The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-02-16

General schoheId's Plan For Removing
FrictIou In the War Department APP
proved d-- Declared That the Evidence
Did Not Show rhat single Dollar Hal
been DishonestIy Taken Heads OF DE.
partments, Chiefs OF stan. Etc, said 10
Have Too Much Routine Work TO DO
Opinions Were Expressed of Certain
CAmps-Other Points Of the Report
WASHINGTON, Feb. l3.-The abstract
of the war investigating boards report
given out for publication, starts out Sy
giving the organization OF the board, etc,
and meeting for regular work Monday,
Sept 26. After much preliminary e&pn-
nation, ETC., it is declared that there WAS
no evidence that anyone in or connected
with the war department had received q
single dollar dishonesty.
1t is recommended that retired officers
should be called on to serve in case OF war.
as they do in the navy. In the recent war
they would have brought prolcssiona
training, valuable knowledge and large"
experience than the civilians appointed.
Volunteers Oificerad 10y men Of military
experience Jared much better than thosr
-oilicered by amateurs, being better clrcu
for, enjoyed better health and were better
fed and clothed.
The commission recommends strict ex
animation into the qualifications Of OIL.
GERS appo ntCu, both regular and Yolun
tecr, ana schools Of training.
Too much routine work, II was declared,
was Obliged TO Ce done by heads of de
partments, officers of large dCpots
chiefs OF staf, department, corps alI 4!
visions. They should devote their attention
To matters of larger moment.
When war broke out an immense task was
thrown on tho war department. Afyer 3
years OF peace and the maintaining Of au arm %
of 20 90 men they were compelled to hand,
the increased regular and volunteer armies.
This was met BY the war department wita
searnestusJs and energy. The situation found
the country uupruplred with any large stock
of arms, ammunition, clothing, supplies ana
equipments. The report said in part: Thai
they were duly provided aud tnat the numer
Gus demands on the industries of our peopl.
were met 80 promptly will remain one OF the
marvels of history"
The first six months experience showed i'm
provemenJ the camps then being models, hos
pitfalls adapted TO the care and comfort OF tn.
sick, grounds clean, sanitary cOnd tiOns great
ly improved and troops moved with prompt
ness and without friction.
1t is recommended that the country should
be in a better state of preparedness for war h.
the future. The divided authority in the w,r
department, which has usually produced So
much friction, was referred to, and a letter
from General Schoheld is quoted in substance
in which he said:
"Kccent TX perience has served to confirm
all the result of my lifelong study and large
experience that the proper position for Tn,
senior officer Of tine army ON duty at Washisg
ton Is not that of commanding general, u pos.
tiOn whicl pra tl,y ally mpOssib e. buJ tht,
ofEouural in ,Dirf, which means in fact chic.
nj - Ia lrI.gfIeUt. fNna RF
In chief was permanent one during tho pr.
tire history OF the country up to the tiIn4
when General Grant became lieutenant ggu.
eral
when became the commanding general
addressed 20 me president a letter, IN which
pointed ont tD him what had been the result
of my stuIy and experience, and saying t4G|
the only WY to abandon entirely, which
did during my seven years Of service, all pre-
tense Of being the commanding general an,
to content mys If with acting AS the chief u,|
stan Of the army under the secretary OF wa.
and the president. The result was that pei
feet harmony prevailed during my time au4 b,
did exercise Legitimate influence In cymm4.t
of the army, tins because / uld not clam C.
exercise anything winch the law did no.
give me.
The presd dent must have the same powe,
of selection of ms genera, IN chief as he has u
his secretary Of war, without this there G a.
be no guaranty That he will give, or that tu
secretary OF war Will place in the general u
chief that confidence " hich is necessary 10 G..
feet harmony. Neither the pres dent nor Ga,
secretary OF war should have in the commau.
of the army an officer who is not working 10
harmony with him.
The report now takes up the war depart
ntUnt ana its various chiefs Of subdivisions
beginning with the secretary II war sayiu.
an part:
THE records of the war department, whic.
have been laid before ust SHOW that the segrt
tary Of war oXten Led TO all chiefs Of bureau
cordial and full support and promptly r.
spOnded 20 every proper demand made upo.
him by commanding officers,
mo testimony has been presented shown
intentional arsiuct Of duty nor any attempt
serve personal interests. The charges mad
that the secretary Of war was pecuniarly iute.
ssstod IN contracts, purchases and other traus
actions of the war department have been
thoroughly examined and found baseless.
''In the judgment OF the commission Jher,
was lacking IN the general administration ul
1ho war department during the continuance
OF tine war with spain tndt complete grasp ~
the situation winch was e5 reutlal TO the hIgh
est efficiency ana utsCplInC Oi the army.
'1be commission has RETAINED from crit-
cising CERTAIN OF Luv heads OF bureaus for no
having acted with foresight in preparing tnull
various departments for active war DelJr
war was actually declared, because il has a.
peared that the national defense fund Pre-
Vided by the GcU Ot Atarch ., 1895 was no.
made available for usB, except for the nav
and coast defeHsas anu The expenditures iuc
dent thereto, uuJu after the declaration o.
war"
The work Of Adjutant General Corbin's do
partment was praised. Inspector Genera
Breokinridge's departments was declared 10 ID,
"not as efficient as { oUghJ 10 have been"
Regarding the qgarteImaster's department
this criticism Is made IN part regarding tn,
sending OF troops 10 Cuba;
''The quarterindstgr's department ought b.
have been able 20 m6re thoroughly equi
these vessels, and surely It snouId have Luel
more certain Of their carrying capacity,
suiiicient number Of vessels for transpOrtu.
25,OuO men with the required lighters for then
Decentralization should nave been property
furnished, even had such action rendered
necessary the seizure Of every steamer ON ia
Atlantic and Gulf coasts sailing under tn,
American flag.
'"festimOny shows that the vessels were mol
loaded systematically A battery with ~
gnns and horses would be placed on one YES
sol and its ammunition on another. The SIC
ond Seventh and seventeenth regular infan
try were each divided up and portions In
each case sent on three different vessels
.'rho feet Of transports arrived safely al
Daiqulri, bur the failure t) prIyido "a full ana
sufficient nuinbsT of lighters fUr disembarka
tiOn Of trVuDs. sunrlies sud artllery cause
NeAaxzus 90