New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-19
MHIT TILE AMY NEEDS.

II is n scrious mistake TO say that no good can
he done by such an investigation as fresoe"'
Mckinley has proposed. one needs 10 huo"
but little of the military service in TINS or o'her
countries 10 be aware that the machinery pro
vldcd by our existing laws for certain branches
of that service is by no means adequate 10 'h'
work it has 10 perform The hrSt step 'oNiru
any beneficial reconstruction IS careiul exam
nation To determine AT what points ana III Wha'
respects the system has been FOUND donc'ch''
No higher service could he rendered 10 the coui-
try than the investigation of that question III
the spirit in which il has been proposed by the
President. The fact that many persons Tor par
tisan reasons loudly insist That all me Dlilhe
must be attached 10 one set OF officers ratner
than another, and none NJ all to defects inner
cnt in the system itself. Is wcighly evidence
were there no other. that such an investigation
by men who can command public confluence III
the highest degree is an essential step DeIore
the right sort Of reconstruction can be r'acheu'
1t is well known that the enormous work done
and credilably done, by the departments oi the
service in question is to n great extent over
looked by many whose attention Is hNed upon
the shortcomings Of those departments NOW INT
work that was well and creditaby done proves
that In some respects the eAlstlng HlachIneI!
was in IA high degree effective, ana makes IL ihc
more necessary To ascertain by thorough eNaihi-
nation how it came 10 pass that the same de-
partments fell short i'll other parts OF their Work'
No one can deny that the gathering and forina-
ton and equipment Of large army ana us
handling with such efficiency that the war was
ended In three months without sklrnilSh loS''
deserve the high credit which foreign observers
unhestatingly give but it il not the part OF
PATRIOTISM To let that fact prevent careful III
ouiry rs to the shortcomings OF the service ana
their causes.
one of these causes appears on the face OF
things The Regular Army had trained officers
of the number required. and only the number
required for small force. Suddenly an army
ten times as large was called upon, ana re-
duircd for its efficient handling and supply ten
times as many men trained in the duties ana
methods Of the Quartermaster. CommiS>ary ana
Medical departments. Oh the face " Things
such men could not I've found, nor gifted Win
the requisite knowledge and training 10y any
commission. nor could II he expected that even
graduates Of West Point or subordinate line or
nccrs of the Regular Army would possess 10y IN
stinct the practical and technical knowledge
which many of them never had opportunity 10
acquire For that matter. more men were
needed IN these departments than West Point
has graduated in thirty years whether IN"
heads of the service and the principal bureaus
at Washington and various other points wcr"
wholly efficient or not. II IL In the nature "i
things evident that want Of experience on the
part Of n large share of the men through whom
they had TO work must have made some differ
cncc
Tie volunteer force with almost absolute una
| rlmity. insisted most earnestly upon having Of
! hccrs Of It's own selection when the war began
and the almost universal want of experience or
/ knowledge on the part Of such officers regard
/ ing practical duties in the field or the camp has
/ caused far more difficulty and suffering to The
! troops than can be comprehended by most peo'
pie When the people hear that the boys OF THIS
| company that regiment had poor food or sup
/ plies or not enough. most OF them do not
stop to consider whether company or regi-
mental commssaries and quarteimasters anu
4 commanding officers had any responsibility in
the matter, but have taken it for granted that
all their incXpcriencc and want OF training and
| knowledge could have been somehow made up
by a bureau Of mysterious functions and won
der working power afar OF AT Washington or
other headquarters. years actual service
would have taught all the men what some
! learned that training was nowhere more necos-
| sary 10 the health and comfort of the men than
| in these same officers. who have the immediate
responsibility for every company and every
regiment, and in great measure for every camp.
! But the mode of raising forces under existing
laws created this grave obstacle M the start.
and il Is one Of the chief objects of investiga-
ton to discover how snch difficulties can best he
avoided in future.