The record-union., 1899-05-13
Relative TO the Reorganization of Uncle
Sans Fighting Forces.
Volunteer Regiments Should be
Trained With the Standing
Arniy-Whi1e Those Who Served
in the Philippines Were a Brave
and Patriotic Body, They Were
as a Rule Under Command Of
Inferior Field officers.

CHICAGO, May 12.-Since assuming
the command of the Department of the
Lakes, Major General Thomas M. An
derson has given much thought to the
reorganization of the regular army, and
incidentally to the future Of the Ma
tional Guard. The result of this study,
based as it is upon his experience as
Commanding General of the first Amer
lean expedition to the Philippines, which
comprised regulars and volunteers,
leads him to the conclusion that the in
ternal military organization of the
United States should be more thorough
than it ever has been. Without eX-
pressing his position and views on the
political issues which have arisen since
the war with Spain, the General talked
decidedly about the country's military
organization and the future policy
which he thought should be carried out
TO meet requirements of growing emer-
gencieS
THE reorganization of the standing
army viii all depend upon what action
the next Congress takes ON the Presi-
dents suggestion 1t remains for ex-
listing conditions and the policy of the
American people with reference to CO.
lonial possessions to give the grounds
upon which to base future military Leg
1slation. Yet l do believe that the war
with Spain has opened the eyes of the
people to the fact that the strength of
the standing army as it was constituted
at the outbreak of the war is not SUI
ficient to the requirements of the colln-
try as it has developed and progressed
internally since the civil war
My experience in the Philippines was
that the volunteers We're brave. patri-
otto body, we'll differed as to compa-
MES but as rule carrying inefficient
field officers. Company officers were
good drill masters and willing under all
circumstances to perform the most al
duous and dangerous undertakings But
the difficulty lay with the field officers,
who commanded because Governors of
States, through political influence. gave
them the authority to command This
method gave to many inferior military
men authority, and the result was
certain amount of decentralization
among the men,
Il am still firm believer in the worth
of the system which England established
many years ago to bring the militia into
close harmony with the standing army
of that empire-the system of linking
regiments In 1872 1 advocated this
system for our volunteer army. and.
although it was not adopted, the war
with Spain has demonstrated that it de-
serves to be introduced and maintained
as logical safeguard.
This system is simple enough. 1t
places the National Guard and the reg
ular army on an equal footing so far as
military education goes, giving the mi
htia the benefits of the regular army
practices and drills and military in
struction on the field for certain pe-
Rod each year, and giving the regular
troops the advantage Of the excellent
companionship which well-organized
National Guard companies furnish. By
this commingling of the two branches. of
the service once year in the field. VOL
unteer officers would have an opportu-
nifty to learn important duties of war
from the regular army officers and the
soldiers would be the gamers thereby.