Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-07
REFORMS IN THE ARMY STAFF.
Significance nj the Recommendations
o. Of Secretary Root.
Philadplnhin PrnSs

Secretary Root in his annual report has
presented the best scheme for the reform OF
the army staff and command which has been
laid before congress in a generation. With
tact and reserve, without harsh criticism
! dealing only in reform and not in condemna-
tion of existing shortcomings, Secretary Root
proposes to create here the same system OF
education, appointment and promotion for
staff positions which the experience of Ger
many, France and all other European coun-
tries has shown to be wise.
THE real object of having an army" says
Secretary Root sententiously 'is to prepare
for war. The present army staff system by
its appointment and selection does not pre-
pare for war" Secretary Root proposes O
new one which will. staff appointments to-
day are for life. They are made without
special previous training, without selection
by any competitive process and without the
approval and examination of candidates by
military experts. The result is men like
Eagan and blunders such as disgraced the
conduct of the last war.
Secretary Root proposes stan appointments
for five years instead of for life an army
college where a special staff training shall
be added to the education gained at West
Point or elsewhere, and selections for staff
posts by boards of officers In addition the
secretary proposes that, in future, all army
promotions shall be part by seniority and
part by merit. He urges, in short that the
practice Of making promotions in certain
proportion by merit, which every one sees
and admits is necessary for efficiency and
success in war, shall be maintained also in
peace for the same reason. Our present
plan promotes only for seniority in peace
The result is that we begin our wars with
men too old or too weak to be efficient In the
higher posts, that new men have to be put
up in these posts and that toward the end
of the war, after the Putnams, Hulls, Nc
Dowells and others are out of the way, there
is chance for the younger Greenes jack
sons, Sheridans, Lawtons and the like.
If Secretary Roots reforms are adopted
and there is everything to be said in their
favor and nothing against them-the com
mand of the army and its staff will both be
reformed and an efficient army will exist
in peace instead of one which has to be
made efficient by court martialing the
Eagans after war has revealed them.
Every other country has a staff college
where the general art OF war is taught.
The United States has none, In West Point
1t has a sound school for officers, though its
curriculum admits Of Improvement. 1t has
a strong artillery school and fair school
for cavalry and infantry. Its army engi-
neers advance in civil, but not in military
engineering, though something Is done at
Willetts Point for the engineers still too
young to think that an army engineer knows
all knowledge. a STAFF college this country
has not England has no trained staff.
This is the reason its army is iOundering
in South Africa,
Secretary Roots new army college would
really be a staff college. Still more, he pro-
poses TO recognize work done at the other
army schools as emitting men to staff ap-
pointment and promotion. Personal favor
itism, family and social influence, which
have done the staff tenfold more harm than
political patronage, though the latter is
talked about tenfold as much by the news
papers, Mr.. Root cuts up by the roots with
his special army boards for staff appoint
ment and promotion. Lastly, the staff
Bureaucracy is broken up by temporary staff
appointments such as General Miles and
every other general commanding the army
has urged for thirty years.
Most War Department annual reports are
mere summaries of the bureau chiefs, the
secretary becoming a sort of megaphone for
staff cranks. Secretary Root instead has
mapped a lucid, logical, practical reform
which congress ought without delay to
enact into law. providing literally for the
Increased cost.