The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-20
INCREASING THE ARMY
4 Bill Has Been Prepared and Is
Ready For Congress-.
ENLISTMENT Is FOR THREE YEARS.
Volunteers Arc Only for service in
Case OF wnr-How OfHccrs
WIZ lie Selected.

Il .s f =
Washington April 19.--The war depart
ment bill to provide for temporarily in
ereasing military forces in time OF war
was sent today TO Chairman Hull OF the
mouse military committee, and Senator
Hawley the chairman of similar COM
mittee In the senate. The measure was
prepared under the immediate supervision
OF Assistant Secretary Miekeliohn, after 4
thorough and cireful study of the best in
tdests OF the service. In transmitting
ire Dill to congress a request is made for
favorable consideration. and in view of the
exigencies of the situation speedy action
is expected. In time OF war the army is
to consist OF two branches, the regular and
volunteer army, the latter to be maintained
only during the existence of war. or while
war Is imminent, and is to be raised and
! organized only after congress authorizes
it. All enlistments for the volunteer army
| are TO be Tor three years unless sooner ter
minated. All the regiment and company
/ Officers of the volunteer army are to be
! appointed by the president upon the rec
| ommendation OF the governors of the States
| in which their respective organizations are
| raised.
|
| vided that when the members o. any COM
| pany or regiment or the organized militia
! shall enlist in the volunteer army i'll a
| body, as sucn company and regiment. tM
| Teglmental and company officers in service
| with the militia organization thus enlist
| ing may be appointed by the president sub
| ject to an examination as to fitness and
| capacity, to be officers of corresponding
| grades in the same organization when IL is
! received in the service as part of the
volunteer army.
| The troops IN time OF war, whether be-
| longing 10 the regular or volunteer army,
| or TO the militia. are to be organized IN
| three brigades, each brigade 10 be com
| posed of three or more regiments, and
| when three or more divisions are assem-
| bled in the same army the president is 10
| organize them into army corps, each corps
| to consist of not more than three divisions
| The president is to appoint In the vorun-
| teer army not exceeding one major general
for each organized army corps and divis-
ion, and one brigadier general for each
brigade to be selected from the regular or
volunteer army of the militia.
The following are the provisions or the
bill in full
A bill TO provide for temporarily ncreas-
ing the military of the United States in
time for war.
BE 1t enacted etc, that all able bodied
citizens o. the United States anu persons
o: foreign birth who shall have declared
their intention to become citizens OF Tie
United States under and in pursuance of
the laws thereof between the ages or Is
AMI 10 years, are hereby declared TO con-
stitute the National forces, and with such
exceptions ard under such conditions as
may be prescribed by the law shall be
liable 10 perform military duty i'll the SER
vice of the United States
. That the organized and active lana
forces OF the United States shall consist OF
he army Of the United States and OF the
military of the several states when called
into the service of the United States; pro-
vided that in time OF war the army shall
consist OF two branches, which shall be
designated respectively as the regular ana
the volunteer army OF the United states,
s That the army is The permanent mill
tary establishment which is maintained
both in war and peace, according to law
j. That the volunteer army shall be
maintained only durins the existence of
war. or while war ia imminent, and shall
be raised and organized MS In this act pro
vided only that congress shall have au-
ttorized the president to raise such force
provided, that all eplstments for the vol
untecr army shall be for term OF three
years, unless sooner terminated. ana thAl
all officers and men composing sa'h arinF
sltsIl he discharged from the service OF the
United States when the purposes for which
they were .alled into service shall have
been accomplished or on the conclusion
of hostilities
3. That when It becomes necessary to
raise a volunteer army the president staii
issue his proclamation, stating the NUMBER
of men desired, within such limits as may
be fixed by law, and the secretary OF war
shall prescribe such rules and regulations
not inconsistent with the terms OF tn.'
act ms may In his Judgment be necessary
for the purpose Of examining, oHerlns ana
receiving into service the men calico p'o-
yided all men received in the service ID
the volunteer army shall so far as practie-
able be taken from the several States and
Territories and the District OF Columbia
in proportion 10 their population.
G. That the volunteer army ana Tue
militia of the States when called into the
service of the United States shaii DC Or
eanized under and shall be subject TO the
laws orders and regulations governing inc
regular army; provided that regiments OF
The regular army shall have one surgeon
and one assistant surgeon and that all tne
reeinenta and company offlcers shaii pe
appointed by the president upon the re-
commentator Of the governors OF the
states in which their respective organi2a-
lions are raised, subject TO su-h examlna-
tion as to fitness and capacity as the pres
ident may prescribe: provided, furrher, tha'
when the members OF any company or resi-
of the organized militia OF any state shaii
enlist in the volunteer army as body, as
such company or regiment. the reglmehlai
and company officers In service with the |
militia organization thus existing may be
appointed by the president. subject TO such |
an examination as 10 the fitness and ca
paeity OF said officers as he may prescribe,
10 officers OF corresponding grades In the |
same organization when Il shall have been |
received into the service of the United |
states as part of the volunteer army.
7. That all organizations OF the yolua- i
teer army shall be 20 recruited ircm time !
10 time as TO maintain them as near TO
their maximum strength as the president |
ray deem necessary. and no new organize
ton shall be accepted into the service from !
any state unless the organizations already
in TIE s2rvice from such state are as near
IN treir maximum strength of officers and |
enlisted men as the president may deem
necessary.
3 That all returns and muster rolls OF