River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-12-06
PLANS FOR THE ARMY.
New Laws Proposed by Secretary Of
War Root for Its Reor-
gnnizatiOn

Washington. Dec. L-Secretary Roots
army bill provides for lieutenant general
six major generals and Is brigadier gem
erals. The number of captains. FIRST lieu
tenants and second lieutenants, of the cav
airy and infantry. are increased from u
10 10 for each regiment. Three of the cap
tains shall be available for detail as ad-
jutanI, quarterinaster and commissary.
three first lieutenants for squadron and
battalion adjutants. and three second Heu-
tenants for squadron quartermasters and
commissary.
Provision for the discontlnuance Of the
artillery arm as at present organized is
made by organizing an artillery corps
known coast artillery and field artillery
Officers of artillery are TO be placed on one
list for promotion according to seniority
The corps will have chief of artillery de-
tailed from the colonels and while serving
In this capacity Will have the rank and pay
of a brigaaier general. There will be in
addition 10 colonels; IS lieutenant colonels
SO majors 1S2 captains, 1888 first heutenants
and 1872 second lieutenants. The captains
and lieutenants when not required for duty
with batteries viii be available as stan
officers during garrison. I'd CHI battery OF
coast and field artillery shah be organized
as at present. The increases in the artillery
shall be % per cent each year for five years
until the maximum of 1920 men is reached.
The adjutant general will have the rank
of major general and his corps is increased
one lieutenant colonel and ten ma jors. The
inspector generals department is increased
one lieutenant colonel and six ma iors The
judge advocates department is increased
one colonel and three majors. The quar-
terInaster's department is increased two
colonies, one lieutenant colonel four ma
tors and "a captains To fill the grade Of
captains volunteers not over 36 years old
may be appointed. The subsistence depart
ment is increased one colonel one lieuten-
ant colonel. one major and 10 captains. The
medical department is increased two colo
nels, two lieutenant colonies. ten majors,
III captains and first lieutenants. The pay
department is increased one colonel, one
lieutenant colonel, and the number OF ma
jors is fixed at nine instead of 20 as AZ pres
ent, with q captains The majors in the
pay department at present will hold that
rank, but no promotions are to be made
until the number of ma jors is reduced be-
low nine. To fill the vacancies of captains
men serving additional paymasters not
over 30 years may be selected. The en-
gineer corps is increased five captains, IA
first iieutenants and q second lieutenants.
Promotions are to be made by seniority
and vacancies are to be filled from the reg
ular army. The ordnance bureau is in
creased one lieutenant colonel and seven
| first lieutenants. The signal corps is In
creased Two majors, four captains, niue
| first lieutenants and during the present
emergency the president is authorized to
continue for duty in the Philippines ten
| first neutenants and ten second lieutenants
| as volunteer signal officers.
All the promotions in the staff created
under the act are to be made from the
present staff corps and when vacancies
| occur by retirement or otherwise the pro-
motions shall be made by seniority. Va
| cancies that cannot be filled by such promo
| lions are to be filled by detail from the line
of the army. the details lasting four years,
after which the officer shall not be avail
able for staff duty until he has served two
years in the line. The provision for filling
vacancies al the head Of various staff corps
is as follows:
THAT upon the occurrence Of vacancy
| in the office of adjutant general inspector
| general, judge advocate general quarter
master general. commissary general, pay
master general. chief of ordnance or chief
| signal officer the president may appoint
| the chief of any of said departments or
corps from the officers of the army at large
not below the grade of lieutenant colonel.
| Provided, that chiefs of staff corps or de-
partments shall be appointed for terms 10
continue four years, unless sooner termin-
ated by the president. and while so serv-
| ing shall have the rank, pay and allow
ances now authorized for chiefs of said
| corps or departments. And provided, that
when any officer serving a detail as chief
of a staff corps or department is retired
authorized for the chief of such staff. corps
or department.
It is provided also that officers below the
grade of lieutenant colonel in any e the
| above named departments shall serve one
wear in the line but shall not lose their
| places in the staff corps.
The above quoted provision is one of the
| most important and radical of the changes
proposed by the bill 1t amounts in effect,
| to the abolition of the staff corps as per
| manent institution in which officers now
| serve throughout their military career.
| The proposition that line officers should be
| appointed to do staff duty for a definite
period and at the conclusion of that term
| return again to the line, has been siren
uously advocated by many of the best mil
| tary authorities in this country for years
| 1t is a pet idea of Former Secre tary of Wa1
| Proctor now one of the members of the
senate committee on military affairs. Ac.
cording to the provision, as it now stands,
| the full effect of it will not be worked out
/ for several years, as IT is not proposed 10
make the provision, If 1t should be enacted
| into law applicable to present members
| of the staff corps above the rank of lieu
tenant colonel,
The provision for the filling of vacancies
| that may occur by reason of the increase
| of officers under the proposed act is as fol-
! lows:
''That vacancies in the grade of field Off
GERS and captain. created by this act, In
the cavalry artillery and infantry shall
| be filled by promotion according to senior
| ity in each branch respectively
| Provision Is made for the retirement OF
| any officer who has been suspended from
duty This would apply to Gen. Eagan
| commissary general
The president is authorized to enlist and
organize natives of the Philippine islands
| in organiza lions similar to the cavalry and
infantry to the number of 1900. the OFF,
GERS for such organization to be selected
| from the regular army. The highest Off
| GERS in command of the natives shall be
| maj ors. When natives by their service and
| character show fitness for command The
president is authorized to make provisional
| appointments in the grade of second and
| first leutenants. A regiment of Porto
| Ricans also is authorized.