New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-31
SUGGESTIONS As TO THE ARHT.
WHO URGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE REGULAR ARMY.

To the Editor OF Tho Tribune.
/ Sir: Permit an Army woman TO thank you for
! the editorial on Army and Navy Contrasts
Had the Infantry Three Battalion bill been passed
even late the time Immediately after the loss
OF the Maine the Regular Army could have been
recruited IN to its maximum and have been ample
for all necessities so far in Cuba. Manila and Porto
Rico and fifty thousand Of the National Guard
could have been mustered into the service or thc
United States and have been drilled IN a number OF
BEAUTIFULLY situated camps in the Northern states.
where the good material In officers and men could
have been shaped into soldiers. ard would have
been ready to meet necessities In the fall In hnc
shapo-so Car as health goes, at least All inc
horrors resulting from the unhealthy southern
camps crowded with unused and not needed r"gi-
mcns: all the terribly greater disasters resulting
from sending too many volunteer regiments 10 san
tiaCo only 10 fall sick. and 10y their numbers 10
render provision for the Regulars, who had done
the nchting impossible. might have been avoided
but for the mad purpose 10 prove how America
could organize army Of two hundred th"cshn"
men IN one two months
Tho Navy did it's work because for tho last M
teen years or the Government has ceased to
neglect It. The Tribune knows how some men
have worked try do Justice 10 our little Army.
than " hioh a finer body OF men does not exist on
this earth Alas that ought almost % write.
did exist And lust that often defeated Three Bat
TALON bill thanks 10 men OF sublime ignorance, Xix"
Bailey. of Texas. II passed would have given IN"
country an Army large enough. with slxty-lV"
thousand men, TO have won victory in this war
without friction. without errors. and with Just as
wonderful success as has followed the Navy Inc
hundreds OF political officers have only fallen over
each other in their ignorance as to their duties.
Every regiment in the Army was ready for the
field when declared. except aa TO Uniforms
Suppose that fifteen thousand Regulars had been
sent n Santiago" All could have been ac-
complished before the rainy season set In And
does any not knew that the quartc-master
and commssary departments. as organized. would
have been abb 70 handle n Regular Army Of sixty
five thousand in the field. and one OF NationnI
Guard reserves of frty thousand In Northern
camps without friction. and with success" Then
plcasc figure out the cost the country OF the
unw!c.dv. usel-.'s Army Of two hun ir"d thou
sand Of unfortunate reality, and the on" mat
might have been. and that would have challenged
the admiration OF the world just as our Navy has
Can any ono no; purposcly blind not see that the
Navy is a success because II belongs alone 20 the
United States. ard has not forty-hve states naVeS
10 he Jealous OF il and determined to down 1t
Civilians are wise enough to know that they can
not become sailors and naval officers by drilling in
tubs on inland ponds once a week, but they know
that they an he soldiers and officers. and exhaust
tho whole art OF war OF discipline and Of organza
ton by wearing uniforms and practising company
tactics In armories. with a picnic at state camps
OF a fortnight e~ch summer.
1t is the forty-f1ve supcrnumerary War Depart
ments that have done their best 10 bring disaster
on the country in their jealousy Of the little band
OF heroic aimed. splendid Regulars who at San
tlago had n chance to prove their mctiIe one
Senator in Washington told me In June that he
had on his desk 1--we hundred )ications for Army
appointments from men in his state Is 1t any
wonder the crush has killed hundred victims?
DO you wonder that whose friends - died at
Santiago. or. far worse. In the trenches or on
those horrible transports feel bitey on his sub
feet? Ny husband is a retired officer whose SER
,,ico ND heal led "
son is lieutenant in the 9th Infantry, but Kept
from Santiago by typhoid fever o,.,o- 49,, .so,.
der means Office of the company. ned Dritadei
could spend three months at reeimenial Army
posts smd TAX turns rms mnar 6h@ nS b@se
attend ali drills. all schools for officers and n.n
T rn ranges sGis as ETC. they Would begin to have so
respect for Regular officers and some doubts o.
is there where the lack sthat the officers arc not
trained All ri m s sGae eTye In T@ r' on 10
be by 9nf APP yo asH to champion the
! c,use 81 the Regular non-commissioncd officers.
The Laws OF lS1s read In effect that yacHnciss
i apro.ntmen; to second lieutcnancies Of tho grad
umtcs Of the Yves, Point Military Academy; then
Ssd "Inponrommssoncd officers who have passed
tho necessary examinations and ben prGreriy rec,
commended b. their officers and. finally II any
more yacancGs sxf by 2pPon Wh%n he Ar fn
hundred vacancies IA the second lieitcnances were
/ made President Mckinley promoted thirteen non.
commissioned officers. and gave all OF me rest OF
the places the politicians Of the different States
/ Thai TOO when In he ranks there were sons of
/ ARMY officers vho had graduated NJ iinc private
acad s. and. being without .poli,ical pull ma
1 enlis 10 earn commissions And there are many
/ Of I'm. m SIN while the political pets were APP
/ pointed mostly with very little in the way o, cx-
| auinations That when politicians In tho l1ous"
! were stating that men better not enlist in tho
Regulars as officers were opposed to their earning
/ commissi,ns"' How long. how long. must such In.
justice be borne? should there be any Increase o.,
| m. Regular Army. Will you not remember and
| plead for the cause OF the qualified non-comm's-
! stoned officers" .
! Besides the awful results TO all. Regulars ana
| volunteers Of the attempt TO put an army or TWO
| hundred thousand into the field and INTO
| Southern camps the absurdity Of the parallel 20
| tho king ~ France. With twenty thousand men.
| who marched up the hill and then marched down
| again disappears II IL TO be hoped that the tax
payers may the truth squarely IN order to pre-
| Won, n repetition Of this short wars experiences;
| with it's consolation camps and expeditions and
| The like Consolation? To whom? To the dead ana