New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-14
THE ARMY STAFF SYSTEM.
FURTHER LIGHT on THE WAR DEPART
MENTS CUMBROus MACHINERY.
STEADY EXPANSION OF THE BUREAUS
CIVILIANS DOING WORK FOR WHICH
ARMY OFFICERS DRAW PAY.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO THE rnrsuxE.l

ARMY OFFICERS DRAW PAY.
lsr ryIHeRAPH TO THE TRrBuSEl
Washington. April 13-Criticisms of the coos-
cal STAFF Department Of the United States Army
In any OF its numberless ramfcations is in
stantly construed by its over-modest officers TO
be an attack the ruling Administration. At
the risk Of its being misinterpreted as a second
offence OF the kind. some further observations
are submitted concerning the machinery of the
War Department. its methods Of conducting the
public business. and the recent alarming ten
dency OF the bureaus toward expansion. This is
manifested in various forms, but without any
manifest occasion for IL. 1t is a marked feature
OF both the Civil Service and the military per-
sonnet and particularly noticeable In the STEADY
increase from year to year Of Army officers on
temporary detail at the capital. 1t Is emphasized
negatively by the failure to secure correspond
ing or at least more than temporary. reduction
in the stan bureaus. when the Army. both Reg
ular and volunteer was cut down after the
Civil War. Instead of contracting in natural
unison some OF them have inexplicably In
creased In numbers.
Take the Engineer Corps. for instance. In
1863 the Regular Army. then recently increased
numbered 1882 officers and men. The Army
Register for that year embraced the names OF
eighty-one officers belonging TO the Corps OF En-
cineers as follows One brigadier- general, four
colonies ten lieuten ant colonies. twenty majors.
thirty captains and sixteen first heutenants'
After the war the military establishment was
generally and considerably reduced The Army
Register" for 1893. before the Spanish war.
when the regular force numbered only z'lof
officers and men exclusive of the retired list.
contained the names of III officers Of the Corps
OF Engineers as follows: one brigadier- general.
ant
four majors thirty captains. twenty-six first
1ieutenants ten second lieutenants and eight adj
ditional second lieutenants an apparent increase
of thirty six officers but as the eight additional
second eutenants were only temporarily at
tached awaiting vacancies 10 the higher grades,
the increase may be said TO have been no more
than twenty eight officers significant feature
is the disproportionate increase in officers of SUI
perior rank. There actual decrease in
subalterns. captains remained stationary. while
there was a gain of eight in colonies. lieutenant
colonies and majors.
Superft ia'ly. this increase of twenty-eight OF
ficers in thirty four years is neither striking
nor an alarming fact. but as tn Regular Army
had meanwhile bee reduced by 1864 officers
and men. 1t becomes very significant indeed
The Government appears to have had no diff
Guilty in discharging a large number of officers
peace and new conditions but IT secured no re-
duction in the Engineer Bureau.
GREATEST GROWTH AT THE TOP.
On the slightest excuse these staff corps will
persistently importuEe Congress for ar increase
in numbers and rank Note what has already
been alluded 10. the quick advantage taken or
the alleged emergency Of the Spanish war BY
a bill entitled "An act to increase the efficiency
hail AVnf TOD
in the Department Congress added eighteen
officers 10 that bureau after the declaration OF
war last year Only six Of the number were
below the rank Of captain More properly, the
title of the bill should have been AN act to
facilitate promotion TO highest grades in the
Corps of Engineers"
The efficiency" of other bureaus was like
wise increased Whenever there is proposal
In Congress TO increase the efficiency OF one
OF the Departments staff corps. two things may
be assumed with absolute certanty-that the
proposal originates in the bureau itself. and not
in Congress and that ii axes the form mainly
of increasing its colonies, lieutenant-cooneis
and majors The proportion OF high ohoers 10
subaiterns is one of the grotesque features oil
both the Engineer and Ordnance staff corps
The last Army Register shows that in the
engineers there were forty-three officers rank
ing as major and upward. against only thirty
eight lieutenants, and no enlisted men-an ex-
tracrdinary body. In the line Of the Army there
are more Iieutehants than I'll the other hsher
grades combined. In the original law of Mareh
1G 1902 creating the Engineer Bureau IL WAS
provided that IL should not exceed one coione
one ueutenant-co colonel two majors. four cap
tains. four first lieutenants, and four second
Iieu,enants. or in the ratio of double the sub
are proceeding this relative condition VIII soon
be reversed. The Engineer Corps presents , vi. ,s
curious phenomenon OF tning hahihe ITO
greatest growth at the big END
II ,s soberlv asserted that the expansion or
these bureaus is necessary consequence OF tne
exhaustion Of the public business iet iol
the close Of the Civil War up to the ou'preak oi
the Spanish there was In fact, man. sai,rl
contraction in the military business OF the Vou
try The increase OF the engineers Is mag
nred,cated on the alleged constantly growing
"nrossure' for It's officers in river ana narpor
work incidentally. this is another piece ol u 1,s
ditional staff humbug. The last blue BOON 1 We
c,osea tho astounding fact that there were !to
civil engineers in practical charge oil every o u
tail of river and harbor lmproVemsenn,.sso n M -
drawing salaries from 81, yW up TO So~' III rhat
aggregate approximately S3WVp a year. nc. t
a. whst II costs the Treasury for what tne
country innocently supposes the mii'ary ell
aineers are doing
CIVILIANS DOING THE WORK.
In dealing with this class of appropriations
II has long been popular notion WIN 'ne a'"
are CONGRESSMAN that II is great strohe VI
economy and safety utilize supernumera'y
engineer officers. ALREADY on the Government
haras with life tenures. drawing large salaries,
in this river and harbor work. But II is quite
evident that should all the bureau stan omcers
eenstrnctive,v Gin charge" Of these improve
noants no relieved to-day the work would pro-
coed as II nothing had happened. The bureau
engineer lin charge Of one OF the great west
ern Improvement commissions Is stationea' OF
was when the last Blue Book was issued. IN
New-York City while the scene or the Commis-
sion's duties is 800 miles away The practicai
engineering work is carefully and successfully
REFORMED by civilian engineers on the spot. III
this is legitimate military staff duty. then let 1t
be wholly performed by the engineer officers II
civilian. and civilians are competent 10 DO IL,
the Engineer Bureau should have nothing what
w .l.o. A. Ia ictla