The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-10
The Larger Lesson.

Tie Idl Bcl t1SooOh'
Laying aside all personal issues and
features connected with the now COM
pleted war investigation, concerning
which public opinion is bound TO differ
on lines of individual prediction or
bias, what IL the large lesson TO he
learned from the disclosures OF the
past few months and what is to be
done about it? We reprint in another
column a very timely article from the
Philadelphia Inquirer which expresses
a policy upon which there can be gen
cral agreement The same thought,
clothed in other words appeared in the
Philadelphia Press Of yesterday which
said:
Doubtless the American public has
longed for sCapegoat, but the truth
Is OF more importance than even the
wishes of "A great public This country,
public. congress ana executive, neglect
ed all preparation for War. our army
organization was villainous, and it re-
mains. we may add, Just what it was.
The organization and management. the
promotion and the personnel of army
staff departments We're wrong in every
possible particular. Warnings inces-
SAINT were given Of this. The public
was deaf. 1t loved to believe a lie
about its army and hugged the delusion
that everything would come out right
War came. The system went to smash
The foolish fool at the head of the
commissary department perpetrated a
colossal error which did infinite harm
A man well-meaning but weak, was at
the head Of the war department, as the
war commission reported. and was in
efficient III rectifying the evils of a
faulty system. The practical result
was all the evil the country saw with
amazed and indignant eyes But it is
easier to seek scapegoat than to in
sist ON the reform of a system, and
hut too many papers are making re-
form difficult and impossible by yell
ing perjury at the court OF inquiry
when they should be demanding reform
in the system. This the country needs
and ought to have, and it should have
without delay such management of
the war department as will bring re-
form in faulty system
General Miles is on record with the
assertion that his duty is done. In a
sense il is. He has been instrumental
in causing a better public understands
ing of the faulty methods of organ
ization ana operation hitherto preva-
lent in the war department. 1t re.
mains for congress by amendatory
legislation to correct these defects and
reorganize the ineffective bureaus in d
scientific and effective manner. The
personal controversies must drop. but
not the larger and more vital subject
of military reorganization. We haVC
reorganiZed the navy. Hereafter, wher
the new system in that branch becomes
perfected, naNai officers will he more
than navigators and more than fight.
ors, they will he engineers as well
They will he trained to meet all CLASSES
of emergencies liable TO arise in th'
course of their duty whether ahoat oi
ashore. The same principle, with nee
ossary notifications. must be applied
10 the army Army officers must b.
trained not only to lead charges. bu
also to attend properly To the infnit,
details of camp life and transportation
of troops. TheT must he santarian
ana commissary experts as we'll az
strategists and fighters A flexible gen
eral staff must be provided, correspond
ing TO the rotating system of employ
ment provided in the navy. whereof.
commanding officials are put in toucl
with ali the branches of the naval ser
vice, other countries have aread,
learned this lesson. Americas tuitio
has been costly, but for that Yer,
reason ii should not be in vain