The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-11
A CHANGE Is NEEDED.


From the PHILADELPHIA Press.
The report of the beef court of in
quiry ends the investigation into the con-
duct of the war and it ought to begin
the reform of the staff departments of
the army. A worse picture of division,
disorganization and Generalization could
not be given than the revelations of this
court of the working of the commssary
department. Under the permanent staff
system, the commissary department had
at It's head a man of 5S without expert
ence in the field. General Eagan was
willful, ignorant and unframed. He had
been proved in court martial proceedings
reckless, violent and insubordinate. He
had never shared in the feeding of any
large body of men and he was without
special knowledge of the tropics, the ra-
tions operations there needed, or the
best mode Of supplying them.
%
Yet under our army staff system this
conceited, hide-bound, routine-numbed
man had Independent control of the Sc.
lection, purchase and supply of rations.
For years he had had nothing to do with
work in the field He had sat al a desk
the year round and signed papers until
all military capacity, If he ever had any,
was gone out of him. No general in the
field had any control over him. He was
independent of the commanding gem
cral of the army. He reported to the
secretary of war, but events and expert
ence have conclusively proved that this
check was worse than worthless A
civilian at the head of the war depart
ment is in the hands of the heads of
staff bureaus, General Eagan was able
to defy experience He perpetrated the
COLOSSAL error" Of providing canned beef
for the staple ration of the army at San =
tiago. On his own individual order he
mil
ton. The total supply procured was
three or fourfold the needs of the army.
The canned beef ration had never been
tested. II was adopted on one man $
order without consultation, without eX-
pertinent, against the general opinion
and past practice Of the army, and under
our army staff system no general head
OF the army was responsible. This
colossal error" passed in the war de-
partment without question. No one chal-
lenged 1t. No one interfered with it. 1t
was possible for one man, and a man like
General Eagan, to ruin the supply of
food to an entire army. The command
ing general, Major General Miles, had
experience but no authority. The sec
| retary of war had authority but no ex-
perience. Under the army system OF
| independent and permanent staff depart
ments the army ration was altered and
| ruined, and no one in actual charge OF
the fighting knew it until the chief mis-
chief was done past remedy.
o
A system like this needs to be torn up
| by the roots. The STAFF departments need
| to be reorganized and placed under the
direct control and responsibility of the
head of the army. Patronage and poll
tics in staff appointments need to be
abolished. The secretary of war ought
| to be placed in his proper position as
| the civilian adviser of the president
| through whom orders are transmitted,
and deprived of direct control of staff
| departments, whose members use him
| and their positions for personal ends. A
general staff on the German plan needs
| TO take the place of the clique and cabal
| of staff officers. who run the war Ge-
partment' under the present system. A
| secretary OF war who brings on these re-
| forms will give an efficient army. A
| secretary who does not will continue the
| inofficiency of the past year and many
| past years.