Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-12-13
General Miles Explains the
Object Of His Bill.
Says that an Army Of 100000 at
Least Is Necessary.
House military Affairs Committee Listens TO
ideas for Army Reorganization.

tary affairs for a hearing relative TO
the proposed reorganization and IN
crease of the army. Two bills for this
purpose are pending, one drawn by
Gen, Miles and introduced in the Sen
ate as the Hawley BILL and another in
troduced in the House by Chairman
Hull, of the military committee. At
the outset Gen. Miles addressed him
self to the general need of increasing
the army without reference to either
bill. He said he had always favored
the establishment of a fixed standard
for the army.
The experience of the last year, he
said, had demonstrated that our pres
ent military estimate was inadequate
to maintain our position as a first class
power. 1t was necessary to consider
both our military requirements at
home and those in our colonial de-
Tendencies abroad, and also the rapid
ly increasing demands made by our
sea coast Notifications. The war with
Spain had shown pretty clearly how
many men would be required, Gen.
Miles said. The war had required S.
900 men for actual field operations at
various points. OF these $4,000 men
went to Manila, 10000 to Cuba and TO-
600 to Porto Rico. These were men
actually in the presence of the hostile
enemy. Since then there had been re-
inforcments for garrison and other
purposes. At the same time the gen
eral pointed out the necessities at
nome must not be overlooked: the en-
tire frontier had been stripped of
troops during the late war and com
plants were coming in that lives.
families and property of those along
the frontier were jeopardized by this
condition. In particular there were
fears of an outbreak in the Sioux
country because of absence of troops.
These considerations. said Gen.
Miles, had led him to recommend
standard of one soldier for 1000 of pop
ulation at home, with native troops in
the newly aquired colonies on a basis
of two native soldiers for every 1000
population.
III we are to be a first-class power
in the world" proceeded Gen. Miles.
we must have military system ade-
qnate to meet our responsibilities the
world over. | believe to make that
system so small that it will not be a
menace to the American people and
at the same time large enough to make
II adequate for any emergency"
Ihe new standard would have an
army of $1,000 according to the last
census and about $4,000 on the estimat-
ed population of today. In addition
to this force the use of native troops
would make an effective body in the
several colonies.
Gen. Miles said we now have a
greater number of our men abroad
than any other country, except. per-
haps, Great Britain. On the basis of
two native soldiers for every 1000 pop
uiatlon the native troops in Porto
Rlco would be recruited up to about
20c0 and in Cuba up to about 30O0
And IT we are to keep the Philip
pines-and l have no more idea that
we will give up Manila than we will
give up Bunker Hill or any other place
lmmortailized in our history-then this
native force will largely augment our
troops there, and l understand the ma
tives are ready to enter upon this SER
vice"
Gen. Miles then turned his attention
to the bill drawn by him. He had pre-
pared this, he said, simply in order to
express his views in definite form. He
explained in detail the provisions as to
cavalry, artillery, infantry and staff
AS to cavalry organization he said the
tendency was to reduce the number of
men in a regiment, as experience had
shown that 1000 men was about as
many men as a colonel could ma
noeuvre with effect. AS to the artil-
lery. he urged that the four-gun for
nation was more desirable than the
six gun, in giving to the enemy the
first effective blows, which We're the
decisive ones.
The hearing took quite a spirited
turn when several of the Democratic
members of the committee began to
cross-question Gen. Miles. When Rep
resentative Cox of Tennessee asked
that the minority have an 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 ma
jority and minority.
In response to questions, Gen. Miles
said that at least 1000 native troops
and 1000 of our troops were required
to maintain order in Porto Rico. At
least $4,000 were required for Western
post exposed to Indian uprisings.
Wehn asked how many troops We're
required in. Cuba, Gen. Miles said that
as troops were moving there now he
would not go into details on that point, |
as it might be enormously construed
as comment on his superiors in office. I!
He expected that most of the troops |
would be off for Cuba within 80 days. |
When will the Cuban government
be organized?" asked Mr. Sulzer, |
Dem, n. Y.
II do not know; that is political |
question: replied the general. He |
went OH to say that probably 10000 I
men would be sufficient for Cuba in i
the near future. The officers in the |
Philippines estimated they would res I
quire $4,000 men and possibly more. !
about 10000 men were need I
Cd abroad and 1900 at home.
Continued on page 2.)