The Saint Paul globe., 1897-02-07
THE PLAN FOR IT'S REORGANIZA-
TION STIRS UP A
STRIFE.
THE CAVALRY NEGLECTED..
NONE OF THE CONTEMPLATED PRO-
MOTIONS WOULD GO TO THAT
BRANCH.
ARMY MEN IN CONGRESS.
They Fight Their Battles Over Again
ON Each New Army
Bill.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-Members OF
congress have been buttonholed by army
officers at the capital every day Of late
Social influence is being brought to
bar for and against the passage Of the
proposed law to reorganize the army.
You might think that any proposition
involving an increase in the army
would meet with the unqualified ap-
proval Of army officers because 1t gives
added Importance to their branch of
the united service. If you did, you
would reckon without the personal ele-
ment, which is the handspring of &C
ton with some men. What is it 60
ing TO do for me?" is what the army
officer says as he scans the measure re-
ported to congress. If he belongs to
the cavalry, he finds that it will do
nothing for him, and probably he be-
comes an enemy to the bill. If there
is going to be reorganization, he says,
why not put the cavalry officer on the
level with the artillery officer and the
infantry officer?
His opposition is not exclusively sell
fish either. If a commission Of unbias-
ed experts proposed the plan, perhaps
he would assent to it, But he always
sees in the discrimination of the reor-
ganization plan the hand of the artil-
lery or infantry officer who is serving
on the staff Of the secretary Of war
Two years ago one Of the finest and
broadest minded cavalry officers in the
army wrote me a long letter, calling
attention to the provisions Of this pro-
posed law-it has been coming I'D in
Ho, civ
showed plainly the evidence Of the in
auence Of certain officers very near
Secretary Lamont.
CAVALRY NEGLECTED.
What hurts the cavalry officer is the
fact that, with a proposed increase Of
221 officers, and an addition of $52S, 800
to the officers pay roll, there is no
change Of any kind planned for the
cavalry. Every one knows how slow
army and navy promotions are in times
OF peace. Gray-haired first leutenants
are not an uncommon sight in the
army. 1t is a little more than human
nature can bear, then, for the cavalry
officer to stand silently by and see the
ofncers in the other branches of the
army go tumbling over each other pell-
NEIL on the road to promotion while his
own is neglected.
In the artillery the new law world
increase the list of colonels by two.
hlakngA lieutenant colonel to be pro-
moted
The list Of lieutenant coIonels would
be increased by two, making, after the
promotions mentioned in the para
graph above, fol . places to be filled bv
the promotion of majors
The list of majors would be increased
by six, making places for ten cap
tains.
The number of captains would be in
creased by twenty-four, making pro-
motions for thirty-four first lieuten-
ants.
The number Of first lieutenants would
be reduced by thirty-two, leaving only
two promotions for second lieutenants
The number of second Heutenants
would be increased by nineteen, MAX
Ing tWenty-One vacancies to be filled
from West Point or by promotion from
the ranks.
Thus forty-two Of the 2SO artillery
officers now in the service would gain
immediate promotion to another grade
All the others. excepting the five
colonels, would at least advance In
number, and that is a step toward pro-
motion.
In the infantry the number Of
colonels and lieutenant colonels would
remain unchanged-twen each
The number Of majors would be in
creased by fifty. however. giving imme-
date promotion to fifty captains.
The number Of captains would be
increased by fifty, making promotions
for 100 first lieutenants.
The list of first lieutenants would be
increased by fifty, making promotions
for $50 second ieutenants, or three
fifths of the entire corps.
The number Of second Heutenants
would be increased by fifty, making
200 vacancies to be filled by appoint
nentS