The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-25
MILLIONS VOTED BY SENATE
NICARAGUA CANAL "RIDER" PUT ON
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL,
And the Measure Passed without Di-
vision--Anti-Annexa Speech by
Senator SewelI, of New Jersey


WASHINGTON, Feb. A.-The Senate COM
mittee on military affairs reported the COM
promise army reorganization bill just before
adjournment of the Senate at $50 p. M The
bill had been framed at the War Department
last night by the officials of that department
and number of senators and was under
consideration by the Senate committee and
its subcommittee during the greater Part Of
the day. The formulation of the compro-
mise was placed in the hands of Senators
Hawley and Carter of the military COM
mittee, on behalf of the Republicans, and
Senator Cockrell in the interest of the Dem
oerats. They met at 10 o'clock to-day and
continued quite constantly in session. Col.
Carter, of the army, sat with them for the
purpose of supplying technical information.
The subcommittee had it in charge until
4:3O o'clock, when the full committee met
The committee made a number of changes
and after a sitting Of two hours reported
the bill to the Senate.
The BILL as reported, differs in many de-
tails from the bill read in the House to-
day by Mr.. Hull, but the general framework
is the same. In the new bill one section COW
ers the entire increase of the army and it
reads as follows:
''That, to meet the present exigencies Of
the military service, the President is hereby
authorized to maintain the regular army [
a strength of not exceeding 6o090 enlisted
men, to be distributed among the several
branches Of the service, according to the
needs of each, and raise force of not more
than 900 volunteer infantry, as he may
determine from the country at large, under
general law, or from the local localities
where their services may be required, with
regard TO citizenship or educational qualifi-
cations, and to form the same into not more
than thirty regiments organized as infantry
regiments of war strength in the regular
army. Provided, further, that each regl-
ment shall have one surgeon, with the rank
of major, two assistant surgeons, one OF
whom shall have the rank of captain and
that Of first lieutenant. and three hos
pital stewards. PROVIDED, that such increase
in the regular and volunteer force shall con-
tinue in service only during the necessity
therefor and not later than July /, 1901.
The allotment of major and brigader gem
erals is as follows:
THAT the President shall have power to
continue in service, or to appoint, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate,
brigadier generals of volunteers, who, in
Guiding the brigadier generals of the regular
army, shall not exceed one for every 4,COO
enlisted men actually in service, and major
generals of volunteers, who, including the
major generals of the regular army, shall
not exceed one for every 1900 enlisted men:
Provided, that regular army officers con-
tinued or appointed as general officers or as
provisions of this act, shall not vacate their
regular army commissions: and provided,
further, that no general officers appointed
under the provisions of this section shall be
1901 - - w. a. 7''Nii DeS ''iO '''' =
THE REGULAR ARMY.
Section 1 provides that the regular army
"shall consist of three major generals, six
brigadier generals, ten regiments of cavalry,
seven regiments Of artillery, twenty-five
of inf cF1fr In ff1n rnl lrVy
ganizaton each regiment consists of twelve
troops organized into three squadrons of
four troops each. The artillery regiments
ere fixed at fourteen batteries, of which
two may be organized as field artillery.
Two veterinarians are allowed to each
regiment of cavalry In the case of artil-
lery the number OF privates in a battery of
heavy artillery is fixed at a minimum Of
fifty-two," and of light artillery at mini
mum of fifty-one." The same word is used
in fixing the strength of the infantry regi-
ments, giving each infantry company "a
minimum Of forty-eight privates." The in
fantry regiments are fixed at twelve COM
panies organized into the three battalion
formation
The adjutant generals and inspector gem
erals departments are to consist of the num-
Der of officers now in these departments,
respectively, with a provision that captains
of the line who have shown marked aptitude
in the command of troops shall be entitled
to compete for staff appointments.
The Senate amendment to the Hull
Hawley bill increasing the number of cadets
to the extent of one hundred is retained
The judge advocate's S, quarterrnaster's sub
sistence, medical, pay, ordnance, engineer
ing and signal corps departments shall con-
siSt of the officers and enlisted men now
provided by law. A proviso makes the bat
talon of engineers a part of the line and
allows retired officers to be assigned to
The present chief of the Record and Pen
sion Office Is made a brigadier general the
subsequent chief to be colonel. The pro-
vision of law authorizing the assignment
of officers of the quarternaster' and sub
slstence departments with increased rank
and the continuance in service of certain
volunteer officers of those departments for
period of one year IS repealed.
Provision is made that no person other
than an officer of the regular army who
has passed the age of forty-five years shall
be appointed field officer in the Volun-
teer force nor as company or staff officer
therein If he be past the age of thirty-five:
neither shall any person not regular army
offlcer be so appointed until he shall have
demonstrated his moral physical and pro-
teSsional fitness for the grade in which he is
to be commissioned TO the satisfaction of
an examining board; provided, that the field
officers of the force herein authorized be
appointed from officers from the regular
army or from persons who served as officers
of volunteers in the war with Spain.
The President is authorized to continue
in service or appoint volunteer staff officers
as follows: Nine assistant adjutant gem
erals, nine assistant inspector generals five
judge advocates. thirty quartermasters and
forty assistant quartermasters, six commits
saries of subsistence and twelve assistant
cOmngissaries thirty-four surgeons, thirty
additional paymasters and thirty-one signal
officers. These volunteer staff officers are
given various ranks from colonel to second
lieutenant. AS soon as practicable the Off
GERS and men of the volunteer army not
authorized in the bill shall be mustered out
provided that enlisted men of volunteers
may be transferred to and enlisted in such
OF the new organizations as may be below
the maximum authorized strength. Pro-