The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-18
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.


HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
Nashngton, Jan. 17.-This was Dis
tllcC or Columbia day i'm the House, but
ollly thfee bills of local Importance were
PASSED The remainder of the session
" was ueYoted to further consideration of
sne Army Appropriation bill. The de-
Ddte was particularly notable for a Wig
ofous speech by Mr.. Mcclellan, Demo
cFdI, OF New York, a son of Gen. Geo. 3.
4AcCIeIlan, attacking THE present army
OF !g ga as obsolete and inefficient.
line army to-day, Mr.. Mcclellan de-
clares, was little better than a clumsily
organized national police force, too
heaVy with the gold lace of staff Off
GERS, many Of whom had not seen more
active service than falls to the lot of Il
member of the police force. The army,
ne declared, ought to be entirely re-
organized. He said this in no spirit OF
Jlngolsm but for the purpose of calling
the attention of the country to the fact
that we were paying a large price for a
very inefficient army, utterly unprepared
LOT war While very small additional eX-
pendIture with proper reorganization
would work wonders.
One of the gravest defects in the pre-
a properly instructed and competent
staff. The brain Of the army should lie
in the staff
In the modern sense of the word we
had no staff. Our ammunition plant was,
he said, hopelessly deficient. At the pre-
sent rate OF accumulated reserve, he
said, ut the end of five years we would
only have enough ammunition to supply
the infantry for two days at the firing
rate of the battle of Gettysburg.
In the present conditions, hedged about
as the service was, Mr.. Mcclellan said,
it was not strange that army officers lost
pride and ambition in their profession
and looked forward only to soft berths
and retirement. 1t was utterly amazing,
he said. but it was true that not an
officer in the service was engage in pre-
pairing for war; There existed not a
single plan of campaign, not a single
skeleton order for mobilization, no plans
for camps of instructions; in fact, none
of the preliminary necessities to meet a
war crisis should it come. These state
ments might be denied, but they were
true. 1t was the duty Of Congress, he
declared in conclusion, to see to it that
our army for its size was as nearly per-
feet as human experience and knowledge
could make it. Mr.. McClellan's remarks
were given close attention and he was
literally applauded when he concluded.
Mr.. Lewis, Dem, Washington, made
a vigorous speech against any increa sc
of the army. He charged that the trusts
were in control OF the country and con-
stituted the mailed hand of power be-
hind the DEGREES of the courts. II the
army we're increased. the people, would,
he said, be justified in asking whether it
was not to be used to barricade the
courts and break down everything that
means the freedom of the government.
Air. Lewis quoted a telegram which he
said, Senator Hanna had received from
Frankfort, Germany, signed by A. Selig-
man, as follows:
Il congratulate you on your election.
Tt is most satisfactory to me-"
That message, he said, came from the
man who helped to place a mortgage on
this government of S200,000,000. 1t is
insolvence, he said, had no parallel in
history save in the message sent by
Pontius plate to the executioner Of
Jesus Christ, congratulating him that
his work was we'll done.
Mr.. Hull, CRep., Iowa., Chairman Of
the Committee on Military Affairs, ex-
pressed concurrence in the views of Mr..
Mcclellan to the extent that he believed
the army should be re-organized, as the
present organization was obsolete. The
discussion of the needs of the army was
continued by Messrs. Wheeler, Dem.,
Ala.), Clark, Dem, Missouri, Cox,
Dem., Tenn.), Marsh, rep, I'D, and
others.
Without completing the bill the com
mittee rose and at 5 10 p. M, the House
adjourned.