The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-11-30
DESIRED BY
DEPARTMENT
ROOT SUBMITS DRAFT OF
ARMY BILL.
NEEDS OF The SERVICE
Secretary Writes Letter Explain
ing Necessity of Greater
Regular Force.
NEEDS OF The SERVICE

Washington, Nov. 29-The house
committee Oh military affairs tonight
made public letter received from
Secretary Root under date of the 28th
inst, transmitting a draft of the bill
prepared by the war department. for a
reorganization Of the army.
The letter says that the army as at
present organized under the present
law will cease to exist Oh July l, 1901,
and thereafter will consist Of total
enlisted strength of 29,025 men.
Without further legislation, he says,
the volunteers now in service must be
discharged July l, 1901, and the regu-
lar army reduced from IS, 900 to 80, O25
men. "
Continuing the letter says: with
out leaving much, if any margin for
sickness, such as the conditions of the
past two years warn us must be
counted as an important factor in any
occupations by the army, peaceful or
warlike, of the many islands which
constitute the Philippine group, the
strength thus fixed must prove utterly
inadequate, leaving out of considera-
tion service in the United States, in
Porto Rico and for the time being, in
the island of Cuba.
In the preparation of the present
bill the minimum number Of men is
fixed for each organization with pro-
viso that the president may, in his
discretion, increase the number of en-
listed men i'll any troop, battery Or
company, provided, that the total
number of enlisted men authorized for
the army by congress shall not be at
any time exceeded. By the adoption
Of this plan the absolute fixed strength
of the regular army can be shown at a
glance and any increase in the num-
bers above the minimum will be lin
tied by such authority as may be con-
veyed from time to time by congress.
The peace strength of each troop, bat
terry and company is fixed in this bill
as now authorized by the existing law.
The number Of regiments has been in
creased by five Of cavalry, five Of in
fantry, numbers which would CORES
pond to five regiments Of artillery and
two battalions of engineers.
GAS the artillery is intended for sea
coast defence, the only increase in the
regular army for field service will be
the additional regiments of cavalry
and infantry and two battalions Of en-
gineers. Authority is asked in this
bill to raise provisional troops of ma
tives in the island of Porto Rico and
also in the Philippine islands. The
organization of native troops in the
Philippines under the peculiar condi-
tions existing there, will be proceeded
with slowly and with great care.
"To replace the volunteers and reg
ulars who will be discharged prior to
July l, and give an army Of sufficient
size to meet the exigencies now con-
fronting it, or such as may hereafter
occur, provision has been made so
that the president may increase the
number of enlisted men without the
creation of new organization as fol-
lows:
MN. Max.
15 regiments cavalry,
8O3 each. -. 49,. .12,O45 18, 525
Artillery corps, 80 field,
1876 coast. .1s, $40 1890
80 regiments infantry,
8os each. a. 4so $1,000
3 battalions engineers
and band 1924 1854
Miscellaneous organiza-
tions including guards
for arsenals, West
Point detachment,
nome m m S oned
staff, officers, etc. -. 2,245 2,245
Total ............ 1924 96, 766
1.-THE necessity for returning home