The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-28
Asks n Favorable Report ON the Bill
Drafted by Him to Increase En-
cheney of the Army.
HE EXPLAINS THE MEASURE
AND POINTS OUT THE NECESSITY OF
PROPOSED REFORMS.
Action of the Committee on Minor
BiIIs-watson's New Gunboats-
Bynum to BE Confirmed.


committee on military affairs to-day
acted favorably on the bill giving one
| chaplain for each regiment and giving the
adjutant general OF the army the rank OF
major general Favorable action was also
| taken on the bills providing dentists for
| the army and establishing a military hos
pital at Hot Springs, s. d.
| The provision giving the adjutant gen.
eral of the army the rank Of major general
developed some opposition. and Mr. March.
| of Illinois, moved to strike it out, but the
motion did not prevail. Section ?. which
is intended to apply to General Shafter.
again brought out a motion by Mr.. Jet,
| Of illinois, to strike out. which also failed.
| The bill as a whole was then agreed TO by
a divided vote. The first section abolishes
post chaplains and authorizes the President
to appoint one chaplain for each regiment.
regular and volunteer. The other sections
are as follows:
THAT the President is hereby authorized
to select from the retired list of the army
| an officer, not above the rank OF brigadler
general, who may have distinguished HIM
| self during the war with Spain in command
| of separate army, and to appoint, by and
with the advice and consent OF the Senate,
| the officer so selected TO be major general
United States army, with the pay and
| allowances established by law for off,
| GERS of that grade on the retired list
THAT on and after the passage of this
act the adjutant general Of the United
| States army shall have the rank, pay ana
| allowances of a major general"
| Secretary Root to-day appeared before
the committee and made a strong appeal
to the committee to report favorably the
bill drafted by him to increase the efficien-
| cy of the army. The secretary said in
part: THE bill is limited to three SUBJ
jects-promotion in the line. tenure of stan
appointments and the relations between
the staff and line. and reorganization OF
the artillery. 1t is carefully framed 10
| avoid raising the question of the size Of
| the army, which IL is understood Congress
is not now ready to discuss. and its pro-
visions are made applicable to any army
of whatever size Congress may determine
| upon. The provision as to line promotion
| is that every third promotion to the office
of major. lieutenant colonel and colonel
shall be by selection, leaving the other
| two-thirds 10 be as at present, by seniority.
This is designed TO afford some slight OPP
| portunity for recognition of exceptional
ability and gallantry.
1.-THE sections relating to staff organiza-
| lions provide for the abolition OF the pres
ent system OF permanent staff appoint
| ments and for the substitution of details
| from line to staff for period OF four years
unless sooner terminated by the President.
| with the requirement that upon The ex-
piration of a detail the officer shall serve
| at least one year in the line before he Ia
| eligible for another detail. The adyan-
tages of these provisions. believe. will be
manifold. i think the change will break
up and prevent the tendency to bureau
cratic government, of which there is al
ways danger, and Will increase the EN-
cheney both Of the line and the stan by
breaking down the division between them,
by giving to each a more intimate and
personal knowledge and appreciation OF the
difficulties and the needs of the other, and
by creating larger body of all round men
trained in every branch Of the service and
competent for any command instead OF
men who have been trained I'm one branch
only.
The provision which permits the Presi-
| dent to terminate detail to the stan 10
one of the highest Importance. Nothing
could be more impractical than the present
The President as commander-in-chief u re-
sponsible for the efficiency of the army. In
time of war he is expected by the army
to produce results by its use. He can de-
termine who shall command the armies
and can change generals In command as
often as he chooses, but he Is absolutely
powerless as TO the heads OF those great
departments which organize. and assemble,
| and feed, and clothe, and transport, and
| arm, and equip, and care for the army.
Victory or defeat is organized in the stan
/ departments before a shot is fired. Ineffi-
cheney in them means necessary disaster
| at the beginning and the expenditure OF
countless treasure and the sacrifice OF
countless lives. Yet no matter how plainly
inadequate to the task the head of ons
| of these departments may be. the President
is powerless TO make change unless the
| officer commits some distinct and heinous
| offense upon which he can be court
martialed and dismissed from the service. /"
The secretary explained the provisions OF
the bill I'm detail, dwelling especially ON
those relating to the artillery. An increase
| of $500 men, almost all in the coast ar
tillery, had been provided for but the In
crease would be spread over five years.
and in order to avoid any question as to
the size of our army at this time the 1900
increase year would be made UP by re-
cruiting that many fewer I'm other arms
OF the service. The regimental organiza-
ton was abandoned to the artillery and
| the battery or company adopted as the unit
Of organization. substantially all military
: | authorities being agreed that there was
only a multiplication OF red tape and no
,, sense In trying 10 administer the artillery
! arm on a regimental basis when only one
| battery as a rule was in one locality. A
| chief of artillery was provided In order
that this, like other important branches.
should have responsible head. Members
|, OF the committee asked many questions
and showed great interest I'm the secre-
| tary's statement.
The 1urtner increase Dy the acquisition
of three more Spanish gunboats by Ad-
I miral watson's naval force in the Philip
! pines, as reported by the admiral yester-
, day. will, IL is believed, make IL possible
for the Navy Department at an early day
to recall some of the larger vessels now In
: the Philippines. Admiral Watson's acqui-
= sitions are larger vessels than the mos
quito feet bought upon the Spanish evacu-
: | alton OF the island. The General Aalva Is
: a vessel OF 327 tons. and. being fitted for the
! transportation Of troops, will be valuable
| in changing the garrison among the va
| rious islands. The Quiros and the Willaio-
: | hos gunboats of 3f7 tons displacement
: | large enough 10 make the round trip be-
. tween Hong-Kong and Manila. There Il
| no longer any need for armored vessels In
/, the Philippines, for these little gunb0ats
are really more effective for the suppress
| sion of Illicit communication between the
islands. The oregon and the monitors
| Monterey and Monadnock. being without
| any protective sheathing. rapidly foul and
deteriorate i'm warm waters, and as the
| personnel Is very much needed 10 mar
| some OF the new ships which may be COM
!, | missioned il is probable they will soon ID
: ordered home.
: Beyond making the statement already
: published that the steamship Sabine had
, been released by the British authorities al
y Port Elizabeth and had gone on her way
4 Ambassador choate has made no report q
the State Department as 20 the ontcom'
s OF his representations 10 the Foreign One