New-York tribune., 1900-12-03
BILLS COMPARED.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE So
CALLED ROOT MEASURE AND
THE ONE PROPOSED BY
GENERAL MILES.
GENERAL MILES.
tnr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrruSE-l

/ Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRihbNbi
Washington. Dec 2-The analysis Of the Rco
Army Reorganization Bill. il has been popu
larlv named. printed in The Tribune Satur'
| day shows a more conservative increase IN tht
number of officers than had hitherto been urged
by military men. and presents a strong argu'
nent for its adoption by Congress without ma
terial modification in that respect. There is al
ready exhibited disposition on the part oil
| Senators and Representatives to pass fsvoraoly
| upon the measure al the short session OF Con-
! gress the Democrats preferring TO extend the
existing law OF 1899 for another period OF two
years while a Republican element not to be
lightly neglected favors the postponement OF
permanent reorganization until the Congress re-
Gently elected can give the matter deliberate
consideration
There are also widely divergent opinions in
the line and staff OF the Army on the plans Tor
an army 10 meet the new conditions. as shown
by the striking dissimilarity between Secretary
Roots bill. which prepared largely by the
Adjutant-General. and the measure being urged
by Northumberland Miles, commanding the
Army. Inferentially the Miles bill has the APP
proval Of the President and Secretary Of War,
but it undoubtedly has large proportion OF the
line Of the Army at its back. well as an in
auential staff support. especially in those de-
partments which are conspicuously favored
The Miles bill was placed before the Senate and
House Military committees in advance Of the
Root bill and viii be found 10 have strong ad-
herents among those who believe in a standing
Army OF al least eighty thousand men, or one
enlisted man TO one thousand of the country's
population. rather than a skeletonized one OF
sixty thousand, which, maintained in its min
imum strength. would be very much overof-
icered.
The two divisions OF the Army represented by
the Lieutenant-GeneraI commanding and the
Adjutant-GenersI respectively. I'm the Miles and
Root bills are diseoneerting to those who would
like to secure permanent legislation before the
Christmas holidays and unless they are har-
nnonized in some inconceivable manner the best
that can be accomplished in the short time
naming before the volunteers in the Philippines
must be started for home is a temporary meas
ure the lines Of that now in operation.
The discordanee is exhibited in every particu-
lar throughout the proposed bills. General
Miles asks for fourteen regiments of cavalry.
fourteen Of heavy artillery four Of light artillery
and thirty-tvo OF infantry. Secretary Root calls
for fifteen regiments of cavalry. an artillery
corps OF thirty field and 126 coast batter
les and thirty infantry regiments. The radi-
cal differences and the extent 10 which personal
into the two propositions are clearly shown by
the accompanying analytical table, showing the
number Of officers in the various grades under
existing law. as shown by the latest official
Army register, the number proposed by the Root
bill and the number urged by General Miles:
GENERAL OFFICERS