The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-13
ARGUING FOR 4 BIG ARMY.
GEN. MILES APPEARS BEFORE THE
HOUSE MILITARY Committee.
He shows That the Increased De-
mands of the SeacOast Defenses
ut Home. m Well n the New CO.
lonfes, Require More Troops.

pearsd today before the house committee
on military affairs for hearing relative
10 the proposed reorganization and increase
OF The army Two bills for this purpose are
pending, one drawnsby Miles. aud intro
dueed in the senate as the Hawiey bill. and
another introduced in the house by Chair
man HUI. az the military committee.
IL Was necessary now 10 consider both
our military requirements al home ard
those in the new colonial possessions. and
also those raised by the increasing demands
of our sea coast Notifications, said Miles.
When the entire increase IN coast defanses
was completed. Dis batteries would be re-
CURED These considerations. said Miles,
had led him 10 recommend the standard
OF one soldier for every Loo population at
home. with native troops on IN esasis CT
two native soldiers for every Loo popula-
ton.
IF We are to be firs;-class power in the
world" proceeded Gen Miles. I'VE must
have a military system adequate To meet
our responsibilities the world over l be-
Eeye in making that system so small thar
il will not be a menace 70 the American
people, ard az the same time large enough
10 make it adequate for any emergency
He believed that one soldier TO every
l.Oo0 population would give an army ent:re-
iy adequate for every need. 1t would give
an army OF ECO, according to he last
census. and about 1900 on the essima led
population of today. in addition 20 this
force. the use of native troops would make
an effective body in the several colonies.
And If We are 10 keep the Philippines
anu | have no more idea that we VIII give
UP Manila than that We VIII give UP Buns
he. Hill or any other place immortdlized
IN oIT history then 6nS n Trnags here W
/ Understand the natives are ready &c eE-
ter upon this service
Gen. Miles then explained in detail the
bill drawn by him. The hearing took
quite spirited turn. when several of the
Democratic members of the committee be-
gan cTosSquestioning Gen. Miles. When
Representative Cox requested that the mi
nority have the opportunity TO ask some
question, Chairman Hull expressed the hope
that the committee would not divide on
political lines. as it had now separated
into q majority and minority.
In response to questions. Gen. Miles said
at least 1900 native troops and 2.0p of our
troops We're required to maintain order III
Porto Rice. At least 1900 Were required
for Western posts exposed TO Iudian~up
risings.
When asked how many troops were re-
quired in Cuba, Gen. Miles said that as
troops were moving there now he would
not go into details on that point, as ii
might be enormously construed 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 1o,c0o
men would be sufficient for Cuba in the
near future. The officers In the Philip
pines estimated they would require % ooO
men, possibly more. Altogether about 40
90 men were needed abroad and s., 900 at
home.
AT the afternoon session Gen Schoield
who preceded Gen. Miles in command of
the army, devoted his chief attention 10
the friction inevitably rising between the
secretary OF war and the commanding gen.
eral under the present system. This had
occurred under the command of Gen. Scott.
who removed his headquarters 70 New
York &c avoid differences arising with the
war department. Ii occurred also during
the command of Gen Sherman. who went
to St. Louis to avoid friction. The trouble
arose out of the system which gave the
head OF the army the name OF commanding
general. when In fact he had little or no
authority. or even influence as comma nd
Ing general. Whether he does anything de-
ponds largely on his personal relations with
the secretary Of war. If these relations are
not close, then the secretary OF war gets TO
ignoring the so-called commanding gen.
eral. In that event tho adjutant general
became a more important official than the
commanding general
Gen. Schofield urged that one of the most
was 10 give the president absolute power
to select his own commanding officers. m
stead of creating the permanent grade Of
lieutenant general he favored giving the
president authority TO select a any time
lieutenant general he officer occt.,vinr
that position retiring TO his former grade
The title should be that of general .n-cbief
instead of commanding general as that
would better express the idea that the head
Of ha .
the president and secretary of war
Gen. Schofeld urged also that lie heads
of all staff bureaus should lie s:.bordlnated
to the general-in-chief Considering the
size of the army under present conditions
Gen. Schofield said ne estimated need Ct
about 5000 for the Philippines. i5.ceo 10
n, coo for Cuba, 5000 for Porto Rico. 1900
for manning and caring for fortitications
in the Indian country. and $500 as n re-
serve. He did not belieye in underestimate
Ing the seriousness OF our task IN the Phil
ippines.
After Gen. Schoheld had concluded Gen.
Miles said he did not approve the surges-
ton that the head OF the army be an
executive staff officer 10 the president
During most OF the time FOR the last one
hundred years the army had been under
command OF a general or lieutenant
general and that was the practice the worll
over.
Gen. Miles said in reply To a question
that he thought IL would be better Tor the
president 10 have the war minister more
particularly direct the vast administrative
work % the war department as II was
manifestiy Impossible for any man TO come
from civil life and ut once become familiar
with all the latest appliances of war If
the one occupying the chief military posi-
ton was not liked then let some one else
be- placed in authority. But the selection
should not he from so far down on the
list as To amount 10 favoritism. for tha:
would not he approved by the people
Gen Miles pointed out that three major
generals. Merritt. Brooke and himself had
come through the recent war without hoyse
- recognition He cared nothing as 10
himself hut he urged that the services Of
Gems. Merritt and Brooke had been such
that the rank % lieutenant general BE-
given them under his bill would be efnin-
entity fitting. In this connection he re
ferred To the working OF The system by
which Meade, Hancock and Thomas had
never received the rank aud recognition
due them for eminent services. two OF
them going broken hearted TO their graves