New-York tribune., 1900-12-24
WHAT ARMY BILL MEANS.
MOTT PROVIDING FOR PERMANENT FORCE
OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN.
VIEWS OF SECRETARY ROOT IN REGARD TO
STAFF AND LINE OFFICERS.
EBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l

TBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE.l
washington Dec 23-When Congress re-
sumes the consideration of Army legislation,
after the holidays several matters that nave
been obscured in the haste with which IL was
attempted TO perfect law for permanent in
crease of the force in the last three weeks wan
be made clear, and perhaps the selfish greed or
several staff corps. which have proposed to con-
tinue their domination OF the service. VIII De
defeated First OF these and most important
will be a definite understanding or the exact
strength of the standing Regular Army which
the President and his advisers have determined
on as essential for the needs OF larger coun-
try, with augmented responsibilities for pre-
serving the peace wherever American sovereign
ty extends.
The elastic feature Of the proposed Army, or
ganized on modern military lines, has led to con-
fusion in the minds of legislators and officers
fixing the erroneous impression upon the public
mind that a permanent Army of one hundred
thousand men is contemplated or fourfold in
crease over the existing military establishment
more mischievous idea could scarcely be
imagined Its effect has been to magnify unduly
the proposition into radical departure from
the National policy hitherto pursued and to at
tract a number of interests which expect to
reap substantial profit by the exertion of log
rolling influences
Secretary Root has at last laid great emphasis
before the Senate committee upon the fact that
the President proposes a permanent Army or
ganization for only sixty thousand men, officered
in proper ratio for that number alone This con-
templates less than double the existing strength,
with less than double the present number of
officers. The authorized permanent Regular
Army to-day aggregates 1892, and its officers
number 2, 800, of whom 2.002 are in the line, and
these figures would continue after June 80 next
were no further legislation accomplished The
Root Army bill called for permanent force of
SO 1O4 men and 1922 officers. of whom 2SSS are
to be in the line.
NO MORE OFFICERS IN EMERGENCY.
The clauses for expanding the enlisted strength
in case Of National exigency to maximum Of
one hundred thousand enlisted men was never
intended to provoke a cause for any increase in
the number of officers in any branch of the ser
vice but on the contrary, the staff and line
commissions were TO remain absolutely fixed at
1922. whatever the strength OF regiments might
be between the minimum and maximum limits.
This plan had been proposed TO Congress a year
ago, and for a whole year it had been before
the Army and the public for criticism In course
of the last summer it had been formally placed
by the Secretary of War before the officers OF
the line and staff throughout the service and
their views invited in writing for presentation
to Congress.
In this connection the War Department in
formed all officers that lobbying before Congress
would not be permitted and that the regulations
on that subject would be enforced. the object
being to secure a bill that would have the sup
port of the entire Army Line and staff officers
generally responded to the invitation, and the
bill as finally drawn for submission to Congress
conformed to a vast majority of the views ex-
pressed.
1t is to be noted that the lire, the bone and
sinew of the service. has kept its faith with the
Secretary, and has not attempted to tamper with
the legislation directly or indirectly. But the
House had no sooner begun consideration Of the
bill than 1t was found that the staff, from its
stronghold in Washington, was exerting ell its
powerful influence to insure its continuance in
absolute control. Its trained members Of the
third house" industriousy and effectively Gre
ated the false impression that the bill was for
an army of one hundred thousand, and that its
staff increases for such a force were preposter-
ously insufficient The supply departments,
whose influences more varied and potent
than others, were especially clamorous, and
when the bill passed the House with all the line
provisions unchanged. but the staff amended to
fit greater army than was ever contemplated,
Secretary Root, by the Presidents direction, de-
termined to enforce the regulations
CIRCULAR SENT TO GENERALS.
Within three days after the House passed the
Ill and sent it to the Senate the following circu-
lar was sent to the generals who are under the
immediate jurisdiction Of Secretary Root;
War Department, ONCE of the Secretary,
Washington, December 10 lSOO.
Circular. The attention of chiefs OF Statr
Corps and departments is called to Paragraph
1862 Army Regulations. which will be strictly
complied with. ,,
All recommendations concerning legislation
will be considered as coming under the pro-
visions of the paragraph.
ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of War.
The paragraph referred to forbids subordi-
mates from indiscriminate communications on
official subjects and compes all officers to ad-
dress other departments of the Government
through the channels Of the War Department.
The order had its effect, for the Senate Commit
tee was enabled to consider the bill without i'm
portunities from interested officers, who were al
ready upon record officially. The salutary effect
of this hands off" policy is shown to some ex-
tent in the following table, showing the generals
and staff officers in the Root bill as recon-
mended the same in the House bill as PASSED