The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-13

and under the military laws OF the United
States his duties are as follows:
The command exercised by the COM
inanding general OF the army, not having
been mace the subject OF saiutary reEula-
ton. Is determined BY the order OF assign.
ment. It has been habitualiy composed OF
the aggregate OF the several territorial
commands that have been or may be Gre
ated by the president.
The misssary establishment is under or
ders Of the commanding general OF the ar
my In that which pertains to Its discipline
and military control The fiscal affairs OF
se army are Ss py lns Sreart
ments. (Par. 1877, A. r.. 1880
All orders and instructions from the
president or secretary OF war relating TO
military operations or affecting the milf
tary control and discipline OF the army
will be promulgated through the com.
Lieutenant General Schofeld. who has
probably had as much experience and
given the question as much thought and
study as anyone In our country, says In
substances: Recent experience has served
to confirm all the results Of my lifelong
study and large experience that the pro-
per position for the senior officer OF the
army ON duty at Washington is not that
OF commanding general, position which
Is practically impossible but that the gen
erai In chief which means In fact a chief
of staff to the president The title OF gen.
eral in chief was a permanent one during
the entire history Of the country up to the
time when General Grant became lieuten-
ant general
When became commanding general
! addressed TO the president a letter In
which pointed out to him what had been
the result OF my study and experience and
saying that the only way to abandon en- 4
tireiy, which did during my seven years
OF service. all pretense OF being the com
manding general and to content myself
with acting as the chief of stan of the
army under the secretary of war and presi-
dent. The result was that perfectly har-
mony prevailed during my time and 1 did
exercise legitimate influence in com
mand of the army, this because l did not
claim exercise anything which the law
did not give.
80 h.. president must have the same power
of selection Of his general in chief as he
has OF his secretary of war; without this
there Gun be no guaranty that he Will give,
or that the secretary OF war will place In
the general in chief that confidence which
is necessary to perfect harmony. Neither
the president nor the secretary of war
should have in the command of the army
an officer who is not working In harmony
with him.
The report now takes UP the war de-
partnent and Its various chiefs of sub
division, beginning with the secretary OF
war.
The records Of the war department which
had been laid before us, show that the
secretary of war extended to all chiefs of
bureaus cordial and full support and
promptly responded to every proper de-
mand made on him by commanding Of
ficers.
No testimony has been presented show
Ing Intentional neglect of duty nor any
attempt to serve personal interests. The
charges made that the secretary of war
WAS pecuniarly interested in contracts,
purchases and other transactions Of the
war department have been thoroughly ex-
annined and found baseless.
In the Judgment of the commission there
was lacking IN general administration of
the war department during the confirm
uance of the war with Spain that complete
grasp OF the situation which was essential
to the higheet efficiency and discipline OF
the army.
The commission has refrained from criti-
/ cising certain of the heads Of bureaus for
not having acted with foresight in pre-
pairing their various departments for ac-
tive war before war was actually declared,
because 1t has appeared that the National
defense fund provided By the act of March
Q, 1898, was not made available for use, OK
cept for the navy and for coast defenses
and tho expenditures incident thereto. un-
til after the declaration of war.
+ Adjutant Generals -Briga-
der General H. G. Corbin adjutant gen.
eral United States. in charge.-Ths de-
partment which was organized and trained
to take care Of small! army, was re-
quired to rapidly pr, vide for organizing
land mastering in 100000 soldiers and with
: in six months to muster out 100000. The
adjutant generals department of the army
having full knowledge Of the conditions of
the army when the declaration Of war was
made, 1t could not be surprised by the In
ability of the department to Immediately
respond to the demands The economy of
previous years by which nearly every ar
ticle OF equipment not Immediately needed
by the army was disposed Of and no pro-
vision made for emergencies, rendered inn
mediate effective expansion of the army
impossible In the organization Of the
/ army for active duty provision was mad
I, for eight corps, seven of which are fully
! equipped and placed in the field.
! The suggestion has been made and opin-
! ion given that 1t would have been better
| to have organized the army and equipped
the troops in each of their States before
they were concentrated and modified int
| brigades. divisions and corps. but the wal
department had not the officers to send
to each State to organize. muster. feed
and equip them, nor had 1t officers OF suf-
ficient rank to command, drill and disci.
pline the troops while in State camps
4 Early removal of regiments fron, State
! camps has the advantage Of avoiding the
disturbing influences OF home locality.
\ During the organization and equipment
4 of the army daily report by telegraph
from each camp was received. Where
important deficiencies were reported The
secretary of war called attention TO the
Il fact and in most cases 1t was found tina
such deficiencies were due to the non.
existence of the articles.
i There were about $50 regiments, batter
les and separate organizations in the army
A from only twenty five of which came com
4 plants, aside from those affecting th,
medical department Investigation ha'
shown that the most of these complaint
4 we're because of lack OF supplies not OBJ
taipable at first or were due to the mex
perlence OF officers in command, not SO ia
as we can discover from any intentional
neglect.
1t was found necessary to go outside an'
4 secure officers from civil life. the seiec
lions being frequently made from officer
! who had had experience In the natlona
guard, graduates from military colleg
: and schools and citizens whose business o
professions fitted them for the pc lon
for which they were selected. The tesfi
, mcny shows that thev we're honest ar
| nanifested desire to become efficieni