The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-25
INFANTRY CHANGES,
In Reorganization Number
Of Men Increased.


for the entire army. Assuming that
the government will require about 1OO,-
600 men for the defense of the frontier,
for coast defense, and to maintain our
authority in the islands for whose good
order and government this nation is
now responsible, together with a rea-
sOnable reserve force, the bill provides
for the regiments of cavalry and infan-
try to provide the number required for
each arm Of the service and a corps of
artillery for our sea coast batteries,
with two regiments of artillery for field
batteries.
The committee believes the organiza-
ton as provided for in this bill will
make the most efficient military organ
ization at the lowest cost to the tax
payer of any organization proposed by
any bill before congress.
The organization of the cavalry as
provided in the bill is substantially the
same organization now provided for by
law The change in the present organic
alton is making 10 captains in place of
u, and providing for a commissary of
the regiment. By this increase of rank
the adjutant, quartermaster and COM
missary are given the rank of captain
and a commisSary sergeant is also adj
ded The Is first lieutenants provided
have three extra first lieuJenants for
each regiment, to be available as squad
ron adjutants. It also provides for the
creation of band for each regiment
by enlisting them as musicians, while
under the present law they are enlisted
in the regular force and detailed as mu-
sicians.
The organization of artillery provided
for in the bill changes from the regi-
mental formation to that of a CORDS of
artillery, and as the artillery arm has
so grown in Importance the committee
feel justified in submitting the full rea-
sons for the change as follows:
The relation of artillery organiza-
ton to the work that the army was to
perform may be best understood by
a brief reference to its history. Our
present system dates back to 1921, when
the first four regiments were organ
/ lied. The fifth regiment was added in
/ 1861 and the Sixth and Seventh in 1898
/ Now, when first organiZed-that is
/ in 1S21-the question of coast defense
/ was not nearly so important as it Is
/ today, and consequently the question
/ of organization was not so important
/ Moreover this relative unimportance
of both functions and of organization
continued for many years; in fact
down to 1861.
/ On the other hand, there were ques-
] no { n n T
~ ;,,fs,,tII, IF ~
"a 49,, u 80 ~
/ poTldhct' anu hence we ma the ar
80 ms, 80 a. ~,
three-fourths of the artillery was used
as infantry. 1t was armed and equipped
as infantry and served as such, not
only in Mexico but also in Florida
4 during the Seminole trouble, on the
Sxlar, ~ Ill 49, - - 4oe1
OH ~ eo,+ bt+o,.il,e ,,1,5 u 80
+ eo,,i,,,,ad 80 ,.,,ie -. -
I,sere co,,,e1,tad li,a+ ,lnttd,;,s
/ onI,- ~ res1,Yoe 49,. ;,efas,+,ys c,,iiY
mani a,d d,1+iee aeta. H,,[o,,, go
~, I'm "a po!il'i rtoA'
her Of artiliary ,,its 5ba3+ar .ile
4 obtained from q conei51e,,atio, r. III
nmnher Of e1In ooeitio,,e 70 he 1890, [iiS
yoI, ,,,,,e+ 80 - ~ 19
/ hat+eriee &C va, to,5o 49,, i GU ,
| Further these battaries 80 80 10
ero,1ned in sl3f4iciaI'+ ,9,,I,,, ms "
1 barbor, 10 man ali the oTns ~ 49,
! harhor E,,ifIanfIy tbe a. e liz 4Se
regiment does moi come forrya,.d t,o o,,e
at all and for a oood eaeo,, ~ - +
no relation between tbe ,enir,,a,, lie ne i
unit and t1e work 10 ba 5nne h,, 81, q
artillery In other words The asse,,t jiIf
/ of artillery oroa,1izatior is ~, $50,
! these batteries baino. o.ro,,,,ad 1900
ing to the necessities of eocb 900 80 -
essities differing from herbor ~ me-.
Dor. ii''l
1 The conditions. ,,.4,,.o .,,+;,,o1.- ,.ee--.
for infantry ana r.. uillele ~
/ fantrv each individlal carrias a u+aa,l
on. which is NOT fbe caea vii, +t,a arfiI
! lerv when used ae ouch M fob+i,,o
strength of infantrv n, ,a1-aIy,, i ,,9oas
ured bv the nI1rnber af ,,,,a,,0,-. 81 o.,
bring into line. but no sndh measnra