The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-25
COMPROMISE ARMY BILL
Reported by the Senate Commit
tee on Military Affairs.
MEANS NO EXTRA SESSION
The General Frame Work OF the Bill Is
the Same as the Hull-Thirty- Four
Thousand Volunteers
Provided For.

t.
committee on military affairs reported
the compromise reorganization army
bill just before the adjournment of the
senate to-day. The bill had been
framed at the war department last
night by the officials of that depart
ment and a number of senators, and
was under consideration by the senate
committee and it's subcommittee dur
ing the greater part of the day. The
formulation of the compromise was
placed in the hands of Senators Haw-
ley and Carter of the military commit
tee, on behalf of the republicans and
Senator Cockrell. in the interests of the
democrats. They met at 10 o'clock to-
day and continued quite constantly in
session. The sub committee had it in
charge until 4:30 o'clock, when the full
committee met. The committee made
number of changes and after a sit
ting of two hours reported the bill to
the senate. The bill as reported differs
in many details 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 covers the entire
follows:
That to meet the present exigencies
OF the military service the president is
herby AUTHORIZED to maintain the regu-
lar army at a strength not exceeding
$1,000 enlisted men, to be distributed
amongst the several branches of the
service according to the needs of each.
and raise force of not more than $4,000
volunteer infantry, as he may deter
mine. from the country at large under
general law, or from the localities
where the service may be required with
regard to citizenship or educational
qualifications, and to form the same
into not more than 80 regiments, organ
lied as infantry regiments of war
strength in the regular army.
provided. further, that each regi
ment shall have one surgeon with the
rank of major; two assistant surgeons,
one of whom shall have the rank of
captain and one that of first lieutenant,
and three hospital stewards.
provided, that such increase in the
regular and volunteer forces shall con-
tinue in service only during the neces-
sity therefor, and not later than July l,
1901"
The allotment of major and brigadier
generals is a. 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 including the brigadier generals
of the regular army, shall not exceed
one for every 1000 enlisted men actu-
ally in service. and major generals of
| volunteers who, including the major
generals of the regular army, shall
not exceed one for every 10000 enlisted
| men.
"Provided, that regular army officers
mt cd off
GERS or as field or staff officers of voun
teers. under the 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
continued in service as such beyond
July 1. 1901
Section / provides that the regular
army shall consist of three major gen
erals. six brigadier generals, 10 regi-
mentS of cavalry, seven regiments of
artillery and rs regiments of in
fantry."
In the cavalry organization each regi
ment consists of u troops, organized
into three squadrons of four troops
each. The artillery regiments are fixed
at IA batteries, of which two may be
organized as field artillery.
Two veterinarians are allowed to each
regiment of cavalry. In the case of the
artillery the number of privates in a
battery of heavy artillery is fixed at "a
minimum of ST." and in the light artil-
lery at "a minimum of ST. The same
word is used in fixing the strength of
the regiments, giving each infantry
company a minimum of 4S privates."
The infantry regiments are fixed at
10 companies, organized into the three
battalion formation. The adjutant
generals and inspector generals de-
Der of officers now in these departments
respectively, with a provision that cap
tains of the line who have shown mark
cd 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 100, is retained.
The judge advocates, quartermasters,
subsistence. medical, pay, ordnance. en-
gineering and signal corps departments
shall consist of the officers and enlist
ed men now provided by law. A pro-
viso makes the battalion Of engineers
a part of the line and allows retired
offers to be assigned to active COM
mand. The present chief of the record
and pension office is made a brigadier
general, subsequent chief to be col
onel. The provision of law authorizing
the assignment of officers of the quar-
termaster's and subsistence depart
ments with increased rank and the con-
tinuance in service of certain volun-
teer officers of these departments for a
period of one year Is repeated. Provis-
ion is made that no person other than
an officer of the regular army who
has passed the age of As years shall be
appointed as a field officer in the vol
unteer force, nor as a company or
staff officer therein if he be past the
age of 35 years: neither shall any per-
son not a regular army officer be so
appointed until he shall have demon
strated his moral, physical and pro-
fessional fitness for the grade in which
he is to be commissioned to the salts
faction of an examining board, pro-
vided that the field officers of the force
herein authorized be appointed from
officers of the regular army or from
persons who served as officers of vol
unteers in the war with Spain The
president is authorized to continue in
service or appoint volunteer staff Off
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