The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-01-27

NAOn A1uN Ab(y fASsA ~ Oh y 10
penses, More Officers and More
Men.
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-The House be-
gan on Tuesday the consideration OF the
Hull Army Reorganization bill. There
will be, including to-day, three days de-
voted to general debate. with evening
sessions for debate only Tomorrow
(Friday) the consideration of the bill will
begin under the veminute rule and
proceed until a final vote will be had,
probably on Saturday of this week, un-
less appropriation bills get in the way
and delay matters. There appears to be
no doubt but this measure will pass the
House, but there is little likelihood that
it will pass the Senate. Indeed there is
grave doubt that the Military Committee
of the Senate will report any measure
for army reorganization at this session,
the objection being that there is not suf-
ficient time left to this Congress properly
to consider a matter so important; and,
moreover, it is claimed that there is no
imperative necessity for action at this
time.
~
The Hull bill is also known as the War
wDepartment bill. having been prepared
there to meet the views of Secretary AL
ger and Adiutant- General Corbin. In
general terms this bill continues the
present system of army organization
with its permanent staff corps, a system
that has been in vogue always in our
army and which has broken down at the
beginning of every war of any magnitude
in which the country has ever been en-
gagged, including the late war with Spain.
Specifically, the bill provides that the
army shall consist of one lieutenant
general, six major generals, twelve brig
adler generals, twelve regiments of cav
airy, corps of artillery, thirty regiments
of infantry, an adJutant-generals de-
partment, an inspector-general's depart
ment, judge-advocate-g generals de-
partment, a quartermaster's department.,
a subsistence department, a medical de-
partment, pay department, corps of
engineers, an ordnance department, q sig
nal corps, forty chaplains, record and
pension office, the officers of the army on
the retired list, the professors, corps of
cadets, an army service detachment, and
band at the United States Military
Academy, and such other officers and en-
listed men as may be provided for by
the act. The bill fixes no maximum
strength for the whole army, but pro-
vision is made for about 100000 troops
< of all arms.
~
Besides the Hull or War Department
bill, there are two other distinctive meas
ures before Congress Miles bill, pre-
1ox1H nd i11t1
in both Houses, and the Mcclellan bill,
introduced in the House by Representa-
tive Mcclellan of New York, son of the
late George B. Mcclellan, who has given
much time and study to the problem of
army organization. The chief objection
to the Miles bill is the large number of
officers of high rank for which it pro-
yides. The bill, however, has one good
feature. 1t proposes that the subor-
dinate positions in the adjutant generals,
the quartermaster's, and the commits
sery's departments shall be filled by de-
tails from among the line officers, those
thus detailed to retain their lineal rank
in the arm to which they belong and to
return to their positions in the line after
certain terms of duty in these staff corps.
Though faulty, in that the heads of the
staff corps would be permanent fixtures,
this system would be an improvement
over that now existing and which the
Hull bill proposes to perpetuate
The principal feature of the Mcclellan
bill is its attempt to introduce in our
army the general staff, which has found
such favor in the army organizations of
the military nations of Continental Eu-
rope. 1t is not, however, perfect plan.
1t does not go far enough. 1t simply
consolidates the Adjutant Generals and
Inspector Generals Departments into
one corps and it makes the officers of the
proposed general staff, from chief down,
permanent. Besides, it fails to make the
chief of the general staff the commander
of the army under the President, as
should be the case. 1t is only in this
way the friction that has 80 often
marred the administration of our mill
tary affairs can be avoided. Friction be-
tween the commanding general of the
army and the Secretary of War has
frequently muddled matters. This was
the case when Scott, as commanding
general, made his headquarters in New
York city to get away from the secre-
tary, and again when Sherman made his
headquarters at st. Louis for the same
reason. So fearful was Sherman of
continuation of this unsatisfactory state
of affairs that when President Hayes was
considering General Devins of Massa-
chusetts for Secretary of War, Sherman
asked him to appoint to that position a
man who had not held high rank in the
volunteer service. So Hayes shifted his
slate and made Devins Attorney General
and McCrary of Iowa Secretary OF War.
All the bills for the reorganization OF the
army propose to increase it to about
100000 men.
Representative Mcclellan will submit
the essential features of his measure as
amendments to the Hull bill. He has