The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-03

The makeshift military establishment
provided by the Senate and reluctantly
consented to by the House in order to avoid
an extra session, Is full of defects and
sources OF trouble. Its faults concern funda-
mental features as we'll as points OF detail.
Mr.. HULL, in his speech advising it's
acceptance as the less OF two evils,
pointed out that even on the important
question OF it's increase OF the regular
army to 65, 900 men, the Acknowledgement
and the Judge Advocate General differed.
Again, it is feared that the amendment
fastened on the bill by Senator Cor
MAN, by breaking up the army In 1901,
may expose hundreds OF officers who
have been promoted meantime to the
vacancies created by 1t, to becoming
"supernumerary and being thrown out al
together. or course, Congress can come to
their relief in some way, but the risk,
meanwhile, may prevent competent officers
from accepting promotion or worry them
II they accept 1t.
The provisional army calls for six
teen more regiments than the Hull bill
required for nearly the Same number
OF men, besides n volunteer staff and
Jl6 BtIltTdl OlllCeES. ~ dloo opcLS many
more Offices to the rush from civil life. In
various less important matters this hasty
piece OF legislation contains fault after
fault, while 1t costs more in proportion to
what it gives than the Hull bill for per-
manently charging and reo~rganizing the
army. Yet, as thisb bill will now become a
law, the House having accepted 1t by a vote
of 2o3 against 80, it only remains to see
what it will give us during the two years
and four months for which it provides.
To begin with, it furnishes to the Presi-
dent an adequate force, as Mr.. HULL said,
for present needs, and in fact a numeri-
cally stronger army than the Hull bill pro-
posed. That measure provided, at the maxi
mum. "a, 952 enlisted men. while the new
law will allow 1OO, 900. Ofthese 90, 900 may
be regulars and 80, 700 volunteers, the lat
ter organized into twenty-seven regiments
of infantry and three Of cavalry, with a Ma
jor-General for each 10000 volunteers and
a Brlgadier for each 4, 1000. In the regulars
the increase OF 5000 enlisted men above
the present authorized war maximum Of
90, 900 allows additions to each Of the ar
tillery regiments, and Mr.. Germans
vicious amendment, which reduces the
army after July 1, 1901. to the num-
Der authorized prior to April 1, 1893,
excerpts additions to the artillery under this
act. The regular army, also, secures its
three-battalion organization for the in
fantry, and while its permanent promo
tons have been cut down from those OF the
Hull bill, the e volunteer army will fur
nish many temporary ones, including all
above the grade of Major and a share Of
those below.
Another gain will be that of allowing the
Government to keep faith with the regulars
and volunteers who are entitled to their
discharge at the end Of the war with Spain.
The bill also allows the re6nlistment, as
volunteers, Of troops now in the Philippine
Islands, for six months or for such less
time as may be necessary to replace them.
The provision for a hundred additional
West Point cadets, including ten more for
the President and one for each Senator, is
commendable, provided the next Congress
substitutes for the present makeshift a
permanently enlarged and properly organ
lied regular army.