The times., 1898-12-15
GEN. GOBLIN TEsT1F1Es.
Gives His Opinions of the Proposed
Army ReNrrauixa Tim


Army REORGANIZATION.
Interest Is not slackening in the pro-
ceedings OF the House Military Affairs
Committee. All the members except Rep
resentative Martin, of North Carolina,
We're in attendance yesterday although
some of them were somewhat late in ap-
pearing. Everyone was desirous of hear
ing what Adjt. Gen. Corbin, who had been
so influential in directing the war, had to
say
The most interesting part of the adju-
tant generals remarks came toward the
close of the hearing, when, in answer to
questions from Representative Sulzer of
New York, he said he could not tell
what the Presidents plans were about
mastering out the volunteers. One
hundred thousand men had already
been mustered out, seven regiments
more were now being mustered out and
in sixty days he anticipated large fur
ther reduction. Meanwhile. the colonels
of many regiments had been inst ucted
+ TO reduce their companies to eighty-five
men. recommending for discharge men
who were badly needed at home. Under
these instructions. $500 individual dis
charges had already been granted
/ Mr.. Suizer took issue with Gen. Corbin
on this point, claiming that the eolonels
had not obeyed these instructions, fearing
/ to lessen the importance of their com
/ mands
| Speaking of the Philippines. Gen. Corbin
!. said that Aguinaldo had an army of
| 10000 men. I'VE could not tell what" he
| said. they would do; or whether, If
| they fought and were defeated. they
would return to civil pursuits or would
become bandits. We needed force
there as precautionary measure
Representative Mahaney of New York
1 suggested that the regulars were mainly
"hoboes. OF a low grade of intelligence,
| and argued that volunteers were so su-
! perior intellectually that they could be
| taught TO be soldiers IN one month,
where the regulars would require six
/ months.
| Gen. Corbin warmly repealed this, say
! ing that in order to enlist q, 600 men be
] fore the war, $500 had been examined
I and rejected. ''Our regulars are chosen
! with the greatest care he said, land are
I physically. morally and intellectually the
equal Of any volunteers. | maintain this
positively, and l was myself a volunteer"
| Gen. Corbin thought that u national
! volunteer reserve might be organized, but
| said that 1t would be enormously expen-
| sive
He contended that fhe army had been
better cared for in the late war than any
| similar army before it, and claimed that
| the complaints all came from civilians
who knew nothing of the situation. Il
have never heard a volunteer officer or
man." he said, complain of the lack of
any article the soldier needed
Both Representatives Mahany and Fen
| ton declared that they had received many
complaints. Mr.. Fenton knew of two VET
eran colonels who had complained bitterly.
I All this came al the wind up of the
| meeting. On the main hearing at the be-
| ginning. Gen. corbin said: II have no
! criticism 10 make in regard TO the bill.
| further than to say that | think that
Gen. Miles's plan providing for fun
general and two lieutenant generals
would be an Improvement"
Chairman Hull here remarked that he
had refused to father bill providing for
| such high rank as the Miles bill.
| Coming to the increase of the army.
Gen. Corbin said that the Cuban Commits
| sion had officially reported that 5000
| men would be needed to preserve order in
Cuba. That number might not be really
needed, but the department was prep lrins
that number TO go If it should prove ne
| cessary.
Gen. Otis. from the Philippines, con-
| tinued Gen. Corbin. reports that We need
25,000 men there, and the Porto Rico Com
mission says that 6.000 are needed there.
( Besides We need reserves-the whole force
amounting to 10000. The recent occur
rences in Havana show the need of troops
/ there, and no one can tell how long their
services will be required.
'-An army is like an insurance policy in
~
| men last April, We should have saved "A
| vast amount of money. There will be
| little for an army to do if IL is large
| enough, but If 1t is not large enough,
! there is likely to be trouble. In both Gu
ba and Porto Rico there are a large num-
| Der of people who do not desire par
=, ticularly to resist us as d Government.
but who simply lawless-deserters
| from the Spanish army; men ruined by
| the war, desperadoes, and the like.
AT present We need 10000 men. How
much this may be- reduced in the future
no man is wise enough to tell But the
army lives only at the pleasure of Con-
gress and can be cut down at any time
| Gen. Corbin was unable to ca cuiate
| the cost Of the army, but said that an
estimate of $1,000 TO each man would be
ample 10 cover every expense
In answer TO a question from Repre-
| did not think the staff was any too large
| considering the extent of the territory to
| be covered. For instance he said
until Congress provides otherwise, all
| the collectors of customs in the is 'ands
must be. and are. army officers. and
many other non-military tasks must be
discharged by them
| Gen. Corbin declined to express a per-
| sonal opinion as to the number of men
| required abroad. preferring to rest
| with the opinions of officers and mt tary
| commissions that had been on the
| ground. mo one he said. "can tell
whether affairs will quiet down in Cuba
and elsewhere after the Spanish army is
| withdrawn. Our advices are that n great
many Spanish soldiers will remain in
| Cuba.
"The army at home has been too small
| for years past. and now that we have in
| creased our sea coast artillery, we shall
need more men than ever. We need now
1900 to care for the guns now in place,
and 10. 600 for protection against Indians.
| 1t would be dangerous to reduce the gar
risons in the Indian country. The Indians
are so scattered that they are difficult to
watch and there Is no telling when any
of them may break out unexpectedly. as
the Bear Lake Indians recently did
Major Hiestand, who was transferred
to the adjutant generals Office about a
year ago. after having spent nineteer
years in the infantry, next testified
briefly as to the infantry organization
proposed. He advocated the provisions
of the bill. including companies of IA