New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-09
FOR ARMY REORGANIZATION.


SUGGESTIONS FROM A CIVILIAN FOR TEACH.
ING RECRUITS
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: II may seem presumptuous for CIVILIAN "
propose improvements IN Army organization. ous
since the plan Of Army reorganization VIII nave 70
be adopted by Congress and the average congress
man 70 10 have n vote on the subject may nor the
average citizen have a voice?
Fifty thousand or a hundred thousand men are
10 be enrolled and drilled In countermarchins ana
dress parade and In the OF sword and gun YET
few az them are likely 10 see one single day OF real
war.
II IS safe TO say that for each day OF carnage
experienced there will be ten days OF hospital SER
vice-one hundred days Of ,rampng and hussng
and one thousand days OF camping. cooking and
feeding
propose that every regiment shall have COM
mlssioned officer and every company non-com-
mlss!oned officer for OF the following stan ap-
pontments viz Engineer. surgeon. cook ana
duartermnster these officers TO be instructors ana
all enlisted t. be Instructed and practised IN
each OF these lines Of duty; the company cook -
be abolished: recruits 10 be taken on probation.
and II not found teachable 20 be rejected because
every enlisted man In time OF peace should b
qualified to act as a non-commissioned officer u
time Of war; therefore recruits In time OF peace
should be picked men.
Ny plan Is TO recruit an army Of say. nifty thou
sand men, 10 educate them 10 care LOT tncHscfses
and for others under all circumstances and In AL
emergencies. This would be the peace footing ef
the Army
In time OF war or Of need the President shouA
have power to direct that such regiments as he
shonld name should open their ranks and recruit 10
double auadrupe its original size. That Is to
say. each veteran should have a recruit, as helper.
he should have three such recruits under his
care All the officers Of he regiment would remain
unchanged. and yet by this process OF absorbing
company, company battalion the battalion Q
regiment and the regiment a brigade
In order that the tactical evoutlons OF the
smaller and larger bodies should he the same. oy
whatever name they might be called, would sug'
gest the formation OF regiments OF nine companies
follows
One regiment Of three battalons. SIS asa
one battalion o three companies. 2l6 e6l
one company Of three pla,oons ............. y ~
One platoon Of three squads Of eight EACH. "a W
Some regiments might be sent TO the war IN:
changed from the peace standard wholly composed
and quadrupled according TO the service re-
CURED Of them the length Of time 70 be given
them for drill and 10 convert the recruit into .
soldier.
charge OF so recruits Each teacher has but
three scholars and the school lasts all day and all
night. Could any quicker way be devised tor tne
conversion Of raw recruit; into soldier? Is IL
not ike putting yeast In dough?
Again such regiment 600 strong might be sent
10 the Philippines and there made 10 open ranks
practically non-commssioned officers
The three battalion formation Is now preferred.
and tactical unit OF 200 TO 900 men
The above formation would give Tor such tactical
unit in peace battalion Of 2ls men and IN war
company OF 2SS men. JOHN D. CUTTER
New-York. Dec. 30. 1898.