New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-12

Iorms It's Judgment Of the Army and Army
n'e,hoos' II is the bureaucrats Of both classes
WHO create the enemies OF the Army In Con-
gress and out Of IT,
CONTROLLING THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The War Department. unfortunately, is almost
always In the hands Of these running mates of
the staff bureaus. The two classes control
| the Army They control II through the weak
ness and ignorance OF the Secretary OF War.
One-half the troubles of the Spanish war came
from this source Once fixed and secure in the
reputation OF great man." the military hybrid
who dominates the Department becomes med
dlesome. expensive. even dangerous marplot.
He is always lighting" somebody In his great
administrative" role. he tackles with supreme
confidence the most difficult problems OF civil
administration. and outherods Herod IN poll
tics of a certain kind There is no Congressional
lobbyist equal TO this one. Yet he Is always
Extensively railing, In season and out, against
the methods of politicians. and noisily assert
ing that he knows nothing about politics" and
views Congress and all politicians with inefa-
BILE contempt Privately he sneers at the civilian
Secretary and even looks askance at the Presi-
dent, his constitutional nder-in-chief.
But nobody ever really commands the Depart
ment's great man" The guileless Secretary,
fresh from the Interior views him as infallbe.
There generally two antagonstc coteries In
the Department, because there Is always
satellite or two Of Influence" revolving around
the Assistant Secretary. to whom he implicitly
yields obedience. This results In the fatal
Tribune which were so disastrous to the health
and lives of the soldiers In Cuba
THE ABUSE GROWING.
This has been going on for years, and It is
growing When the Spanish broke out
some of the representatives Of this class had not
been with their regiments in the field for from a
dozen to twenty years. Yet, from mere subal-
terms in some cases. the never -ceasing tide of
safeguarded promotion had already carried
them to highest rank in regiments they perhaps
never saw In which their duties nan peeh per
formed by another officer. who unluckily. had
no Influence or was lacking In the quaiitles OF
finesse and general greatness necessary 10 Sc
cure detail and hence was compelled 10 "oih
in garrison or the field.
This cry Of distress through the Assocla,eo
Press from the Sth Infantry voices the necessity
for the reform of an abuse Whlcn cannot De
otherwise than demoralizlng to the most merl-
torious officers in the Army, however ambitious
and conscientious The young offcer JUST out
with ewes ever on the alert for points In his pro
fession. soon notes with increasing wonder the
absence year after year OF these various great
men from their commands He hears from tHe
TO time of their wonderful administrative
triumnhs over the corrupt and ignorant poll
ticians at the National capital or their PHEASANT,
profitable and timely Journeys at Government
expense and his mind Is penetrated with the
erohition m emulate them Forthwith he begins
TO scheme night and day for detail on some
"inonortant" service elsewhere. Legitimate MILL
tary duty soon becomes irksome TO nim ana ne
Longs to he AWAY It is admitted by accom-
plished military officers that this insane oesiie
10 the bane of the service and Is lowering Its
tone.
No officer Of the line. no matter how brilliant
and able he may be- should be detailed on
purely staff or administrative duty away from
his proper command unless permanently trans
ferred by regular appointment contemplated In
the Proctor bill for the reorganization or the
steN denartments The staff bureaus already
contain a large redundancy Of officers, who are
kept employed. not on military but civilian
duties Very many OF the duties assigned 10
detaiied offcers Of the line are civilian and
should be performed by civilians, who are FAR
better qualified for them than soldiers ana
would be found far cheaper in the END