The times., 1898-12-22
THURSDAY, DECEMBER %, 1925.
The prcsident,s Opuortuui,y.

President Mckinley is at home again
and face to face with the next serious
problem resulting from the Spanish war
the American people.
The problem to which we refer is that
Of army reorganization, and the Presi-
dent has no time to waste in deciding
whether he would rather have an ade-
quate army. scientifically organized and
properly ofticered, in accordance with in
telligent and accepted modern military
standards, or permit his fidelity to Alger
TO influence him in favor of an army ''or-
sanlzed" on the well-known principles
and the dishonest methods of Algerism.
lie may take it for granted that there
are very many Democrats in the Senate
and the House who would be entirely will
ing 10 enact legislation and vote supplies
TO carry into effect such a scheme of army
reorganization as that proposed by Cen
eraI Miles, in what is known as the Haw-
ley bill, who would and VIII. antagonize
TO the last such proposition as is en-
bodied in the Hull bill
That measure is just about such a one
as We should expect Alger to frame. with
the assistance of Corbin and of the
well meaning. but ignorant, member from
Iowa ]. A. 7. Hull. Mr.. Hull is not
a brilliant selection TO pose as instructor
in the art of making modern army out
of the wreck his patron, Alger, has made
Of our present establishment. We will not
go as far as to say that the great father
of latter-day army organization never
heard of Hull. but it is a perfectly safe
assumption that Hull has yet to hear of
Won Moltke.
Yet IL appears that this champion has
been given the benefit of all the infiu-
ence of the Administration in Congress
TO push a piece of legislation that. if it
became law. would disgrace the Presi-
dent and everybody else connected with
the movement, Alger and Corbin alone ex-
cepted; because it would defeat the hope
and possibility of an army reorganiza-
ton adapted to the needs of the coun-
try and the service, and make permanent
the system of favoritsm, political in
huence, jobbery and corruption, that in
full combination has come to be known
by the name of Algerism.
Mr.. Mckinley should hesitate before
writing himself down an enemy to sem
sible, scientific, and manifestly necessary
plan of organization-if decent and eff
ficient military force is what he aims at
and promoting the Hull scheme to per-
petuate the personal rule of Alger and
Corbin at the expense of discipline and
propriety.
He can undoubtedly force the Hull bill
through the House, where the Republic
ans are in overwhelming majority. But
even there he will meet with opposition
and some unpleasantly truthful talk. In
the Senate the situation is different. His
friends are not in a majority there, and
that fact is so patent that we wonder
he should allow anyone to even think of
attempting anything like the Hull bill on
that side of the Capitol. The Presi-
dent has many admirers, and there
are not a few patriots of various parties
in the Senate chamber. All of them
would join to assist his Administration
in securing creditable army reorganiza-
ton law. There is not the least chance
that they would vote for tolerate one
like that proposed for the benefit of AL
ger and Corbin. and TO fix the curse of
Algerism for untold years upon the ser
vice and the American people.