with twelve
captains, fourteen first lieutenants and
twelve second ~lieutenants. One of the
first lieutenants will be selected as ad.
jutant and n as quartermaster.
The cavalry and the engineer battal.
ion remain as now n it will be OBJ
served that the new bill is reduced tc
the simple purpose, in the main, of in.
creasing the artillery and giving a 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
panies of infantry, beyond what are nov
actually manned, requires an increase
of the enlisted strength. This Is accom-
plished by raising the present limit o.
5000 men, in Guiding Indian scouts, bu'
not the hospital corps, to 100000, 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 al
vacancies created or caused by it shall
be filled by seniority promotion in the
arms, respectively. This matter ha:
been one of much discussion, and i:
likely to provoke debate next winter
But while this is a matter for those
Interested in details to settle. it may
in general, be asserted thai the new
bill provides in a very simple way fol
the generally admitted need ofstrength,
ening the artillery and infantry force
The plans set forth by Mr.. Lamont ii
his last annual report differed some
what in details from the bill which Tho
senate committee has reported, particu
!arly as to the proposed artillery regi
ments, which he then limited to five
adding, however, two foot batteries tt
each of the five regiments. He alst
secured additional strength for the ar
tillery by giving each foot battery 6;
enlisted men, ard each field battery 70
whereas an infantry company was tt
have 55 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 an.
the committee, and is commonly called
the Lamont bill.