Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-30
ROOTS ARMY PLANS.
War Secretary's Outline Fo1 t Reorganization.
MAXIMUM STRENGTH, 96,766 MEN.
TS Replace the R cE uInrs and Volun. feers Whose Time Expires July 1, the President Is Authorized to
 IRcrease Size of Regiments.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O.-The house committee on military affairs makes pub lie letter received from Secretary Root under date of the 18th inst. transmitting q draft of q bill prepared by the war de pertinent for the reorganization of the army. The letter says that the army as at present organized under the present law will cease to exist on July 1, 1901, and thereafter will consist of a total on listed strength of 2a.o25 men. Without further. legislation, he says. the yolrin teers now in service must be discharged July l, 1901, and the regular army re- duced from 6o,000 to % 9025 men. Con tinuing. the letter says:
 Without leaving much if any margin for sickness, such as the campaigns of the past two years warn us must be counted as an important factor in any occupation by the army. peaceful or war like, of many of the islands which con stitutc the Philippine group, the strength thus fixed must prove utterly inadequate leaving out of consideration the service i'll the United States, in Porto Rico and for the time being in the island of Cuba
 ''1n the prepara ton of the present bill the minimum number of men is fixed foI each organization with a proviso that the president may in his discretion increase the number of enlisted men in any troop,
 
 total number of enlisted men authorized for the army by congress- shall not at any time be exceeded. By the adoption of this plan the absolute fixed strength of the regular army can be shown at glance, and any increase of number above the minimum will be limited Ey such authority as may be conveyed from time to time by the congress. The peace strength of each troop, battery and com pany is fixed in this bill as now author ized by existing law. The number Of reg imentS has been increased by five of cav airy, five of infantry, numbers which would correspond to five regiments of tillery, and two battaliC.ls of engineers. As the increase in the artillery is intend ed for the seacoast defenSeS, the only in crease of the regular army for field serv ice will be ten additional regiments of cavalry and infantry and the two battal- ions of engineers. Authority is asked in this bill to raise q provisional force of natives in the island of Porto Rico and also in the Philippine Islands. The or ganiZation of the native troops in the Philippine Islands will, under the pecul- jar conditions existing there. be proceed ed with slowly and with great care"
 The bill contains provisions for bet ter distribution of chaplains, for author iZing veterans of the war with Spain to wear on occasions of ceremony their uni forms, similar to the authority given by congress to veterans of the civil war; authority for the retirement, with an in creased grade. of veterans of the two wars, the civil war and the war with Spain; for the addition of a nurse corps, the necessity for which has been devel- oped during the past two years; for pre- liminary surveys for the eSta blishment of camps for the militia and regular army; a tO chiefs to vacancies occurring in the staff corps and departments from the army at large, and the introduction of the detail system to several of the staff corps and departments.
 To replace the volunteers and regulars who will be discharged prior to July 1 and give an army of sufficient size to meet the eXigencies now confronting it, or such as may hereafter occur. provision has been made so that the president may increase the 'numb Der of enlisted men with out the creation of new organizations. The bill provides for a minimum and maximum organization, as follows:
 ''Fifteen regiments cavalry, sos each, 12045 minimum. 1S.525 maximum: artil- lery corps, 30 field. 126 coast, 1S,92O min imum, 1S,920 maximum; 30 regiments in- fantry, SO3 each 24, ,4SO minimum, 55,OOO maximum: three battalions engineers and band, 1,234 minimum, 1.954 maximum; miscellaneous organizations, including guards for arsenals, West Point detach- ment noncommssioned staff officers, etc. 2,245 minimum, 2.245 maximum; grand total, 53,924 minimum, 96,I66 maximum.
 ''The Porto Rico regiment. when re- cruited to three battalions, will have q minimum strength of SIG and maxi mum of 1, 1886 enlisted men,