The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-25
HULL'S ARMY IDEAS ON FILE.
ASSUMES THE MAXIMUM STRENGTH
SHOULD BE 100000

Battery of Artillery win he Need
ed for Every ScncOnst Fortincn-
tion-There win he 1913 of These
ganizatiOn the Same MS Now.
Reasons why Infantry Companies
should Contain More Men.
Washington, Dec. Representative
HUI, chairman of the military committee
of the House, to-day filed with the clerk
his report on the bill for the increase Of
the regular army.
After detailing the amendments adopted
in committee, all OF which have been sent
out in the Associated Press dispatches, the
report says:
The bill fixes no maximum strength for
the entire army Assuming that the gov
eminent will require about 100000 men for
defense of the frontier, for coast defense
and to maintain our authority in the is
lands for whose good order and govern
ment this nation is now responsible. to-
sether with a reasonable reserve force.
the bill provides for the regiments of cav
airy and infantry to give the number re-
quired for each arm Of the service. and
corps of artillery for our sea coast bat
teries with two regiments of artillery for
field batteries
The committee believe the Organization
as provided for in this bill will make the
most efficient military organization, at the
lowest cost to the taxpayer of any organ
ization proposed by any bin before Con-
gress.
The organization Of the cavalry as pro-
vded in the bill is substantially the same
organization now provided for by law
The change in tile present organization is
making fifteen captains in place Of twelve
and providing for a commissary OF the
regiment.
Wants Plenty of Artillery.
In the bill under discussion. the number
of artillery units BATTERIES was obtained
from consideration of the number of gun
positions to be manned. You must have
at the limit, as many batteries as you
have gun positions Further, these batteries
must be grouped in sufficient numbers at
each harbor, to man all the guns in that
harbor Evidently the idea Of the regl-
ment does not come forward here at all
and for a good reason: There is no re-
lation between the regiment as a unit,
and the work TO be done by the artillery.
In other words the essential of artillery
organization is the battery, these batteries
being grouped according TO the necessities
of each case, necessities differing from
harbor to harbor.
In respect Of the number of batteries
recommended by this bill, one argument
only need be brought up. If the necessary
rersonnels are not to be provided. why
are millions appropriated every year for
guns and forts? The complicated ordnance
of the present cannot be entrusted to I'M
trained men.
BY June 3d. 1899, 1876 batteries of coast ar
tillery will be needed for the guns actually
installed. The bill asks for 144 such bat
terles. According to reliable observation
the deterioration of electric machinery in
our coast forts when uncared for Is 80
per cent. per annum, OF other machinery 20
per cent, and of guns and Of carriages, 25
per cent A battery OF two Pinch guns
complete with all its machinery, costs S146.-
0O0; If uncared for the yearly loss would
be about $4,000
The Infantry ORGANIZATION
In the organization Of the infantry regl-
ment the change has been made In the
number of enlisted in company. from
JOG TO 145. The object of the Increase ia
TO provide for an adequate force at the
very lowest cost to the government
1t has not been the object OF the COM
mittee to sacrifice efficiency for economy.
but taking the number Of men necessary
to carry out the purpose of the govern
ment, we believe that an Organization on
the basis of 49, which would give us but
! 112 privates, is more efficient IN actual
service than one Of Y priyates as proposed
in the Senate bin. The largely increased
number OF regiments which would be made
necessary by the reduced number Of pri
Yates, would entail an increased expense
each year on the government for officers
and would materially impair the effective
ness Of companies and regiments on the
line of battle.
Mr.. Hull estimates the pay OF the army
at $2f,4168S7, and the additional cost for
subsistence and all other expenses 10 bring
the total up TO not exceed 100000.