The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-15
MILITARY LEGISLATION.
IL Is Looked for in Both Houses
This Week,

This Week.
More legislation to add to the efficiency
of the military forces of the United States
is to be pressed in both houses of Con-
gress.
The House Committee on the Militia mas
already. as has been stated in The 1imcs'
reported a bill to reorganize the miilua
and enable the President, in the event OF
a foreign war. to order the Nauohal
Guard into the service. of the Government.
Senator Hawley, chairman of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. will en-
deaVor TO procure a favorable report on
the Senate bill for the same purpose this
week He proposes TO urge its speedy
passage through the Senate. Referring
to this bill and the Army reorganization
bill, he said that he considered the militia
bill the more important of the two Tor
the reason that if necessary the Army
could fight with its old organization, while
the militia bill would be necessary II the
National Guard were to be called into
service in the event of an emergency.
one effect of the enactment of the mil
tia bill would be to place the entire Ma
tional Guard of all the States, numbering
over lO00 900 men, under the direct COM
rnand of the President in the event of war
without requiring him TO call upon the
governors Of the States for volunteers
Chairman Marsh, of the Militia Com
mittee of the House. intends to press the
militia bill which his committee has re
ported for consideration, at the earliest
moment, and in the meantime Chairman
Hull Of the House Committee on Military
Affairs. is pushing the bill proposing the
reorganization of the Army. prepared
under the direction of Mr.. Lamont When
he was Secretary of War, and known as
the Lamont bill.
Mr.. Hull has said that he intends TO
bring this bill up for consideration by a
subcommittee of the Military Committee
on Thursday, and he believes IT VIII be
reported to the House by the full COM
| mittee at its regular meeting on FRIDAY
! This bill proposes 10 give TO the lhiahFl
I arm of the service the three battdhoh Or
/ ganiZa ton.
This will involve an addition OF two
( companies 10 each regiment of infantry
/ and will increase the enlisted strength OF
the Army to 80 600 in time Of peace IN
Guiding the hospital corps. and the ln.ii
! an scouts which would mean the add
/ ton of 900 men to the Infantry, besldes
the men added to the artillery by tht
| bill creating two new regiments for tina
/ arm of the service.
The committee will consider the ques
ton of amending the bin by incorporat
! ing in il another bill. introduced by Rep
resentative Parker, authorizing the Pres
ident in tine of war TO increase the en-
listed strength of each company to -
men. There is some doubt about the ac
ceptance OF this amendment however
for many army officers consider that %
men are too many for one company. tn
number allowed to be enlisted on wa
footing may not be fixed at more thai
90 and IL may be reduced TO l5O
Should the war strength Of a compan,
be fixed at 80 it would then enable tn
/ President in time of war to expand IN
/ Army to a total strength of l26.o9v en-
listed men without creating any new reg
iments or calling for any additional ON
GERS. A war strength Of 300 men TO tn
/ company will give the Army a total en-
listment strength Of 10000 men.
Senator Hawley is also heartily in ia
vor of this bill and hopes TO get !
through the Senate at an early date. II
I thinks however. that there is more ur
eency for the militia bill at this tim
in the very threatening aspect OF the re
lations between America and Spain an
will push the militia bill ahead Of IN
general army reorganization bill.
, Should both Of those measures hecom
law before America is called upon to er
gage in war. il would enable the CON
manding officer of the Army TO put I
: the field on short notice highly effect
i've regular Army. with a thorough mod
ern organization and 10 supplement tha
, with the pick of the National Guard {
the country to any number that h
MIGHT daar1 dpsira Ile