The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-08
ANOTHER ARMY BILL
-
GEN. MILEs's MEASURE CHANGED BY
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.,
And in the House 10y
Chairman Hull, of the Committee
on Military AHairs
1T PROVIDES FOR 100000 MEN
BUT ONLY FOR ONE HIGH OFFICER
INSTEAD 0F THREE.
other Features-HOIV War ApprOpria
tiOns Were Expended-Attorney
General GriGgs's Report.

WASHINGTON, Dec Representative
Hull, chairman of the House committee on
military affairs, to-day introduced a bill
increasing the regular army to approx
mately 100, 900 men. The bill was framed at
the War Department, and has the approval
Of the secretary of war. 1t is not the bill
framed by General Miles, as this measure
has not the high rank proposed by the Miles
bill, and some of the appointments are open
to officers of the volunteers or from civil
life. 1t provides for a lieutenant general
and what is considered a sufficient Increase
of major and brigadier generals to COM
mand an army of 100000 men scattered from
Porto Rico to Manila. The artillery arm is
reorganized, separating it into coast and
field artillery. but promotion to be by senior
ity of the whole arm. A decrease of the
enlisted men is made. SO that the army can
be increased by recruits in case of war to
full strength. The cavalry is increased two
regiments, the infantry five. The enlisted
strength of an infantry company is not to
exceed 145. so that in case of war new regi-
ments would have to be formed, probably
all of which would be volunteer, but the
regular army would make q substantial first
line. The bill provides for the three-battal-
ion formation. The staff corps are increased
about 40 per cent, and, with the exception
of the adjutant general, inspector general
and ordnance, are open to appointments
from the volunteer or civil life.
The most noticeable change is in that of
the medical department., in which provision
is made for a hospital corps of 5000 privates,
with the necessary noncommissioned Oh
hcers, with a largely increased number OF
surgeons and assistant surgeons. All OF
ficers and men serving in the subtroplcal
countries are to have an Increase OF % per
cent. in pay. Under the immediate control
of the President, inhabitants or the new
countries may be enlisted IN the organlza7
tons there serving. The bill gives a tolai
OF fourteen regiments OF artlllery, Twelve VI
cavalry and thirty of infantry.
Chairman Hulls bill Is cast on ehtlrely
different lines from General Miles's bill, so
that detailed comparison is dlfI1cult. me
Miles bill is based on the theory OIL one SOL
der for 100 population, while the HUI Dlll
is based on the idea of a total 1orce Oh LW,-
OJO. the organization being constructed SO
as to reach that total. General MlIeS pro-
yidts for. a general and for two lieutenant
generals, while the Hull bill makes no pro-
vision for a general and mas put one ileu-
tenant general. Other important dlfferences
are: Hull bill, thirty regiments or lnfantry:
Miles bill, fifty regiments of infantry. hun
bill, twelve regiments of cavalry; Miles Dill,
fifteen regiments of cavalry. hun plLl, d
corps of artillery; Miles bill, fourteen regl-
ments of seacoast artillery and two regi-
ments of field artillery.
III nun Jill III 10 inv CON1D
for the reorganized army as follows: One
lieutenant general, six major generals,
twelve brigadier generals, Twelve regiments
of cavalry, a corps of artillery, thirty regl-
ments Of infantry, an adJutant generals de-
partment, an inspector generals depart
ment, a judge advocate generals depart
ment, a quartermaster's department, a sub
sistence department, a medical department.,
pay department, a corps of engineers, an
ordnance department, a signal corps, thirty
post chaplains, the chief of the record and
pension office, the officers of the army on
the retired list, the professors. corps OF
cadets, an army service detachment, a band
at the United States Military Academy, and
such other officers and enlisted men as may
hereinafter be provided for.
The regimental organization OF the ar
tillery arm of the army is discontinued and
that arm is designated as the corps of ar
tillery. The distinction between coast and
field artillery is similar to the Miles bill,
but more elaborate in detail. The Atlantic
division of the coast is defined to include
from the ATLANTIC and the gulf seaboards
and the coast of the great lakes, and shall
ultimately include the coast line of the
West Indian possessions of the United
States" The Pacl1c DIVISION IS denned to
include the Pacific seaboard, and shall
ultimately include the coast line of the
various possessions of the United States
in the Pacific ocean" The corps of artil-
lery embraces IA batteries of coast artillery
and twenty-four field batteries. Each regi-
ment of infantry consists of twelve COM
panieS organized into three battal1ons of
four companies each. The company strength
In addition to commissioned and noncom-
missioned officers is 112 men. In various
staff corps express provision is made that
persons who have served as officers in the
volunteer army in the war with Spain and
persons in civil life may be appointed to
various specified grades.
Section 16 is as follows: organizations
serving i'll Cuba, Porto Rico and the islands
of the Pacific may, in the discretion of the
President, be recruited in whole or in part
from the inhabitants thereof, to whom the
legal restrictions upon enlistments in the
army as regards term of service, age, citi-
zenship and educational qualifications shall
not apply, and who shall be entitled to such
pay and allowances not exceeding those now
authorized as the President may direct"