Evening star., 1899-03-04
ARMY REORGANIZATION
Major Generals Who Will Be Reduced il
Rank
Effect of the Bill That Was Passed
by COngress-May Get Along
With the Regulars

Considerable speculation is being indulged
in as to the effect of the army reorganiza-
tion bill on the high ranking officers of the
army. The bill provides for five major
generals in addition to the three major
gerera1s now in the army, viz, Miles, Mer-
rltt and Brooke, and will necessitate re-
duction Of e1exen in the number of major
generals off volunteers.
Though not fixed beyond amendment, the
list of five officers who are likely to be
retained III the, grade of major general in
the provisional army is: General Otis, in
command at Manila; General Lawton,
about to arrive at that place and take
Charge Of the, active military operations
General Shafter, in command of the De-
partment of California; General Fitzhugh
Lee, commandipg department in Cuba,
and probably General Wilson, also on duty
in Cuba. bf : .-1.
Owing to theasevere limitations imposed
by the army Reorganization bill the War
Department will find itself unable to be-
stow major, generafs commission such
man as General Henry, now in command
of the entire island of Porto Rico
/ II this list IS fe6rrect it will result in the
reduction of Mai. Gems Wade, Merriam,
Bates. Henry ana Ludlow of the regular
army and OF Maj. Gen. Wheeler of the vol
unteer establishment The probabilities are
that the following named officers will be
retained in the service as brigadier gener-
ais: In Cuba-Ludlow, Wood, Bates. Car
penter, Davis and Wiliston in the Philip
pines-Ovenshine, Hale Otis (H. G.), King
and Hughes; In Porto Rico--Gen.. Henry.
Other officers who nay be retained in serv-
tee as brigadier generals are Gems. Young,
Chaffee,- Ernst, Frank, Pennington, Snyder.
Carpenter, Hall, Sanger, Wheaton, Sheri-
dan, Boynton and Douglas. One peculiar
effect of the bill is the promotion of Capt.
Rogers Birnie, ordnance department, as a
major over the heads Of thirteen majors
and all of the captains. Capt.J. r. Williams
of the artillery is promoted to the grade of
major over eight majors of engineers and
nearly all the captains
May Not Organize the Volunteers.
There is no certainty now that the Presi-
dent will ever organize the volunteer regi-
ments to the aggregate number of 35,OOO
as permitted in the reorganization bill.
There is growing impression at the War
Department that it will be possible to get
along with the 900 men who will be in
the regular army, although if conditions
become worse in the Philippines some of
the volunteers may be called for The regu-
lar organization is so much more manage
able and its efficiency is so much greater
that there is every disposition to avail of
it to the full extent and to avoid recourse
to the service OF volunteers until an emer-
gency arises. 1t is also true that the ad-
ministration feels that the intent of Con-
gress would be more closely met by keep
ing the army down to the minimum re-
quirementS.
Meanwhile the officers OF the present
volunteer regiments are proceeding on the
theory that these volunteers are to be con-
tinued In active service, and a large pro-
portion of them are making vigorous efforts
to secure berths for themselves in the new
volunteer army. This is true not lnly of
the line places, but of the staff corps as
well, and as the Secretary of War will be
under the necessity Immediately of cutting
down the staff places severely, there is al
ready scramble among the volunteer OIL
GERS now In to remain there.