The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-02
RoN. LANES A. NoRToN.

will do nothing for him, and probably
he becomes an enemy to the bill. If
there is going to be a reorganization, he
says, why not put the cavalry officer on
the level with the artillery officer and
the infantry officer?
His opposition is not inexcusably self
ish either. If a commission of unbiased
experts proposed the plan, perhaps he
would assent to it. But he always sees
in the discrimination of the reorganiza-
ton plan the hand of the artillery or
infantry officer who is serving on the
staff of the secretary of war. Two years
ago one Of the finest and broadcast mind
ed cavalry officers in the army wrote me
a long letter, calling attention to the
provisions of this proposed law-it has
been coming up in some shape since 1888
saying that it showed plainly the evil
dence of the influence of certain officers
very near Secretary Lamont.
Cavalry Neglected.
What hurts the cavalry officer is the
fact that, with proposed increase of
221 officers and an addition of 1928, 800
to the officers pay roll, there is no
change of any kind planned for the cav
airy. Every one knows how slow army
and navy promotions are in times of
peace. Gray haired first lieutenants are
not an uncommon sight in the army. It
is a little more than human nature can
bear, then, for the cavalry officer to
stand silently by and see the officers in
the other branches of the army go tum-
bling over each other pellmell on the
road to promotion while his own is neg
1ected
In the artillery the new law would in
crease the list of colonies by 2, making
20 lieutenant colonies to be promoted.
The list Of lieutenant colonies would
be increased by 2, making, after the pro-
motions mentioned in the paragraph
above, places to be filed by the pro-
motion of majors.
The list of majors would be increased
by 6, making places for 10 captains.
The number of captains would be in
creased by "a, making promotions for "a
first heutenants.
The number of first 1ieutenants would
be reduced by 80, leaving only promo
tons for second Heutenants.
The number of second 1ieutenants
would be increased by 10, making 81
vacancies to be filed from West Point
or by promotion from the ranks.
Thus ~ of the $50 artillery officers
now in the service would gain immedi-
ate promotion to another grade. All the
others, excepting the colonies, would
at least advance in number, and that is
a step toward promotion.
In the infantry the numbers of colo
nels and lieutenant colonels would re-
main unchanged-25 each. The number
of majors would be increased by so,
however, giving immediate promotion
/ to 80 captains.
The number of captains would be in
/ creased by so, making promotions for
100 first heutenants
The list of first lieutenants would be
| increased by so, making promotions for
| $50 second Ieutenants, or three-ffths of
! the entire corps.
The number of second lieutenants
would be increased by 80, making 200
vacancies to be filed by appointments.
Increased Cost.
The new second 1ieutenants would re-
ceive 81, 400 each, the first lieutenants
81 500, four captains of artillery $2,-
| 800, the other captains 50, 500, the ma
! jors IS, 500 the lieutenant colonies 81, =
| 900 and the colonies 81. 500. 1t makes
the mouths of the cavalry officers water
when they see prospect of $461, 900 a
year being added to the infantry and
1926, 200 year to the artillery pay roll,
while the cavalry pay roll remains IN
changed.
In addition to this increase in the cost
of the army service Git is 1928, $50 when
you deduct SO first lieutenants from the
artillery roll), the reorganization pro-
poses $24, 400 for forage, $73S, 156 for
the pay of enlisted men, 5000, 386 for
clothing and $278, 251 for subsistence
for the new enlisted men-a grand total
in the annual cost of our military estab-
lishment of 81, no, O73. This is an addi-
| finn of G q rlar cent to the present cost