The times., 1899-02-13

expense they could be camped under IA
vorable sanitary conditions. The present
camps are models, the hospitals adapted
TO the comfort and care Of the sick, the
grounds clean. and the sanitary conditions
greatly improved. The troops are now
moved with promptness. without friction.
and with more rapidity than in the begin
ming of the war. These improvements have
come from experience, and the new army
now is far advanced in facilities for feed
ing equipping, camping. and transporta-
ton"
A recommendation looking to the future
then follows:
.'one of the lessons taught by the war
is that the country should hereafter be in
a better state of preparation for war. Tes-
timony has been taken on this subject and
suggestions have been made that large sup
plies of all the material not liable to de-
terioration should be kept on hand. to be
continuously issued and renewed. so that
in any emergency they might be available.
Especially should this be the case with
such supplies. equipment, and ordnance
stores as are not in general use in the
United States and which cannot be rapidly
obtained in open market.
Perhaps the most significant utterance in
the whole document, so far as concerns the
discipline and efficiency of the army,
comes next.
Authority and Responsibilities.
For many years the divided authority
and responsibility in the War Department
has produced friction, for which. in the
interest of the service, remedy, If possi-
BILE should be applied. The Constitution
makes the President the Commander-in-
Chief of the Army, and he cannot transfer
that authority 10 any other person. The
= - Nf Vow
who has his confidence. and who is his con-
fidential adviser. The Commanding Gen
eral is assigned 10 duty such by the
President and under the militay laws of
the United States his duties are defined
as follows
The command exercised hy the Commanding
General uf the sfuA, having been made the
subject of statutory regulation. Is determined
by the order Of assignment IL las been habit
ualiy composed oi The aggregate OF the several
territorial commands that have been or may
I've created by the President.
The military establishment i iInder orders
oi the Commanding General OF the army ia that
which pertains to its discipline and military
control. The fiscal affairs Of The army are con
Quoted by the Secretary ut War through the seT-
cral staff departments. lrar. Iss, 4. r., lsl5)
All orders and instructions from the Prcsi-
dent or Secretary of Mar relating 10 military
operations affecting the military control and
discipline Of the army will he promulgated
through the Commanding General. far. lss,
A. H., 1850
Lieutenant General Schofield, who has
probably had as much experience and given
the question as much thought and study
as anyone in our country, says in sub
stance:
Recent experience has served 10 confirm all
the results Of my lifelong study and large ex-
pcJicncc that the proper position for the senior
officer of the army on duty al Washington is not
that of Commanding General, position which
i practically impossible. but that Of Gcncral-in-
Chief, which means in fact chief of staff to the
President. The title Of Gencral-iu-Chief was i
permanent during the entire history of the
country up 10 the time when General Grant be
Lieutenant General.
When I became the Commanding General ad
dressed to the President letter, in which
pointed out TO him what had been the result of
my study and experience, and saying that the
only way to abandon entirely, which ] did
during my seven years Of service. all preience
oi being the Commanding General and to content
myself with acting rs the chief OF staff of the
army under the Secretary Of " ar and the Prcsi-
dent. Thc result WAS that perfect harmony pre-
vailed during my time, and ] did exercise 4
legitimate influence in command OF the army,
this because did not claim to exercise anything
which the law did not give me
The President must have the same
power of selection of his General-in-C Chief
as he has of his Secretary of War; without
this there can be no guaranty that he will
give or that the Secretary Of War Will
place in the General-in-Chief, that conf
dence which is necessary TO perfect har-
mony Neither the President nor the Sec
Telary OF War should have in the command
of the army an officer VINO is not working
in harmony with him"
Secretary AIgcr Lacked Control.
The report takes up the War Department
and its various chiefs of subdivisions, be-
II
The records of the War Department
which have been laid before US show that
the Secretary of War extended to ali chiefs
of bureaus cordial and full support, and
promptly responded TO every proper de-
uaand made upon him by commanding Off
GERS.
No testimony has been presented show
ing intentional neglect Of duty nor any at
tempt TO serve personal interests. The
charges made that the Secretary of War
was pecCDiarily interested in contracts.
purchases, and other transactions of the
War Department have been thoroughly eX-
amined and found baseless.
In the judgment Of the Commission
there was lacking in the general admins
1ration Of the War Department during the
continuance OF the war with Spain that
complete grasp Of the situation which was
essential TO the highest efficiency and dis
cipiine Of the army.
The Commission has refrained from
criticising certain of the heads Of the bu-
reaus for not having acted with foresight
in preparing their various departments for
active war before war Was actually de-
clared, because it has appeared that the
national defence fund provided by the act
OF March 3, 1888, was not made available
for use. except for the navy and for coast
dsfences and the expenditures incident
thereto until after the declaration of war.
Praise eor Corbin's Office.
This department, which was organized
and trained TO take care Of small regular
army, was required to rapidly provide for
organizing and mastering in 25O.O0G SOL
diers and within six months TO muster out
10000 The AdiuIant Generals depart
ment OF the army having full knowledge OF
the condition OF the army when the
declaration of war was made, il could
not be surprised by the inability of the
departments to Immediately respond to the
demands. The economy of previous years
by which nearly every article OF equipment
not Immediately needed by the army was
disposed Of, and no provision made foi
emergencies, rendered immediate effective
expansion OF the army impossible. In the
organization of the army for active duty
provision was made for eight corps. seven
of which were fully equipped and placed in
the field.
The suggestion has been made, and
opinion given, that il would have beer
better 10 have organized the army and
equipped the troops in each of their States
before they were concentrated and mo-
bilized into brigades, divisions, and corps
but the War Department had not the Off
GERS to send TO each State TO organize
muster, feed, and equip them nor had il
officers Of sufficient rank 10 command
he ~