The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-22
The New ARMY Bill.

a measure which, in the nature of a
precedent, shall be calculated to breed
all sorts of troubles and foolish expert
ments in the future owing to our new
relations with hitherto alien commune
ties.
The recent war suddenly brought the
army organization into a demoralized
condition. A generation of peace found
the war department, at the close of
that period, under the civil manage
ment of man who has been conspic-
uously proven incompetent Meanwhile
the actual advent of war developed
official jealousies, which have been
long Slumbering; and these, supple
mented by many unfortunate staff ap-
pointments by the president, have had
a most injurious and scandalous effect
The eXpansionists favored, at the
beginning of the present session, the
increase of the standing army from
1900 to 100000 officers and men. The
bill introduced by Chairman Hull, of
the committee on military affairs in the
house. comprehended this idea. Final
ly, pruned down in it's provisions, a
force of $4,000 officers and men was
allowed, but the act reposed With the
president the privilege of increasing
this Eumber to approximately 100000
The Hull bill also made provision for
nine major generals and twelve briga-
ders. While the numbers in existing
circumstances comprise three of the
former and six of the latter The OBJ
jectionable features of that bill were
many; but chief among these was the
loophole left open for the exercise Of
the discretionary executive power for
increase, and the opportunity fer fur
Their Generalization by presidential APP
pointmentS to staff positions This
branch of the service has been directly
responsible for all the odium that has
attached to the establishment; and
with no provision for checking the ex-
ecutive in the matter of appointments
the scandals of the past cannot fail of
being revived in the future.
The Hull bill also authorizes the
president to enlist inhabitants of our
new island possessions. This principle
has been applied to the solution of the
Indian problem on our frontier, with
varying degrees of success. England
employs it In subjugating, civi!iZing
and Outstanding her colonies, on
larger scale than any with which we
are familiar. What is wanted in the
Philippines, if we correctly Interpret
President McKinley's thoughts, is. a
practical method of killing off the larg-
est number of Filipinos in the shortest
time and with the least possible loss
to the AmericanoS; and if this bill will
accomplish it critics should withhold
their unfavorable comments.
So long as the army must be increas-
ed to meet colonial needs the demands
of our home posts and our harbor for
tifications must not be overlooked.
Their Importance has been brought out
in full relief, no less than that Of the
naval arm of the government. Indeed,
the latter is given, in the bill now on
its way through the house, an appro
priation of upwards of $4,000, 900, or
SS,OOOOOO more than was ever before
reported by naval committee.
Sixty thousand men, who shall be of
American birth or naturalization, are
not too many to provide for the army.
But the proposition to confer upon the
president, or as for that matter upon
any one man in the republic, the right
to increase this number at will, is a
very serious one. 1t does not commend
itself to the conservative thought of the
nation. The idea of nominating the
great soldier of the republic to the
presidency for a third term was de-
nounced as Caesarism from one end Of
the land to the other. If we could not
trust a strong, self-reliant man like
Grant, how can we repose in vacillat-
ing man like Mckinley, whose reliance
is upon either congress or Providence,
according to the nature Of his alter
native moods. confidence Of the kind
imposed by this bill? If we must have
100, coo men, better provide them by eX-
plicit, statutory language at the very
outset.
But it would be far better that all at
tempts at army reorganization should
fail in this congress, and temporary
legislation be adopted to carry the
army over until the regular opening
of the FiftysiXth congress. than that
any false step should be now made in
the hurry to provide a makeshift
measure. The entire subject of an in
crease of the army, even to the mini
mum number proper in the emergency,
and of its reorganization is one which
requires careful digestion. Neither of
sufficiently mature in conception to
justify its enactment into law.