The times., 1898-05-26
THE ARMY APPOINTMENTS.
A Plain stntem4nts of Some Most

amusement to the student of human ma
ture, were not the. circumstances of the
case SO serious. Ng malter how pleasant
it might be to poifit olt the humorous
features of martiafH Hpreparations. yet we
are impelled to grow serious and express
the alarm we feel at the lack of ability
which is being shown in the details of
preparation.
the President was hailed with delight by
US all We felt confident that we had
man at the head of affairs who, profiting
by previous unhappy experience. would
avoid the mistakes of 81, and that under
wise guidance we would give the world
an exhibition of how our great people
We knew the rest of his political house
hold was weak. and that the method of
selecting the heads of military bureaus
was questionable, but we hoped that this
would, in the main. be an element of
strength in that the officials to whom
were intrusted the details of organization
subject to the guiding intelligence of
President Mckinley
During a long period of peace, we have
kept up large. expensive and rather top
heavy staff on the theory. that we must
be prepared for the time of war. This
was correct enough In theory. but in ac-
tual operation it has gone to pieces. OF
all the pitiful breakdowns connected with
| our war preparations. the ratified condi-
| tions If our staff bureaus is the worst
For man cynically inclined to take
| pleasure in contemplating the small side
of humanity. the show now on at the big
granite building beyond the White House
| is an opportunity of lifetime, and it is
worth trip from the Pacific TO Wash
lngton to stroll through the offices of the
methods of country which prides itself
on being practical If the only result of
the slipshod confusion observable were
inconvenience and annoyance TO the bu>
reau chiefs themselves, and their assist
ants, we could in our careless American
way. laugh and leEthem do the swearing,
but we are not so fortunate. The sup
ply of wisdom seems to;haye been nearly
exhausted by the Presidents admirable
Caleqffnp nf prapay-uY "a nd
quent selections have seemed to have been
made after the fashion of an amazing
catch as catch can. In trying to explain
the rule governing appointments some
one whimsicaIly observed that the alleged
hostility of the Secretary of War to a
certain distinguished major general
caused an order to be sent out
that Merritt was TO be overlooked" but
that the spelling got mixed in transmits
sion. 1t would almost seem SO when one
considers how absolutely without merit
were some of the selections.
To begin with. every officer on duty in
the adjutant generals office has been
promoted but one Who is this unworthy
soldier thus ignominiously left out? Why,
| Lieut.. Rowan, of the Nineteenth Infant
ry, who. taking his life in his hands. and
risking an ignoble death. made his way
to Cuba, and opened communication with
our allies, the insurgents He Is the only
lieutenant left in the long list of colonies,
the only officer so far who has done any
thing successful in the military line up
to date Are we TO assume that the place
of honor in war is on Pennsylvania Ave
nue. rather than Cuba or the Philippines?
| And so ii goes in every other branch and
department. For years the colonels OF
regiments have been required to make an
annual report of the special fitness of
officers under their command. This list
of names has been made up of those who
are ambitious. faithful and industrious
students of the art of war and the me
| chanical arts and sciences. From this list
are supposed to be selected men especially
qualified for staff and similar positions
This list is on file in the adjutant generals
Office, but it appears to have been lost in
the present disgraceful shuttle. Among
the names on it are those of men who
have resigned and gone into civil life
many of whom have been more than sue
cessful in scientific pursuits. With splen-
did material to draw from it was conf
IDENTIFY expected by the unknowing ones
that a superb staff would be selected,
which. taking our big force of volunteers
in hand, and cooperating with the regu-
lars, would enable US to compensate for
| the inherent weakness of our military
system. and 1t was hoped thus to show
the world that having learned by the ex-
perience of 1851, we had the ability and
latent power to be successful in spite of
the military defects that must exist in a
strictly commercial nation.
Paymasterships were the legitimate
prey of politicians. but that engineers,
officers of the supply departments. and
the adjutant general s corps should have
allowed all sorts and conditions of men
to be forced into them seems incredible.
Many of the appointments. ii is true. are
good. but 1t is scandaliundar the cIrcum-
stances that all Of them have not been
not only beyond Freproach, but of the