Little Falls weekly transcript., 1898-09-20
Army Reorssnisation.

# Army Reorganization. 3
W nanything:hss been made clear BY TIA,
lessons Of . short war. It 10 that in some.
respects our military system needs :
thorough remodeling. That system has
never been scientifically made. II has
grown up In one direction more than
ANY other reform is imperative TO in
sure we'll working service. That 10 in
the reorganization Of the stat. Moro
than half Of our recent blunders have
sprung from lack Of harmony inevitable
TO staff system 30 antiquated. Mr..
Hull, the chairman Of the house com.
mittee on military affairs, has outlined
his views on this subject, which will
be included in the bill to be introduced
into the next congress.
&, At present the staff Of the army 10
made up Of ten distinct bureaus, each
presided over by chief with the rank
Of brigadier general. There is no single
head to enforce harmony Of action.
Each bureau feels its own importance
and resents infringement Of preroga-
tive. In the German system, which
with modification is designed to be the
model Of our own. there is chief OF
the general staff {suoh was Won Moltko's
rank), charged vii th the whole admins
tration and next in authority to the
emperor. In our new system the chief
of staff will be second in authority to
the general in chief only, and every
staff department will report to him and
be under his direction. The department
will include all officers performing other
than line duties. and it is proposed to
include in it only those promoted by
virtue Of fitness and special training. A
staff college on the lines of the engineer
ing school at Willets Point, N. Y, Of
the artillery school at Fort Monroe
and of the infantry and cavalry school
at Fort Leavenworth will be instituted,
and with equally high technical in
str1ction. In addition to this permanent
staff will be the temporary staff, in
which the officers can be shifted from
one section to another. according to fit-
ness and the requirements Of the serv-
ice. In time of war when an army is in
the field or in the management OF de-
partment the general commanding that
section of the army will have his ad-
ministrative officer in representative
of the general chief Of staff, who will
hold authority over all officers of the
quartermaster, oommissary and medical
departments in service there. This SOL
ontific graduation Of the system is the
real core of it's value. as 1t holds every
one in strict accountability to single
head. In other respects tho military
bureaus will remain as they are now.
Such. stripped of it's detail, is the pro-
posed system, and it is certain to put
new life into army administration. Il
will relieve the directing mind Of q
campaign or Of department. Of harass'
ing details and make him free to give
more time and study to the discharge
of the supreme function.
~ Those who have followed closely thu
course Of General Skaters campaign
need not be military students to perceive
at once what a power such q syste,
would have been in obviating the evil
which made that campaign 60 open
criticism
The Volunteers.
/ This title does not allu6e to our gal
laot fellows who have given Americs
fr,-sh cause to be proud ot her heroi.
children, but to the Volunteers wh<
wage daily and nightly war agains
"the world, the flesh ana the devil. >
It is said that Ballington Booth, thei,
leader, proposes to abolish all differenc,
in garb which distinguishes them from
other American citizens and put then
on the basis Of ordinary missionary toll
era The boom Of the drum, the squea
Of the fife and the other fantastic ueagei
which they have in common with tht
Salvation Army workers are to be dis
continued. With the abolition of tht
picturesque elements Of method and ap
pearanoe one fears that something o.
the effectiveness Of tho organization
mill oleo on NJ Poofh a. vnov ho II