The times., 1899-11-17
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER Il. 1888.
Our Future Army.

II the Administration regarded the views
and advice Of the Major General Command
ing the Army with the respect they de
serve and which is accorded to them by
military experts at home and abroad and
rnioricusly by the American people, it is
80 De- inferred that this years report from
army Headquarters would have been a
lore voluminous document than il is. and
devoted mere extensively 10 discussion CT
me pressing needs Of our establishment in
The way Cf reorganization on a scientific
basis. Perhaps The General has done wen
il existing circumstances 10 conhne him
ser 10 unavoidable topics. since the most
sensible and desirable suggestions when
omarzling from him usually have the ef-
leet RI exciting opposition, for that reason
clone, among the people connected with
cur ancient and thoroughly rotten STAFF
system who not only desire to perpetuate
It's worst features by means OF fresh leg
isLaitoa. bug 10 make the whole Army su-
Lordinate 70 its system Of fayoritism and
political entangiement, which is easily con
1ucire OF corruption or something worse.
IS tho country had opportunity 10 realize
during rhe Spanish War
At this time We only care 10 consider
ore - General Miles recommendations in
connection with the reorganization which
must scon be provided for against the
lime when the present Army arrangement
EilI expire by limitation. He repeats what
h has-often suggested before. namely. that
tha Regular Army OF The United States. In
lis reorganization. should be ordered and
maintained on the per capita basis Of one
soldier TO every thousand Of the popula-
iion This would give Us q standing army
of between seventy-dve and seventy-seven
thousand according TO the population re-
lurus of the next Census
From strictly professional point Of
view while the system proposed has q
great deal 10 recommend il. its results
would for the present place the army ef-
fsctiye at q figure relatively small com
pared With the probable necessities of tha
coming years But General Miles is eyi-
IDENTIFY aware that the deep-seated obje--
aou q the masses 10 large standing
army is something that must be counted
Tith 81 politics and practice. and IL is
probable that the number Of men his plan
would involve represents about the max
imum Of what Congress can be induced TO
allow, even under the whip and spur of
The Administration Supposing that not
more than twenty-five thousand troops
VIII be needed in the Philippines after
Jlly J. 1861 when the present law expires.
cur gauisons in Cuba and Porto Rico,
much cut down by then perhaps. The
adequate manning OF our coast defences
and threatened boundary in Alaska. viii
make such inroads upon the force that
there VIII be anything but an excessive
body of soIdiery left 10 perform the or
dinary police duty Of The Union always as
signed to the Army.
While il IS almost assumable that every
man Of seyenty-fve thousand would be
needed for the purposes alluded 90 under
The most favorable conditions which can
now be reasonably predicted, there may
be some doubt that even so moderate an
establishment viii be provided for BY the
Flfty-sixth Congress Whether the pop
ular fear OF a Regular Army is we'll
grounded or not. Il exists, and its inhu-
ence upon the course and character Of nil
ftary legislation Is certain to be import
ant
What all soldiers and civilians who have
She safety OF the country at heart should
agree upon and join in impressing upon Sen
atorE and Representative, IS the seIf-eyident
proposition that just IN the proportion that
the regular service is soon or a. any time
to be crippled, the National Guard should
be streugthened-in fact recreated. Con
sidered n its relations 10 the whole Union
Il is today negligible quantity. Outside
OF few States. notably New York, Penn
sylTania and Massachusetts, Il exists prln-
cipally on paper. Even where It fiourishes
comparatively, Il is far short OF what it
should be IN point OF armament, equip
ment, training, and morale. Nominally il
may amount In the whole United States to
something plus a hundred thousand men.
Out OF the whole lot it would not be pos
Eible TO mobilize one full division OF troops
g. 10 take the field al short notice BY the
side OF regulars. or even Of veteran Yolun-
teers. II is supplied with ali the various
archaic types Of discarded weapons TO be
found iu the Government arsenal scrap
heaps since Tie Civil War. il would prob
ably De short ~ the truth 10 say hat it
would take seventeen different kinds OF