The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-02
CONDITION OF THE ARMY
AdJutant General Corbin Re-
views the Work of the Year,
RECOMMENDS HIGHER PAY
oihcers Below the Grade Of Briradier.
General Should Have an Increase OF
53 1-3 Per rCent-Recommenda-
tions Concerning Artillery,

! Washington. Nov 1.-The annual re-.
| port of the adjutant general of the
army, Brigadier General Corbin, to the
secretary of war was made public to-
day. General Corbin sums up the mills
tary forces now in the service of tho
United States as follows: Regular
army, 1885, volunteers, 34,574: total,
99l60. The regular esta blishment con-
slsts of 10 regiments OF cavalry, seven
OF artillery and 25 Of infantry. The
volunteer establishment consists Of one
regiment of cavalry. "a of infantry anda
a Porto Rico battalion.
The distribution of these troops UP to
Oct. last was as follows:
In the United States. 1929: Porto
Rico, $3.50; Cuba, 11.1S7; PhiIippines.
32."l5 en- route to the Philippines. IT.
099; Alaska. 499; Hawaii, 466, General
Corbn adds the following to this SUM
mary:
! 1T is expected by Dec. next all the
| infantry regiments of United States
| volunteers shown above as in tl1e
United States will have sailed for the
phllppines. These. with the troops now
thefe, VIII give total strength of 2.117
of1lcers and G3.60S enlisted men, an ae-
greSate of G5, 725.'
Ihe service of many of the troops af-
ter their enlistment having exnired
causes General Corbin to say in his re-
port:
The patriotism of the regulars and
volunteers who had enlisted only for
the war with Spain, by willingly and
actively serving after the expiration of
their terms of service, calls for evidence
or appreciation on the part of the de-
partment. During the year there have
been 62,1I5 enlistments and re-enlist-
ments, Of which So, ,026 We're native bor.,
ana 9l5l foreign born. In point OF
color, 56,154 were white, 5000 coiored
and 20 Indians"
The following recommendation *
mace Tor extra pay for the officers serv-
ing in our new possessions:
The pay of all officers below tha
grade of brigadier general should be
INCREASED at least 33 13 per cent. while
on duty in Cuba or our new posses
slons. Most of these gentlemen have
lalnllles that they are unable to have
with them, and therefore are compelled
to maintain two establishments Also
that provision be made that all officers
beloW the grade of major general who
retire by reason of age or wounds re-
celVed in action shall do so on next
grade above the rank held by them in
the regular army on the date of their
retirement.
or the criticisms on the staff organi-
'1~'Nio'i VI tiic al my AItI1tldl AsOTD1n SAYS
Much has been written of late con-
cerning better staff system Ours
may be and doubtless is open to i'm
provement, but it should be borne in
mind that the present organiza ton ia
the result of years Of legislation. The
criticisms of our system are too often
the result of disappointment. Seldom
has there one appeared in nrint whose
author has not been a long-standiug
applicant for place in one of the staff
corps of depar tments. The suggestion
that our staff officers are not exper-
fenced in the duties of line officers is
not borne out by facts"
The report dWells on the courtesias
shown our troops by the British gov
ernment officials while stopping at Glib
raltar and elsewhere en- route to the
Philippines and says this International
courtesy Will long live in the memories
of both parties to the spontaneous ea.
change.
The report speaks of the unsatisf
tory conditions in Hawaii in relation to
land for military uses. saying: Sales
OF government lands and leases of
crown lands have continued to the
present time and there is very little of
either class left in Immediate control
of the government. Should this action
be permitted to continue it will result
in embarrassment to the United States.
1t is urgent. therefore, that certain
tracts be taken without delay from tho
control of the Hawaiian government
and secured to the future uses of the
United States or have them declared
as reservations for military PURPOSES
Recommendation is made that MILL
tary officers serving abroad as military
attacheS be given increased rank ana
pay. AS the increase in the army calls
for an additional number of military
academy cadets to fill vacancies, it is
recommended that the president be au-
tnorl@ed to appoint 10 annually and thas
tWo pc appointed at large from each
state. Satisfaction is expressed thar
he army canteen" embarra ssment has
peen removed from the war depart
ment by the action Of congress in es-
tapllshlng certain restrictions. Recon-
nendatlon is made that non-commis-
sloned ofncerS be given additional pay,
IN order to attract to these places a
worthy class willing to stay in those
grades, and that % years service as
an enlisted man shall be sufficient to
admit to the retired list of enlisted men.
Inc conditlon of the artillery service.
especially of the sea coast, the report
describes as not altogether satisfactory.
1t is believed the time has arrived
when the artillery branch of the serv-
ice should be reOrSanized and the iIeld
separated from that engaged
in the coast defense. 1t recommends
that the regimental organization of the
artillery be abolished and that a corps
IF field artillery and of sea coast ar
lllery be provided for. separate and
distinct from each other
In a resume General Corbin says:
The regular army is now practically
1t a maximum. as are also the Tnlun
-eer regiments. The work incident TO
Ill those changes brought about by the
acts aforesaid has involved the enlist
nent of 23S, 500 volunteers: the increase
II the regular army from $4,000 TO 62.-
100: its further increase to $1,000. neces-
itating numerous orders and instruc-
ions bearing on the same, to say moth
ng of the complete military record Of
very officer and man of this large
oTce threw upon this office work. the
magnitude of which cannot be under
TODD undertaken. That this work has
)een done with accuracy and intelli-
yence is now history"
The report also calls attention to the
Continued on Page six)