The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-20
SENATOR coCKRELL'S BILL Is
NOT SATISFACTORY.
Does Not Provide Enough Officers or
Men-Leaves the Staff With But
Skeleton Organization and
Would Cripple the Establishment
Necessity For an Army Increase.

J
two BILLS for its consideration. One of
these, the house (known as the Hull
bilD, is reported with but few amend
ments by it's chairman, Senator Haw-
/ ley, an expert in matters relating to
military organization. 1t has been per-
fected by the committee, including the
Democratic members, in several par
ticulars, the most noteworthy and val
liable being, perhaps, the provision in
creasing the corps of cadets by 100 and
insuring an adequate source of supply
for vacant second lieutenancies. The
measure preserves the present organ
ization and slightly strengthens the
cavalry, augments the artillery and
organizes that arm on a scientific basis
suited to our conditions gives to the
! infantry the much-needed three-bat-
TALON organization, and makes only
such additions to the staff as are abso-
lutely indispensable,
! Under its provisions, entrance to any
branch of the army cannot be obtained
until after the candidate for a COM
mission has demonstrated his fitness
for it to the satisfaction of a compe-
tent examining board There is a
! clause empowering the president to eX-
tend or contract the enlisted strength,
according to the necessities of the
! country, providing for the first time
scheme adopted long since for ali mod
ern European military systems.
/ The other bill is brought forward by
Senator Cockrell. Its first section di-
reefs the disbandment of the volunteer
army within a specified period after
the peace treaty shall have been rati-
fed by Spain. Sections 2 and 3 con-
tain its principal provisions. By the
former, authority is conferred for con-
tinuing the regular army at its war
strength until July l, 1901, while the
third section authorizes the president
to raise military forces to the number
of $4,000 in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
islands of the Pacific, to be known, re-
spectively, as the army of Cuba, the
army of Porto Rico and the army of
the islands of the Pacific, TO be COM
posed of the inhabitants of such
| islands. No organization is provided
in the bill for this force, nor does it
determine what relation it shall sus-
tain toward the permanent military es-
Establishment of the United States; and
no professional, educational or other
test is prescribed for the persons who
are to officer it.
NOT ENOUGH GENERALS.
The bill does not provide for any ad-
ditional general officers, greatly needed
in the administration of affairs in
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
1t would leave the army as now organ
lied, with but three major generals and
six brigadier generals, which allows but
one general officer for each of the mill
tary departments in the United States
and one for the commanding general
of the army.
Cuba now constitutes a military di-
vision commanded by a major general
and, moreover, comprises six military
departments, commanded by general
officers of volunteers. In Porto Rico
there is a. necessity for at least one
general officer and in the Philippines
for the general officers required for an
army corps, so that if Senator Cock
rell's bill should become a law, it would
leave the army deficient not only in en-
listed force, but without any general
officers to administer the important du-
ties now devolving upon the govern
ment. Moreover, the bill fails to make
any provision for the increase in the
general staff which is urgently called
for by the necessities of the situation
in our new possessions.
The criticism that has been passed (
upon the department has been the alb |
sence of sufficiently trained staff Off |
GERS. The Cockrell amendment would !
perpetuate this alleged lameness.
Should this bill be passed into law, !
the adjutant, inspector, quartermaster !
subsistence, medical, and pay depart !
ments would be left with only the bare |
skeleton of the staff organizations that |
we have had for the administering or |
affairs in the United States alone, pre- /
vious to the declaration of war with |
Spain.
NEED OF MORE TROOPS.
The returns of the war department |
show the strength of the regular army. |
at this time, TO be only a few less than /
10000 enlisted men. OF these nearly |
$4,000 are in Cuba and a. like number in,
or en- route TO the Philippines; and in
Porto Rico, 1856; leaving the total en-
listed men of the regular army in the /
United States $4,000. OF these 5000 are
held in readiness for dispatch to rein
force the army at Manila. This would
leave the total enlisted strength of the
army within the United States less
than $4,000, or nearly 1000 less than is
necessary to furnish a single relief to
man the guns now on our sea coast for
tifications. 1t would compel the aban-
donment of all our posts in the interior.
would strip the Indian country of
troops and leave none to supply the re-
quirements of an exigent condition
The Hawley bill fixes the permanent
military establishment at the minimum
of $4,000, a. force that in proportion to
the population and wealth of the coun-
try is less than fixed by any other act
of congress.
AS shown by the last census there
was one soldier for every two and one
half millions of property; in 1880 there
was one soldier for every one and one
half million; in 1870 there was one SOL
der for every 100000.
At this time there is not an officer
on duty with any college in the United
States Notwithstanding the law con-
templates that there shall be 100 de-
tailed for the instruction of the Young
men of the country. but the absence
of officers from their regiments BY
reason of wounds and sickness, and OF
the necessity of the services in connec-
ton with the muster-out of volunteer
regiments, compelled the department
to withdraw instructors from these
institutions. Neither has
it been able TO attach officers to our
embassies and legations abroad There
should be one at every European
and those who were recalled to par
ticipate in the war cannot be re-
turned.
The passage Of the Hawley bill would
enable the department to meet this
urgent requirement and also to re
the schools at Fort Leaven-
worth, and the artillery school at Fort
Riley, all of which are now closed for
the want of officers. The passage of
the Cockrell bill would discharge at
once all the volunteer quartermasters.
medical officers, and commissaries. |
many of whom are officers of the |
regular army holding volunteer com
and would leave the depart
ment with a corps of staff officers .
wholly inadequate with the increased |