The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-27
POLICY OF ROOT.
Secretary of War Asks Con-
gress to Pass a Law
To Increase the Present Army
to 100000 Men.
IDEA
Proposed That the Grade of
General Be Created.
In Imitation of the Imperial
Armies of Europe.

Washington. Oct. 27.-The following
special dispatch from this city appear
ed in the Baltimore Sun:
In his first annual report to the presi-
dent, which has been completed and
sent to the printer. Secretary Root
makes more than usual important rec
concentrations in regard to the new
army, but it is understood he defers
detailed recommendations for material
changes and reforms in organization
until congress meets. when he will COM
municate his views in letters to the
chairmen of the two military commit
tees.
There is little doubt that a large
standing army will be urgently recon-
mended, and congress will be asked to
raise the regular military establish
ment to at least 100000 men. If this is
done the regiments now enlisted could
be tranferred to the permanent estab-
lshment, and the army would be at
once a well equipped and well drilled
solid organization, whereas if an in
crease is postponed until after 1901 the
new army would have to be raised by
enlistments.
TO CREATE NEW OFFICES.
There is a rumOr about the war de-
partment that the secretary has adopt
ed the recommendation made by Gen.
Miles last session favOring the revival
of the grade of general and the crea-
tiOn of two places, each of the grade of
lieutenant general.
An important feature of the report,
and one which has permanent value, is
the statistical portion. This is embraced
in seven tabular statements relating
to the strength of the army at different
times during the year. together with
much information on the casualties of
the army during the war.
The probability of the grade of lieu
tenant general being revived is strong
er than last year, when the proposition
was opposed by the administration,
which was then most unfriendly to
Gen. Miles. Since Secretary Alger's
resignation. however, the authority and
position of the general have been in
some measure restored. and his ad-
vice and influence are now considered.
Gen. Miles would naturally be the lieu
tenant general should the bill pass, and
in the event that the grade of general is
revived would succeed to that rank.
BURLINGTON CRITICISED.
The army ordnance bureau is much
criticised on account of the policy of tbs
head, Gen. Burlington, in refusing army
officers and others an insight into the
experiments under it's direction. Gen.
Burlington goes on the theory that it is
no business of any one what the ex-
per1mentS consist of, or what their val
ue may be until they have been adopted
for the service. He does not intend to
let any one, even those interested in
the inventions, have any knowledge of
what is being done to develop certain
lines of ordnance work. The result has
been to make the bureau unpopular
and to provoke dissatisfaction on the
part of those wishing to have inven-
tiOns tested.
Recently an order was issued prohib-
ltlng persons outside of the government
service from Witnessing experiments
and tests conducted at Sandy Hook
and other ordnance stations. but so
greatly were the inventors aroused that
this order has been revoked by Secre-
tary Root. The important work Of
hnT ri val U
pursued, but what results have been
obtained no one outside of Gen. Buff
fngton and the other officers under
his direction seem to know. It is al
legged, however, that the army is far be-
hind the navy in this particular branch
and has wasted years in experimental
work with apparently very little profit
to the service.
ORDNANCE FACTORIES.
Gen Burlington has recently returned
from an important tour of inspection of
ordnance factories in the east, to learn
their capacities for supplying ammuni-
tfOn, especially of the SmaIl-arm vari-
ETY.. He found the plants were capable
of supplying the government with am
munitiOn in quantities far in excess of
the demand. In discussing the marvel
Gus growth of these factories, as a re-
suit practically of the demands made
on them by the war with Spain, Gen.
Burlington said that all the factories
were now in the finest possible condi-
ton, and all the inspecting officers ef-
dcient and hard working.
A new factory. he said, had been OPEN
ed at FrankfOrd, where the small cart
ridges are manufactured now at the
rate of 10000 a day, but the factories
he said, We're capable of turning out
10000 a day. The gun factory at Wa
terVliet was now completed and in fine
working order. At Watertown he found
an extensive plant for the manufacture
of sea coast gun carriages, and at all
other places visited he learned that the
| facilities for supplying the army with
every variety of ordnance were increas-