The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
lie Estimates Pay of Troops VIII Cost
s24,AI6,ssz. and other Expenses
Nearly $6O,OOO,OoO More.
GEN. EAGAN ON THE WARPATH
WANTS MAI. GEN MIIEs'S BAD MEAT
CHARGES INVESTIGATED.
Chicago Packers Confident They Sent
No "EmbaImed" Beef to Troops
in Cuba and Porto Rico.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-RepreSentative
Hull, chairman of the military committee
OF the House, to-day filed with the clerk
his report on the bill for the increase of the
regular army. After detailing the amend
ments adopted in committee, all of which
have been printed heretofore, the report
says:
The bill fixes no maximum strength for
the entire army. Assuming that the govern
ment will require about one hundred thou
sand for defense of the frontier, for coast
defense end to maintain our authority in the
Islands for whose good order and govern
ment this Nation is now responsible, to-
gether with q reasonable reserve force, the
bill provides for the regiments of cavalry
and infantry required for each arm of the
service, ana corps OF artillery for our sea-
coast batteries, with two regiments Of ar
tillery for teld batteries The committee be-
heVe the organization, as provided for in
this bill, Will make the most efficient mill
Aary organization, at the lowest cost TO the
taxpayer, of any organization proposed by
any bill before Congress.
The organization of the cavalry, as pro-
Vided in the BILL is substantially the same
organization now provided for by law. The
change in the present organization is max
ing ntteen captains in place of twelve and
providing for "A commissary of the regiment.
BY this Increase of rank, the adjutant, quar-
IermaSter general and commissary are given
the rank Of captain and a commissary SER
geant is also added. The fifteen first lieu
tenants provided have three extra first lieu
tenants for each regiment to be available
as squadron adjutants. 1t also provides for
the creation of a band for each regiment,
by enlisting them as musicians, while I'M
der the present law they are enlisted in the
regular force and detailed as musicians.
The organization of artillery provided for
in the bill changes from the regimental
formation to that of a corps of artillery
and as the artillery arm has so grown in
importance the committee feel justified in
submitting the full reasons for the change
The relation of artillery organization to the
work that the army has to perform may De
best understood by brief reference to its
history. Our present system dates back to
1881, when the first four regiments were
organized. The fifth regiment was added in
1861, ID the sixth and seventh in 1888: NOW
when first organized, that is, In 1871. the
question of coast defense was not nearly so
important it is to-day and, consequently,
the question of organization was not so i'm
portant Moreover, this relative unimpor-
tance of both functions Snd organizations
continued many years, in fact, down to 1861
On the other hand, there were questions
before the country that made the services
of infantry of very great Importance, and
hence, We find the artillery almost continu-
ously used as infantry. Thus, in the Next
can war. three-fOurths of the artillery was
used as infantry 1t was armed and equipped
rs infantry and served as such, not only in
Mexico, but also in Florida. during the Sem
inOle trouble, on the plains and elsewhere
even in 5he forts. When the civil war broke
out in 1861 all the foot batteries heretofore
armed and equipped and serving as infan-
try, were converted into light batteries,
only to resume their infantry equipment
and duties at Appomattox.
in the bill under discussion the number
OF artillery units (batteries) was obtained
from consideration of the number of gun
positions to be manned You must have, at
the limit, as many batteries as you have
gun positions. Further, these batteries must
be grouped in sufficient numbers at each
harbor TO man all the guns In that harbor.
Evidently the idea of the regiment does
not come forward here at all and for a
good reason there Is no relation between
the regiment, as a unit, and the work to
be done by the artillery In other words
the essential of artillery organization is the
hot hoco hot hai crVOl1 poH
cording to the necessities of each case, ne
csssities differing from harbor.
THE conditions are entirely different for
infantry and for cavalry. In these, each in
dividual carries weaken, which is not the
case with the artillery. when used as such
The fighting strength Of infantry or cavalry
IS measured by the number of weapons 1t
can bring into line but no such measure
can be uniformly applied to the artillery.
mental organization is suited to the infantry
and 10 the cavalry, the unit selected, name
~, the regiment being the greatest number
of muslxets and sabers, respectively, that
can be controlled by one man, and
this unit is a necessary one. But evidently no
such necessity exists in the artillery. Why.
then, pefpetuate system that is essentially
relic of the past and wholly out OF harmony
with present and with future conditions?
There is no sentiment connected with the
maintenance of the regimental organization,
because, as already explained, the chances
hre against an officers serving wholly in one
regiment. For the purely local feeling of
the regiment alone has been substituted
whole, feeling born of the desire to see
this long-neglected arm at last rise to a
full realization Of It's opportunities and
Let it be borne in mind how complicated
is the artillery service, how many different
kinds of guns ii has to serve, that in future
1t viii be charged with the torpedo service
and that the nature of the artillery service
an general depends entirely upon local con-
ditions, conditions that differ from harbor
TO harbor, and 1t is at once evident that an
arbitrary division of the personnel into
regiments is inherently vicious. The corps
system, on the other hand gives the artl-
lery the adaptability and iexibiity that are
its service.
In respect of the number of batteries
recommended by this bill. one argument
only need be brought up. If the necessary
personnel is not to be provided, why are
millions appropriated every year for guns
and forts? The complicated ordnance of the
present cannot be intrusted to unframed
men BY June 30, 1889 $50 batteries of coast
artillery will be needed for the guns ac-
Sually installed. The bill asks for I44 such
batteries. According to reliable observation
the deterioration of electric machinery in
our coast forts when uncared for is go per
cent. per annum, of other machinery 20 per
cent, and Of guns. and OF carriers % per
cent battery of two Pinch guns COM
plete with all its machinery costs coo:
II uncared for, the yearly loss would be
I'm the organization OF the infantry regi-
ment the change has been made In the
number of enlisted men in company from
provide Tor an adequate force at the very
lowest cost to the government. 1t has not
Deen the object of the committee to sacrifice
sHciency for economy, but taking the num-
Der or men necessary to carry out the pllr-
pose or the government we believe that
an 0rganization on the basis OF l45 which
would give us but 1l2 privates, is more eff
Gent IN actual service than one of q pri-
Yates as proposed in the Senate bill
The largely increased number OF regi-
snents which would be made necessary by
the reduced number of priyates would entail
an increased expense each year on the
government for officers, and would mate
rally impair the effectiveness of companies
and regiments on the line of battle Gen
sherman, in his report to the War Depart
gnent in 1876, after g full study of the ar
mics Of Europe. and after he had seen their
operation on the field OF battle recon-
mended a company of $50 enlisted men in
time OF war, and further stated that we
could count on one-third of the men being
absent from duty in army serving in the
Held. General Schwan said that. after
lWenty-one years service as a line officer,
he regarded 1s5 men as the best organiza-
ton. General Miles, in his testimony before
the committee, recommended one hundred
IN this bill gives the maximum smaller regi-
ment than the minimum of the leading ma
tons.
The committee inserted a new section in
regard to the record and pension office, be-
lieying that the present chief OF that office
has. by his wonderfully efficient services,
made Il only proper for him to have the
rank of brigadier general His administra-
ton Of the Oflce has resulted IN saving