New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-22
BUREAU REFORM NEEDED.
TROUBLES WHICH BESET THE sTiCRE-
TARY OF WAR
DEFECTS INHERENT IN THE SYSTEM
URGENT DEMAND FOR ACTION BY
CONGRESS- SENATOR PROC
TORS PLAN
rBY rELEeRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

which beset the War Department. These trou-
hles are inherent to the system which controls
It, True. strong. well equipped personality at
the head OF the Department may for time
hold his own against the dsjointed Official ele-
ments composing II, and steer clear Of bureau
intrigue. but the chances are always against
him Intelligence. courage and administrative
capacity Will not always protect him from fall
ing into the pitfalls spread for his capture
Eternal vigilance" must Re exercised or the
Eagans Of the bureaus will surely rise up to
overwhelm him
very earthquake in politics is a matter Of
no concern to the bureau chiefs Secretaries
may come and Secretaries may go, but bureau
chiefs with life tenure go on forever. Their
faces are ever turned toward the rising sun
The King is dead; long 1--we the King" is their
eternal cry. When public Indignation turned
against General Alger as the responsible agent
OF the recalcitrant bureaus. they united vehe-
rnently IN his support showing as much ardOr
IN the cause as the rotten French staff now
manifests IN the insane prosecution Of Dreyfus.
u was. IN fact a fight for self-preservation.
Finally Alger had 70 go. and the moment his
name was appended to his letter OF resignation
he was forever dead TO the STAFF Departmental
back number
STAFF CHIEFS INDIFFERENT
The STAFF chiefs who had piloted him TO his po-
ntical undoing were unfortunately not amenable
10 the public opinion which had brought their
instrument down. They securely remained,
careless Of the wreck perhaps indeed. secretly
glad of the downfall OF a Secretary whose IN
satisfactory administration had served 70 fix
public attention upon a system which had
brought forth an Eagan and Carter. lmnedl-
ately abandoning Alger to his fate they set m
motion intrigues to control the succession or
at any rate TO get their tentacles around his
successor in the same fatal coil which had en-
veloped Ager One Of Secretary Ayers last
official acts was in the interest OF that bureau
which had made about the most conspicuous
failure in the Cuban war. the issuing OF an
order rendering the Inspection Bureau indie
pendent Of the real Army. Almost the first call
upon General Alger's successor was that bu-
reau's request to have Ayers order. which had
been held up. confirmed
II il needless mere to discuss the question
whether the Secretary Of War or the command
ing general should have immediate direction
OF the work OF the Inspection Bureau Of the
Army. But the wrange going on relating 10
where this prerogatve shall lie. IN the absence
Of specific law upon the point still further Illus
trates the crafty. persistent methods OF the
bureaucracy and the necessity for its reorgani-
zation By the coming session Of Congress.
DEMANDS ON NEW SECRETARY.
Before Secretary Root was fairly installed.
rnuch less acquainted with the more salient re-
,,,trerneuts OF his Office, while he was Tlsuy
engaged in informing himself upon the various
Atffaca1lt problems with which he was confronted
r1s question bureau independence OF the Army
Was thrust upon him by the contendlns lac-
ions and pressed for immediate and favorable
determination. No wonder he was staggered BY
ne spddenness OF the onset, and sought SAFETY
l., delay He perhaps suspected that the plan
was 70 secure the establishment OF a permanent
rrecedent through the impulstve action OF a
-zreer" Secretary just as Secretary AIser zen
into many trretrievable errors At the outset Oh
RS career through his easy couplaisance 10 the
bureaus. At any rate, the new Secretary has
DELAYED his decision, and thereby in some sort
demonstrated his capacity 10 deal with the an
,agouisttc elements surrounding him
II may be that the best interests OF the ser
vice would be served by abolshing the 4nspec-
Tor Generals Bureau entirely. and consohda'Lns
II under the Adtutant Generals Department
That was one end sought by the Proctor amend
-nent recognizing the stan LepsI 'iiiei'-
throughout introduced in the Senate IN Ihe
is. 6avs q, the late session. This was no radi-
cal innovation. because for many years inc
work Of these two bureaus was directed ef-
fect,vely by a single chief, entitled adoutahl
and inspector general There are many strong
practical reasons favoring the proposed chehse'
FAULTS OF PRESENT SYSTEM
r,ecer-,v IN these dispatches many Of the OBJ
.e.-,o,arla features OF the overgrown, unvieIdy
ana ineffective staff system have been pointed
ont as we'll as the necessity for It's lnHeola'7
end radical reform throughout before anolher
great war crisis may find the country as IN
prepared FOR It as ala the Spanish roupie' IL
workings are fatal 10 the morale OF the ARMY
The evstern OF intrigue which has been eeheT-
ste4 and BY which it is governed ana III 'uiiI
pgverns the entire military hierarchy Is oe
noraIizinz and dangerous TO the "eHDe'"s u
rhe Government itself It should De broken Up'
.nh .bs -natbode OF reorganization proposed oy
Senator Proctor appear 10 be ABOUT 'i7
IN sight TO accomplish the result
The Army and the staff are no' ho''io7
AS now constituted they are indeed
II Is of the utmost importance tha' 'neS
"a h-o,,gb. into harmony. In principle 'he
,.o o,>osa6 nv Senator Proctor 10 accom-
Dish that Desirable end are correct ai'"ou
the result radical and complete as II "ou'1
&c ,e-bsns TOO long deferred by the eVioent
ain to protect the tenure and prerosatives o.
The bureau officers now IN commission II II.
plan were enacted into law II would IN 'he emu
make The American stan Department an IN
tegral part Of the military estabp-hment, "nloN
e. has not been for many years the vermont
Senator's experience as Secretary Of war gives
additional value TO his views on this SUBJECT
THE PLAN OF SENATOR PROCTOR
IN substance Senator Proctors plan pro''ueo
that hereafter when a vacancy occurs III III.
staff department line officer shall De ue''''ieD
70 FL the vacancy created in the lower graz
No. % naoor,s . nernnanent member OF the