Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-18
ATTACKS THE ARMy's EFFICIENCY

at - m. adjourned.
ATTACKS THE ARMY's EFFICIENCY.
Son of General Mcclellan Says Rcor-
gnnizrtion is Necessary.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-This was Dis
trct of Columbia day in the house, but only
three bills Of local importance were passed.
The remainder of the session was devoted
to further consideration of the army ap.
preparation bill.
The debate was particularly notable for
vigorous speech by Mr. Mcclellan dem,
n. ", a son of General George b. McClel-
Ian, attacking the present army organIza-
tion as obsolete and inefficient. He asserted
that we were woefully unprepared for war
should a crisis come and CCntended for mod
crn methods in organization, equipment and
supplies, etc, which would enable the
United States to meet an emergency.
Mr. Lewis dem, Wash) made a speech
which attracted attention, in denunciation
of trusts, which, he declared were threat
enug the liberties of the country.
Tho consideration Of the army appropria-
tion bill was not completed today.
This was District of Columbia day in the
house, ana Immediately after the reading OF
the journal Mr. Curtis CT the District COM
mttee claimed the day and proceeded to the
inuoducti9n CT District business.
After tho passage of three bills Of purely
local Importance, the house resumed con-
sideIation Of the army appropriation bill,
whlcl was begun On Saturday.
In the course of the general debate Mr..
Griffith rcp., Ia) defended the policy of
retiring army officers on three quarters pay.
Tho debate was made significant by an
attack upon the efficiency of the several
branches of the army by Mr.. Mcclellan
dem, y. ", a son of General George B.
Mcclellan.
The army, he declared, was little better
than a clumsiy organized national police
force, tCp-heavy with the geld lace of staff
officers, many of whom had not seen more
active service than falls to the lot of
member OF the police force. The army
should, he declared, be entirely reorgant2ed.
He said this in no spirit Of jingCism, but
for the purpose of calling the attention OF
the country to the fact that we were pay
ing large price for a very inefficient army,
utterly unprepared for war, while a very
small additional expenditure, with proper
reorganization, would work wonders.
Mr.. Mcclellan went into a detailed dis
cusson of the various branches of the serv-
ice. Our infantry formations he said, would
have been considered excellent in the sew
entcenth century. He criticised partiCu-
larly the organization of the cavalry. AS
indicating the poor quality or condition of
the mounts purchased for the cavalry, he
said, we We're each year replacing 25 per
cent OF the cavalry horses, while in Europe,
Austria for instance, but - per cent of
the cavalry horses were replaced annually.
one of the grayest defects in the present
orgar izatlon. he said was the lack of a
properly instructed and competent staff. In
the modern sense of the word we had no
staff
Our ammunition plant was he said, hope
lCssy deficient. AT the present rate of ac-
cumulated reserve, he said, at the end of
five years we would only have enough am.
munition to supply the infantry for two
days at the firing rate of the battle of Get
tysbure.
Mr. Lewis dem, Wash) made Wig
orOus speech against any increase of
the army. He created something of
an innovation by taking his position
In tho area in front of the speakers ros-
trum and speaking to the house face to
face, as to congregation. He charged that
the trusts were in control of the country
and constituted the mailed hand OF power
behind the DEGREES of the courts. IL the
army was increased, the people would, he
said be justified IN asking whether 1t was
not to be used to barrlcade the courts ana
break down everything that means tho
freedom Of the government,
He differed ho said, from the leader Mr..
Bryan, whose cause he had followed to the
pit. He was not willing to subscribe to the
idea that free silver was the single end to
be fought FOR, There was necessity, he said,
for return to the true dmocracy which had
for its end the treedon4 OF the individual as
an individual
Mr., Lewis quoted a telegram which he
said Senator Hanna had received from
Frankfort, Germany, signed by A, Seligman,
as follows: Il congratulate you on your
election, 1T Is most satisfactory to me"
That message, he said came from the man
who helped to place an mortgage on this gov
said, had no parallel in history save in the
message sent by Pontiu5 Pilate to the exc
Cutiguer OF Je5lIs Christ concentrating him