The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-24
HOUSE VERY D|L|GENI
Army Reorganization Bill
Passed Unanimously.
SENATE HAS A FUNERAL
So the Bill Will Not be Law
Until Tomorrow.

| Washington. April 23.-The house today
| passed the army reorganization bin, al
| the urgent request OF the president and
secretary of war but the senate did not
remain in session. as was expected and
the bill will not go to the president until
next week. Some fear was expressed or
! the Democratic side that the bill might
| increase the regular army in time OF
| peace, but an amendment prepared by Mr.
Bailey, which removed all doubt on this
score, was accepted by Mr.. Hull, and she
| bill passed by unanimous vote. The bill
reorganizes the army into the three-bat-
talon formation and authorizes the TWEEN
| ty-five regiments of the infantry arm OF
the service to be recruited up to total
| OF 81, 500 ENLISTED men. II authorizes the
| recruitment of the ten regiments of the
| cavalry arm OF the service TO a total OF
u, 900 enlisted men, the seven regiments Of
the artillery arm OF the service to 1861
men, and the engineer battalion of five
| companies up to 752 enlisted men, includ-
ing two non-con1mi ssioued officers, which
makes a total for these four arms of the
service, when~a at a maximum strength,
of 81, 100.
INCREASE OF OFFICERS.
The increase of officers provided for in
the bill are:
First-Twenty-fve majors, as provided
in the first section Of the bill. These ma
jors are to be a permanent addition to
the commissioned officers of the regular
army.
Second-One hundred and fifty commits
stoned officers TO provide for the two in
fantry companies in the third battalion
for each of the twenty-five regiments Of
infantry.
Third-Eighty-fou second lieutenants,
being one for each Of the fourteen bat
teries fartillery when recruited to a war
strength. The second lieutenants are only
to be added in the discretion of the presi-
dent. but assuming that the extra lieu
tenant is necessary and will be commits
stoned for each battery of artillery, it was
a total of commissioned officers in excess
of the present number authorized by law,
of 259 OF this number, as above stated,
twenty-five are majors for the permanent
second battalion, and the other 295 Of
ficers, it is provided in the last section
OF the bill, shall, on the conclusion of
hostilities be either absorbed by filling
any vacancies existing in the other COM
panies of the service or by an honorable
discharge, which may be deemed neces-
sary 10 reduce the commissioned officers
of the army to the number now provided
for by the first section of this act.
nh N 80 IT,
Hull Immediately called up the army bill
AN IMPORTANT PROvISO.
The bill has been materially modified
since it was recommitted by the house
fortnight ago. The following important
proviso was offered by the committee as
an amendment:
Provided, That in the event OF a call
by the president for either volunteers or
the militia of the country. the president
is authorized. to accept the quotas OF
troops of the various states and terri
tories. including the District of Columbia,
as organized under the laws of the states
and territories, including the District of
Columbia"
1t was decided to limit the general de-
bate to half an hour.
ARMY INEFFICIENT.
Mr.. Huh briefly explained some of the
features of the bin. He said the infantry
force of the army .as at present organized, |
was not efficient in time of war with only
fifty privates, 1t placed by twenty-five !
men to each company in the fighting line |
and made the regular army. which cost, |
on peace footing s23, O00, 600 per annum, |
merely ornamental The number OF pri- |
Yates in each company had been placed |
in the bill at eightyfour TO conform with |
the organization of the national guard in |
the majority of states. Mr.. Hull said that |
It was the purpose Of General Miles TO |
effect a landing in Cuba at the earliest /
possible moment. 1t would take six weeks |
or two months to equip the volunteer /
army.
The United States was doing what no
other country on earth would dare dot !
was going into war without provision for
a land force Congress made no provision
for war until war was az hand. Our voI-
lnieer army would be organized while var
existed. Our experts on coast defeuses
said it would be absolutely Impossible to
place volunteer forces upon the coast de-
lenses within three months, owing 20 the
character OF the new ma
chinery on the siege guns. This made the