The times., 1899-08-03

| knowledge, consent, and concurrence. On
the theory of his friends, he found himself
unequal 10 the task of reforming the out
rageous conditions in the War Department.
in opposition to a crystallized, corrupt sys-
TEN of many years growth within, and To
the determination of the White House to
run the Office as political and commercial
annex to the Republican National Com
mittee, without.
| If Secretary Root wishes to change all
this and to bring the business of the War
Department to a business and scientific
basis, some people might say that it would
be hard task. We say that it will be
an easy one
All Secretary of War has to do, under
current conditions, is to ignore the multi
plo staff cliques in the department, not pay
the slightest attention to any of them, and
be thoroughly satisfied that the least mis-
take or shortcoming chargeable to one will
be reported Immediately by the other five.
This proposition is based upon the univer-
sally known principle of the service, which
compels a quartermaster to regard a COM
missary as q horsethief and induces both
to consider a contract surgeon as a pick
pocket.
Alger knew all this and met the situa-
tion, as we have hinted above, by placing
all the military power of the War Depart
ment in the hands OF one bureau which
ordinarily would be only accorded author
Ity to transmit the orders of the CHIEF OIL
staff. Mr.. Root will not be likely to re-
peat mistake which has made the Ameri-
can Army ridiculous in the eyes of Europe
and of professional soldiers everywhere.
OF course, We do not know what re-
strictions may have been put upon Secre-
tary Root when he was given the port
folio of War. Judging from the past his
tory of the Mckinley administration 1t
may be possible that he has been COM
PEELED TO agree in advance TO support such
miserable failures as Otis and Brooke and
to subordinate the technical operations OF
the department TO the political interests
represented by the Adjutant Generals Of
fee and the outside influences connected
with it. But. supposing that Mr. Mo-
Kinley has given him free hand, he has
most magnificent opportunity to do ex-
actly what Thsodore Roosevelt, or any
other intelligent soldier, would advise him
to Goi
With one stroke of his pen he can wipe
out all this rotten red tape and corruption.
He can relegate the envious and snarling
little staff bureaus to their proper spheres
and obedience; he can make the Adjutant
Generals Office the agent instead of the
dominating power of the Army; and he
can do what Alger and Daniel S. Lamont
would not do, for improper reasons-he can
constitute a scientific general staff, and
one capable Of conducting the operations
of war without the interposition of Con-
gress.
Secretary Root has only to look to Eng
land 10 find an organization to his hand
and liking. There the Secretary OF State
for War does not assume to pick up a sub
ordinate officer and order him to conduct
military operations, ignoring the chief gen.
eral of the forces. If he were to attempt
srch a thing public opinion would clean
him out of office in very short order. But
lie can do just what We and every in
telligent, patriotic American expect Sec
retary Root to do, and that is place the
staff departments under the orders of the
Commanding General. hold that officer re .
sponsible for strictly military matters, and
himself attend to the affairs of business
and craftsmanship that appertain to the
portfolio OF War
Mr.. Root need not wait upon Congress
for such a reform. 1t is within his power
to write regulations which would accom-
plish it, He knows that the British Cab
met which rules half the world, derives
no power from law, but is creature of
regulation and practice.