Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-12
Bill for Its Reorganization Pre-
pared by Secretary Lamont.
INCREASE OF TEE ENLISTED FORCE
Changes Proposed in the Artillery
and Infantry.
THE ADDITIONAL COST


just at present is The bill prepared by Sec
rotary Lamont for the reorganization of
the line of the army. This bill has been
subn lifted to the chairmen of the military
committees of the Senate and House. In en-
accompanying letter Secretary Lamont
states that it increases the enlisted force
from 25.T00, now authorized to $4,000
men, including Irdian scouts and the hos
pital corps, and ADDS 1900 enlisted soldiers.
1t also provides for three battalion or
ganization of the infantry, with an addi-
ton of 1000 men to the artillery as an aid
to coast defense.
1t leaves the infantry regiments al twen-
ty-five and the cavalry at ten, as now. but
increases the artillery from five TO seven
regiments.
Changes I'm Artillery and Infantry.
The cavalry is left as now, but the
changes in the artillery and infantry are
as follows:
That each regiment of artillery shall con-
sist of one colonel, one lieutenant colonel,
three majors, twelve captains fourteen
first neutenants. twelve second leutenants.
one sergeant major. one quartermaster's
sergeant, one chief musician, two principal
musicians and twelve batteries: Provided,
That two batteries of each regiment may.
in the discretion Of the President, be or
gained as field artillery, and each battery
that may be so organized shall have in adj
diticn to the battery organization now au-
thoriZed by law four corporals. two farriers
and one saddler; and provided further, that
each of the remaining batteries that are
not organized as field artillery may, in the
| discretion of the President, have two addi-
tional sergeants
That each regiment of infantry shall con-
sist of one colonel. one lieutenant colonel,
| three majors, twelve captains, fourteen
| first lieutenants twelve second ieutenants,
the chaplaiDs now authorized by law, one
sergeant najo., one Quartermasters ser
geant, one chief musician, two principal
musicians and twelve companies organized
| into three battalions of four companies
| each.
The adjutf MT and the quartermaster OF
| each regiment are to be selected from its
| first lieutenants, and the grades of artif1cer
| and wagoIier are abolished All vacancies
| created by the act are to be filled by sem
| iority in the several arms.
The 1866 Reorganization.
| In the Secretary's memorandum accom-
| panyirg the bill he gives this account:
| By the reorg anization act of 1866 the in
| fantry force was fixed at forty-five regi-
ments the cavalry at ten and the artillery
al five. In 1861 the number of infantry reg
inents officers and men was reduced near
| ly one-half, and in 1874 and subsequently
| further reduction in men brought the total
| down from over 2S.oo0 in 1858 to less than
| 13,0o1. There was then and has been since
| no reduction ia cavalry or artillery. The
| infantry regiment as at present constitut-
| ed, one colonel, one lieutenant colonel one
| major and ten companies, dates from the
| army reorganization act of 1921. Since
| then the armament formation and system
| of evolution OF all modern arm;es have
| been changed; some Of them many times.
| Our arms, equipments end systems OF drill
| have kept pace with the worlds progress
1 N ards and hEkr iana hat
| was possible to adapt the incoi gruous ten
| company regiments to the modern require
| ments of small, compact battalions of four
| companies.
| The Secretary explains that this was
| done by concentrating the men of ten COM
| panies into eight, and that now, by making
| the number of companies twelve. there
| would be three battalions instead of two,
| each with its own major to command ii, as
in the cavalry and artillery. In time Of
war, he says a fourth battalion could be
| added, or the thing could be done in
| time of peace. and the number of regiments
4 would not have to be changed at all The
| Secretary considers this method of reorgan-
| iZng better than that which would result
| from reducing the number of infantry regi-
| ments to perhaps eighteen, and securing
the three-battalion organization i'm that
| Way.
| Artillery for Coust Defense.
| A reorganization of the present artillery
force into seven regiments of L. batteries
4
| of "a, of which IA may be field batteries
| and 40 for coast defense. In emergency the
| regular troops, with their organization filled
| to the maximum, might form the first line
| of defense, while the further resources of
the country were being made available. In
that case the infantry and cavalry corps
would form an army corps of about 10000
| men. Fourteen 6-inch batteries would pro-
vide 81 guns for the corps, or a proportion
of about 2 guns per 1000 men.
| when system of defenses is COM
| pleted,' proceeds the Secretary, lit will re-
quire total of 29,3l4 enlisted men to pro-
| vide one relief for all the guns and NOR
tars. On the peace footing, the 40 batteries
would have a trifle over 1900 men, every
one of whom would be trained gunner.
With the maximum strength now contem-
plated by the Revised Statutes their
strength would be nearly 10000. BY a
further possible increase Of the enlisted
strength for these batteries they could pro-
vide between 1900 and $1,000 men,"
In general. 1t is estimated by the Secre-
| tary, that the additional cost for salaries
| of commissioned officers will be SOS. SIS.
and for pay of enlisted men $3.50, 156. while
| the increase for the clothing and subsist-
ence of the after. and that for forage of
| horses, will bring the total up to sl,110,013
above present expenses for these items.