The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-13
NEED STRONGER ARMY
General Anderson Gives His Views
On Subject.
VOLUNTEERS ARE BRAVE
BUT THEY HAVE INEFFICIENT
FIELD STATES.
Believes In the System of Linking
Regiments, That the Regulars
and National Guard May Com
mingle and Mutually Benefit Each
Philippines.

Chicago, May 12.-Since assuming the
command of the department of the
lakes, Major General Thomas NJ. An
derson has given much thought to the
reorganization of the regular army,
and incidentally to the future of the
national guard The result of this
study, based, as it is, upon his expert
ence as commanding general of the
first American expedition to the Phil
ippines, which comprised regulars and
volunteers, leads him TO the conclu-
sion that the internal military organ
ization of the United States should be
more thorough than it ever has been.
Without expressing his personal views
on the political issues which have aris-
en- since the war with Spain, the gen.
eral talked decidedly about the coun-
try's military organization and the fu-
ture policy which he thought should be
carried out to meet requirements of
growing emergencies.
The reorganization of the standing
army will all depend upon what action
the next congress takes on the preSi-
dents suggestions. 1t remains for eX-
listing conditions and the policy of the
American people with reference to CO.
lonial possessions to give the grounds
upon which to base future military leg
iSlation.
Army Not Sufficient.
Yet 1 do believe that the war with
Spain has opened the eyes of the peo
pie to the fact that the STRENGTH of the
standing army, as it was constituted at
the outbreak of the war, is not suffi-
cient to the requirements of the coun-
try, as it has developed and progressed
internally since the civil war.
My experience in the Philippines
was that the volunteers were a brave,
patriotic body, we'll officered as to
companies, but as a rule carrying in
efficient field staffs. Company officers
were good drillmasters, and willing un-
der all circumstances TO perform the
most arduous and dangerous undertake
ings. But the difficulty lay with the
field officers, who commanded because
governors of states. through political
influence, gave them the authority to
command. This method gave to many
inferior military men authority, and
the result was a certain amount of de-
moraliZation among the men.
i am Sdll a firm believer in the
worth or the system which England es-
:aDIished many years ago to bring the
militia into close harmony with the
standing army of that empire-the sys-
tenn of linking regiments. In 1872 L ad-
vocated this system for our volunteer
army, and although it was not adopted.
war WITH spain mas demonstrated
that it deserves TO be introduced and
maintained as a logical safeguard.
System of Linking.
This system is simple enough. 1t
places the national guard and the reg
ular army on an equal footing so far as
military education goes, giving the
militia the benefits of the regular army
practices and drills and military in
struction on the field for a certain
period of each year, and giving the
regular troops the advantage of the
excellent companionShip which we'll
organized national guard companies
furnish. BY this commingling of the
two branches of the service once year
in the field, volunteer officers would
have an opportunity to learn important
duties of war from the regular army
officers, and the soldiers would be the
gamers thereby.
Then should actual war require
service in the face of the enemy, the
national guard would be more efficient
ly officered and feel, as a volunteer
body, more capable to perform its aux
iliary duty with the regular army to
the country. The linking system has
proved wonders for the militarism of
England. In this country it would give
a better standing to the regular army,
and at the same time develop the ac-
tual fighting strength OF the volun-
teerS."