The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-01
OUR DIsGREpITED STAFF.
The Philadelphia Press SAYS:

suddenly lengthened, to 21S, 600. On the
extra nine-tenths added some $4,000 new
officers were set to work, brave, patriotic, but
unframed. To the trained staff of $50 men
there were added, 3,0D0 unframed staff Off
GERS. The county Is, aghast at the result.
Men have died by, the hundred because in the
face of countless warnings, repeated every
year for 90 years, the country and Congress
utterly refused to provide an Army staff and
literal truth in saying that no single expert
has written on this subject for 20 years who
| has not predicted all that has come.
What nonsense. We have for over
80 years been maintaining the most
exaggerated staff of any army in the
world. With only $4,000 enlisted men
we have had staff large enough for an
army of 100000. We have had 10
staff Brigadier- Generals here in Wash
ington taking care of six Brigadier
Generals of the line in the field. The
very mention of this is enough to show
its absurdity. And one of these staff
Brigadiers very narrowly escaped hav-
ing himself made Major-Genefal.
We have had only 40 regiments in
the Regular Army, yet to take care of
that comparatively small number we
have had:
To receive and tabulate their reports
One Adjutant-General with the rank
of Brigadier, four Assistant Adju-
tants- General with the rank of Colonel,
six with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel,
and four with the rank of Major. This
is in addition, of course, to the Adju-
tants in the field.
To inspect them we have one In
spector- General with the rank of Briga-
der, two Assistant Inspectors General
with the rank of Colonel, two with the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel, two with
the rank of Major.
To conduct legal proceedings we have
one Judge-Advocate General with the
rank of Brigadier, one Assistant with
the rank of Colonel, three Lieutenant
Colonies, and three Majors.
To provide their clothing, shelter, and
transportation we have one Quartermas-
ter General with the rank of Brigadier,
four Assistant Quartermasters-G General
with the rank Of Colonel, eight Deputy
Quartermasters-G General with the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel, IA Quartermas-
tiers with the rank of Major, and 80
Assistant Quartermasters with the rank
Of Captain. This is, of course, in adj
dition to the Regimental Acting Quar-
termasters.
To provide them with food we have
one Commissary- General of Subsistence
with the rank of Brigadier; two Assist
ant Commissary-General with the rank
of Colonel two with the rank Of
Lieutenant Colonel; eight Commits
or;oc &c C,L,;stonoo 18th +Lo ,o,,1-
of Major, and eight with the rank of
Captain. This is Independent of the
Regimental Acting Commis.aries.
To take care of their health, we
have one Surgeon-General, with the
rank of Brigadier; six Assistant Sur
geons- General with the rank of Colonel !;
10 Deputy Surgeons General with the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel; so Sur
geons with the rank of Major; "A
Assistant Surgeons with the rank of
Captain, and SO with the rank of First
Lieutenant.
To pay them we have one Paymaster-
General with the rank of Brigadier !;
two Assistant Paymaster's-G General with
the rank of Colonel; three Deputy
Paymaster' General with the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel, and 20 Paymasters
with the rank of Major.
The Engineer Department has one
Chief Engineer with the rank of Brig
adler; six Colonies; - Lieutenant-Col-
onels; "a Majors 80 Captains; 26 First
Lieutenants, and Is Second Lieuten-
ants.
The Ordnance Department has one
Chief of Ordnance-Brigadier; three
Colonies; four Lieutenant Colonies; 10
Majors; % Captains, and ID First
Lieutenants.
The Signal Corps, has one Chief Sig
nal Officer, with the rank of Brigadier