The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-13
AMERICAS NEW ARMY
Generals Miles and Scofield Present
Their Views.
NEED OF MORE SOLDIERS
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES DE-
MAND A STRONGER FORCE.
Both Generals Would Curtail the Au-
thority of the Secretary of War
Commanding General Only a
Dummy Under the Present System
Mo Recognition For Services.

%-
Washington, Dec. 12.-Major General
Miles appeared today before the house
committee on military affairs for a
hearing relative to the proposed reor-
ganization and increase of the army
Two bills for this purpose are pending,
one drawn by General Miles and intro
duced in the house by Chairman HUI:
Of the military committee.
At the outset General Miles addressed
himself to the general need of increas-
ing the army, without reference to
either bill. He said he had always IA
vored the establishment of a fixed
standard for the army. The experience
of the last year, he said, had demon
strated that the present military estab-
Hshment was Inadequate to maintain
our position as a first-class power. 1t
was necessary now to consider both our
military requirements at home and
those in our new colonial possessions,
and also the rapidly increasing demands
made by our seacoast Notifications.
The latter, as far as completed require
some 1S5 batteries of artillery, and
when the entire increase in coast de-
lenses was completed 365 batteries will
be required. The war with Spain had
ollOWIl pISlIy CLEARLY uOW IIdlly ul6H
would be required. General Miles said
the war had required $4,000 for actual
field operations at various points. OF
these $4,000 men were sent to Manila,
1000 to Cuba, and 600 to Puerto Rico.
These were men actually in the pres
ence of the hostile enemy. Since then
there had been reinforcementS for gar
rison and other purposes.
AT the same time, the general pointed
|,
overlooked The entire frontier had
been stripped of troops during the late
war, and complaints were coming in
that the lives of families and property
of those along the frontier were jeopar-
died by this condition. In particular
there were fears of an outbreak from
the Sioux country because of the alb
sence of troops. 1t was not desirable,
therefore, to withdraw our forces from
the frontier so as to leave them de-
fenseless or to invite disorder.
THE PROPER SIZE.
These considerations, said General
Miles. had led him to recommend a
standard of one soldier for 900 popula-
ton at hame, with native troops on a
basis Of two native soldiers for every
1000 population.
IF we are to be q frst-class power
in the world" proceeded General Miles,
1--WE must have a military system ade-
quate to meet our responsibilities the
world over. L believe in making that
system so small that it will not be
menace to the American people and at
the same time large enough to make it
adequate for any emergency"
He believed that one soldier to 1000
population would give an army ade-
quate for every need. 1t would give an
army Of $4,000, according to the last
census, and about $4,000 on the esti-
ton to this force, the use Of native
troops would make an effective body in
the several colonies.
"And if we are to keep the Philip
pines-and I have no more idea that
we will give up Manila than that we
will give up Bunker hill or any other
place immortalized in cur history-then
this native force will largely augment
our own troops there, and I understand
the natives are ready to enter upon
I this service"
General Miles then explained in de-
tail the bill drawn by him.
The hearing took quite a spirited
turn when several of the Democratic
members of the committee began cross
questioning General Miles. When Rep
resentative Cox requested that the mi
nority have the opportunity to ask some
questions, Chairman Hull expressed
the hope that the committee would not
divide on political lines, as it had never
before separated into a majority and
minority.
In response to questions, General
Miles said at least 1000 native troops
and 1000 Of our troops were required
! to maintain order in Puerto Rico. At
| least $1,000 were required for western
posts exposed to Indian uprisings.
When asked how many troops were
required in Cuba, General Miles said
that as troops were moving there now,
| he would not go into details ON that
| point, as it might be enormously con-
strued as comment upon his superiors
in Office. He expected that most of the
troops would be off for Cuba within
thirty days.
He went on to say that probably
10000 men would be sufficient for Cuba
! in the near future. The officers in the
| Philippines estimated that they would
require $4,000 men, possibly more. Alto
gether, about 10000 men were needed
abroad and $4,000 at home.
CAUSE OF FRICTION.
At the afternoon session, General
Schofield, who preceded General Miles
in command of the army, devoted his
chief attention to the friction inevitably
|
and the commanding general under the
present system. This had occurred I'M
der the command of General Scott, who
removed his headquarters to New York
| to avoid differences arising with the
war department. 1t occurred also dur
|, ing the command of General Sherman,
| who went to St. Louis to avoid fric-
ton. The trouble arose out of the sys-
| tenn which gave the head of the army
the name of commanding general,
when, in fact, he had little or no au-
thority, or even influence, as command
ing general. Whether he does anything
depends largely on his personal rela-
| lions with the secretary of war. If
those relations are not close, then the
secretary OF war gets 80 ignoring the
so-called commanding general In that
event, the adjutant general became a.
more important official than the com
handing general
! General Schofeld urged that one of
| the most essential features of army re-
organization was to give the president
| absolute power to select his own COM
handing officer. Instead of creating
| the permanent grade of lieutenant
general, he favored giving the presi-
dent authority to select at any time a
lieutenant general, the officer occupy
! ing that position retiring to his former
grade. The title also should be that of
general in chief, instead of command
ing general, as that would better ex-
press the idea that the head of the
army was the executive officer for the
president and secretary of war. Gen
|