The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-22
The Increase or tho Army.

Both the Senate and the House Military
committees have now considered bills which
will assure that moderate increase Of the
army which seems clearly desirable. Under
both, the maximum Of the enlisted strength
is fixed at 30, 1000 men; but since the present
limit Of %. 900 is exclusive OF certain forces
which under the new bills are reckoned in
the proposed 10000, this latter really
shows a net increase OF considerably less
than 5000 men.
The new measures recognize the need OF
augmenting both the artillery and the in
fantry. The most commendable form Of
line reorganization seems to us thai OF
leaving the cavalry as It now stands, with
ten regiments, increasing the artillery from
Its present five regiments to seven regi.
ments, and giving to each OF the twenty-five
regiments Of infantry two additional COM
panies. thu allowing it to have three four
company battalions, each battalion under a
Major. as in the other two arms.
There are now eight manned infantry
companies In each regiment and ten manned
cavalry companies; but in any case the plan
just described would give us twenty-four
additional batteries of artillery and fifty
"oiS Ab'ohtiy NohipNhics. ihc IiOuSc Oil
~contemplates, we believe, 5000 men for the
cavalry, 5000 for the artillery, 10000 for
the infantry, 500 for the engineers, and the
rest for the miscellaneous work of the army.
The proposed additions will be proportion
ally smaller than those which Congress has
made to the enlisted strength of the navy
within n few years.
While the present plans supply men both
for infantry and artillery needs, 1t may
properly be pointed out that the latter have
become specially urgent. through the
progress made upon coast defence. Indeed,
We think that In this the main hope of legis-
lation at the present session lies. Gen.
MILES has pointed out that with the enor-
nous growth OF this country in popula-
ton, resources and developed area, since
the present enlisted maximum was fixed,
more than twenty years ago, it is not wise
to leave the little force of regulars I'M
strengthened.
But just now a special reason for artillery
increase is found In the fact that all along
the seaboard new emplacements are going
up, and new and heavy guns and mortars
are being mounted. This process is to con-
tinue for years, Congress having wisely de-
termined that our rich seaports and our
coasts in general shall no longer be left
open TO destruction by q foreign foe. But
ii requires no elaborate argument to show
that, IL the artillery force was adequate
only for the forts in their former weak
condition, the far greater number OF bat.
teries and far greater supply OF ordnance
nov must call for more artillerymen.
The surest mode OF obtaining an increase
OF the army is to let the country see new
guns actually mounted, splendid in their
possibilities, but without the artillerymen
to work them or even TO take proper care OF
them in time OF peace. That is what wc are
beginning to see now, and the Southern
Atlantic States are seeing it as we'll as those
in the North, and those OF the Pacific.
The pending measure is moderate in its
proposals, and represents the combined
wishes of the two arms with which it is
more Immediately concerned. Possibly
later may come n further enlargement of
the artillery and also a change in organize
ton with which to secure for 1t a larger
share in tho actual direction Of coast de-