The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-30
TO INCREASE THE ARTILLERY.
There Are Two Ways of Accomplish.
ing the Desired Purpose.

Ihe des1rability Of enlarging the ar
tlIlery force will already be admitted
very generally, but when the new guns
beg1n to be mounted in the forts in
greater numbers this need will be still
more apparent, says the New York Sun.
II is not quite clear, however, how
the increase will be brought about.
one plan is that of adding two bat
tef1es to each regiment, making twelve
heavy and two light batteries, or four
teen in all. Another is that of adding
TWO full regiments to the five now ex-
listing, keeping the present organiza-
ton of tWleve batteries
In favor Of the latter plan it is urged
that it is based on sound PRINCIPLES.
whereas in no army are fourteen bat
teries to a regiment found Besides.
1t will allow that justice to be done to
ohcers which has long been impeded
by the present organization. On this
point it is we'll to present the views
which some artillery officers take Of the
subject.
AT the close Of the civil war the law
as to the artillery contained q provision,
which has been retained in the revised
statutes, namely, that the president. in
his discretion, might add one extra first
lieutenant and one second lieutenant to
each battery; discretion having it's
origin in light artillery organization,
and used to provide places for supernu-
merary officers at the close of the war
The extra second lieutenants have
been gradually absorbed, and no more
added, until there now remain but five
one for each regiment.
The twelve extra first lieutenants in
each regiment, one to each battery
have always been retained, but without
any military necessity. The addition Of
the extra lieutenant has resulted in
keeping the artillery Heutenants in that
grade many years longer than lieuten-
ants of infantry and cavalry are kept
therein. Consequently ranking first
IeutenantS of artillery have been con-
temporaries in the other branches of
the service reach the grade Of major be-
fere they themselves attain the grade
of captain. And personal drawbacks
to officers of artillery are not the only
evil resulting from the double line of
first lieutenants in their arm of the
service. The evil is still further reach
ing, in that it keeps officers in grades
the duties of which are entirely incon-
S1Stent with their years; a military in
congruity which tends to react against
ambition and professional interest on
the part Of officers, and to deprive the
artillery Of a part Of the energy, en-
thusiaSm, and professional pride which
it would receive from having it's Of
f1cers in grades whose duties are con-
genial and in keeping with their years.
An examination of the army register
shows that there are now, thirty years
after the close of the civil war, lieuten-
ants who then served as commissioned
officers.
The addition Of two batteries to each
regiment would not absorb the extra
lieutenants now in the artillery There
are siXty-five Of them, forming a large
inStallment toward two new regiments
of artillery, and this last was the rec
ommendation Of Gen. Schofield, a. rec
ommendation which has been repeated
by Gen. Miles, now in command of the
army.
Again it is urged that artillery units
to be used in the service, should al
ready be in existence on the bro9 king
out of hostilities. Batteries of artillery
whether for seacoaSt or field service
can be increased in size at such times
but brand new, efficient ones cannot be
easily imprOVised. We, therefore, need
q great many new batteries of small
size. The addition of two batteries to
each regiment would be an increase,
but it would not strike from the ar
tillery organization the double line Of
first lieutenants, the feature which has
de1fe more than any other to dishearten
it's officers by retaining them unneces-
sarily in grades below those to which
their length of service and years entitle
them.
Such are the arguments for the seven
regiments and it is fortified by the fact
that the absorbing of the first lieuten-
ants under that organization would de-
crease what would otherwise be the ex-
DenSe