New-York tribune., 1900-05-28
NO HOPE FOR ARMY BILL.
INTRIGUES OF BUREAUCRATS TO DE
FEAT NEEDED MEASURE.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
Washington May 27-The prospect for the
needed and long expected Army legislation is
most gloomy. Long before the passage OF the
Senate bill experts predicted that there would
be none and, what was queerer still. that the
military authorities did neither expect nor want
any change in the law. There was so little op-
position to the Proctor bill in the Senate and
a manifestation of much general satisfaction
upon its passage that friends of Army reform
felt encouraged to believe something substantial
would be obtained, but the notice Speaker Hen
derson filed with the Administration the other
day that no Army legislation could be got
through the House appears to settle the ques-
ton adversely.
The Speakers attitude is in itself the most
extraordinary feature of this whole business.
1t is surmised that he deems ii inexpedient TO
adopt any Army bill this session, but just why
1t is most difficult to determine There certainly
can be no politics in it; the result in the Senate
seems to make that clear. Curiously enough.
too, the proposed increase of over 5000 men in
the artillery arm has aroused little opposition
in the nosiest "anti-militarisIn" quarters.
The President favors Army legislation and. of
course. the zeal of the Secretary of War in be-
half of the passage of the Staff measure has
been demonstrated by his repeated visits to the
Capitol in it's behalf. In view of this how comes
it that the Speaker stands before the Com
mander-in-ChieS of the Army and Navy as
Republican authority on what is expedent or
inexpedient IN the way of military legislation
Is there indeed somebody playing double?
RUMOR OF A CRAFTY SCHEME
Friends of the real Army are gravely con-
cerned by a whisper that the Proctor bill passed
the Senate accompanied by mental reserva-
ton that it should not be permitted to get
nt.cyIt he In fhary lords fC am
porary sop. 1t is said that Senator Proctor,
who is greatly interested in staff reform
''humored'' with his favorite project which the
country evidently approves and wants and that
then those who secretly oppose any legislation
on the subject loaded the measure down with
good deal more of what the country does not
want and will not have The net result will be
failure doubtless exactly what the staff
chine desires and is intriguing TO bring about.
As by limitation the present enlisted strength
of the regular establishment will be reduced on
July l, 1901, to what it at the outbreak OF
the Spanish war. it is apparent that immediate
legislation is necessary to provide the country
with sufficient military force for its needs. and
at the time to modernize some of the
Army's more important adjuncts. The Tribune
drew attention to this necessity Immediately
after the adjournment OF the LVth Congress. AS
occasion offered, these dispatches have pointed
out in various forms the necessity for Military
Reorganization law and further statutory checks
upon fragrant staff abuses, and the reasons
therefor. There was no other object than to
secure a reorganization of the staff and the
increase of the enlisted strength of the Regular
Army commensurate with increased military re-
quirements. Perhaps some of the criticisms
seemed harsh. but invariably they were fully
justified by the facts
THE TRIBUNE POINTS OUT ABUSES.
There has been no attempt to overdraw the
picture, although the description Of the surrep-
tftious legislative methods by which bureaus
and life tenure staff officers Of high rank have
been multiplied until the War Department is
actually overlooking with superfuous brigader-
generals and colonels caused some surprise. The
addition Of thirteen brigadier- generals in one
year to the retired list by questionable method
Of ignoring the spirit Of the law was cited as
reason for reform, but these are mere incidents
and might occur matter what the law. The
chief reasons for radical change in the mill
tary staff system are entirely independent of
these abuses.
The Tribune has shown that the bureau chiefs
independent of each other and have no
military superiors; that the system lacks corre-
lation; that the bureaus not the servants,
but the masters Of the War Department, and
assistant have ceased to be free agents of the
Executive, but merely register the decisions of
the staff brigaders; that, hedged in they
by law and precedent, by buffers and go-be
tweens, it is impossible to fix responsibility
upon the head of bureau for blunder or dis
aster. These and other phases of the extraor-
dinary staff system frankly discussed.
MR.. ROOTS PLANS UNDERMINED.
Z frst nod U0rIId
of it. It appeared impossible that a freshly
elected House would neglect to meet the public
expectation in matter so important The new
Secretary of War promptly addressed to Con-
gress a formal recommendation for reorganza-
ton along the lines laid down by the Proctor
amendment offered in the preceding Congress.
A bill substantially meeting the Secretarys plan
formulated and favorably reported by the
Senate Military Committee. The Secretary was
so interested that he made it point TO go before
the committee twice in support Of the measure.
and has since been before the House Military
Committee urging the adoption Of the Senate
bill something like il. But while the
head of the War Department was thus insist
ing upon staff reform IL known that his
subordinates the staff chiefs, opposed to
his plan Of reform, and that they were intriguing
to defeat their superior.
1t Is perhaps unfortunate that this staff Re
form bIli includes the proposed revival Of the
grade Of lieutenant-general, and also the promo
tton of Adjutant-Gcneral Corbin TO the grade of
ma Or-general There is a we'll defined hostility
to these paragraphs. although there is appar-
emily very little personal objection to either
General Miles General Corbin whom every
body would be glad 10 see rewarded. Many
people doubt the eXpediency of comforting addi-
tional rank on the Commanding General who
really commands nothing The bill gives him
more pay without increasing his actual author
tty whit. Il ne is be made a lieutenant
general there should be additional LEGISLATION
defining his scope of authority; in other words
king him the actual commander. Increasing
his rank does not increase his authority. It is