Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-09-15
department.

Speaking of the future of the army,
Gen. Miles sal d that there were a num-
Der of matters which required careful
and deliberate consideration, with re-
spect to the army organization and
that undoubtedly steps in that direc-
ton would be taken as soon as prac-
ticable. The matter of mastering out
the volunteer general officers, in CORE
spondence with the general reduction
of the army by mastering out. he said
would have to be taken up at an early
date and that undoubtedly would
cause arrangement of the depart
meDt commands.
As to Army Reorganization.
With respect to the reorganization
of the army, Gen. Miles said that the
experience of this war had very clearly
demonstrated what military authori-
ties well understood before, that the
establishment of standard was nee
essay to the entire efficiency of the
army. He said it was his intention to
recommend plan of reorganization
to congress, and that he believed the
necessity for it would be recognized by
the public and by congress. The ac-
QUESTION of territory obviously made
it necessary that there should be d
arger army, and the experience of the
war had demonstrated the necessity of
establishing standard and having the
troops thoroughly trained to the mill.
tary service. 1t was desirable, he
said, that the army should be organ
lied on the basis of one soldier to every
certain number of inhabitants. 1t was
even before the close of the war of the
rebellion, that the establishment of
standard was desirable, but from time
to time the army had been reduced
until it had reached a number dis
proportionately small to the size of
the country and it's population.
One Soldier to Every Thousand of Popula
ton.
He thought that one soldier to every
1000 of population probably would be
found to be about the right ratio for a
standard, and that the army, this
standard being adopted, would in
crease according to the recognized
needs of the government in an exact
ratio to the increase of the population.
It was very important-and this had
been clearly demonstrated in the war
with Spain-that there should be
full complement of non-commissioned
officers and men, as well as of COM
missioned officers, who were trained
to the hardships of military life
and who knew how to take care of
themselves and to look out for their
own health and comfort in a campaign.
He said that it was important to the
efficiency of an army that the men
should have training for the endur-
ance of marches, methods of protecting
themselves against severe weather and
Instantaneous climatic conditions;
knowledge of the proper food and
how to care for their persons SO as to
preserve their health, strength and eff
tciency, and that there should be a
sufficient number of non-commissioned
officers thoroughly trained in the
knowledge essential to soldiers life,
and to the care of the men.
Necessity for the Proper Training of Sol
diers.
Ee said that it was just as necessary
that soldiers should have proper train
ing as it was to train men to build a
house, or to have a man skilled
in his profession to perform
any professional service. It was
essential that an army should
be composed of Roldiers trained
to their profession, commanded by eff
cient officers in every grade and con.
troled strictly according to military
principles That military operations
should be directed by military men, he
said, was too obvious to need to be
a.