The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-08
GENERALIS Gun OUT.
Hull Army Bill Provides for Only q
Tiantenant General


WASHINGTON, Dec Representative
Hull chairman of the house committee
on military affairs, introduced Dill,
Increasing the regular army to approx
amately 100, 600 men. The bill was franz
ed at the war department, and has the
approval of the secretary of war. 1t
is not the bill framed by Gen. 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 from civil life. It pro-
vides for lieutenant general and what
Is considered a SUFFICIENT increase OF
major generals and .brigadier generals
to command an army of 100000 men
scattered from Porto Rico to Manila
The artillery arm is reorganized,
separating into coast and field artillery,
but promotion to be by seniority of the
whole arm. A decrease Of the enlisted
men, so that the army can be increased
by recruits in case of war to full
strength. The cavalry is increased to
two regiments, the infantry five. The
enlisted strength of an infantry COM
pany is not to exceed 145 so that in
case of war new regiments would have
TO be formed, probably all of which
would be volunteer, but the regular
army would make a substantial first
line. The bill provides for the three
battalion formation. The staff corps
are increased about 40 per cent, and,
with the exception of the adjutant gen.
era1, inspector general and ordnance,
are open to appointments from the vol
unteer or civil life.
The most noticeable change is in that
of the medical department in which
provision is made for a hospital corps
of 3 900 privates, with the necessary
nOn-commissioned officers, with a large
~ increased number of surgeons and
assistant surgeons. All officers and
men serving in the sub-tropical coun-
tries are to have an increase Of 25 per
cent in pay. Under the immediate con-
troll of the president, inhabitants of the
now countries may be enlisted in the
organizations there serving.
The bill gives a total of IA regiments
of artillery, Il of cavalry and 80 Of in
fantry.
Chairman HuII's bill is cast on en-
tirely different lines from Gen. Miles
bill so that detailed comparison is diff
ficu1t. The Miles bill is based on the
theory of one soldier for one thousand
population, while the Hull bill is based
on a total force of 100000, the organiza-
ton being constructed so as to reach
that total. Gen. Miles provided for a
general and for two lieutenant generals,
while the Hull bill makes no provision
for a general, and has but one Heuten-
ant general Other important differ
ences are Hull bill, 80 regiments of
infantry, Miles bill so regiments of in
fantry. Hull bill u regiments of cav
airy; Miles bill Is regiments Of cavalry;
Hull bill a corps of artillery; Miles bill
IA regiments of sea coast artillery and
two regiments of field artillery.
The Hull bill in its first section sums
up for the reOrganized army as follows:
erals, twelve brigadier generals, twelve
regiments Of cavalry, corps OF artil-
lery, thirty regiments of infantry, an
adiutant generals department, an in
spector generals department "a judge
advocate generals department, quar-
termaster's department, a subsistence
department, a medical department. pay
department, corps OF engineers, an
ordnance department, a signal corps,
thirty post chaplains, the chief of the
record and pension office, the officers OF
fessors, corps of cadets, an army SER
vice detachment and band ct 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 artillery. 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 de-
fined to include from the Atlantic and
gulf SeabOardS and the coast of the
great lakes, and shall ultimately in
clude the coast line of the West Indian
possessions of the United States"
The Pacific division is defined to in
clude 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 artillery embraces IA
batteries Of coast artillery and "a field
batteries. Each regiment of infantry
consists Of II companies, organized into
three battalions of four companies each.
The company strength, in addition to
command and on-commissioned Off
GERS, Is 112 men. In various staff corps
express provision is made that persons
who have served as officers in the vol
unteer army in the war with Spain, aud
persons in civil life may be appointed to
various specified grades.
Section Is is as follows: "Organiza-
tons serving in Cuba, Porto Rico and
the islands of the Pacific may, IN the
discretion Of the president be recruited
On whole or in part from the inhabitants
thereof to whom the legal restrictions
upon enlistments in the army as re-
CARDS terms of service, age citizenship
and educational qualificatio shall not
apply and who shall be entitled to such
pay and allowances not exceeding those
now authorized as the president may
direct
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