The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-05

! !
Made in the Present system
The Senate yesterday passed without di-
vision the Army Reorganization bill and
the Fortihcstions Appropriation bill. The
Reorganization bill changes the present
system OF permanent appointments in Ger
tain staff corps TO one OF detail by a grad
ual process. as the officers now in those
corps go out Of active service. officers ap-
pointed to these staff corps under the
present law are permanently separated
from the line. The bill makes the separa-
ton temporary, not exceeding four years,
but allowing a re-detail after going back
to duty with troops for two years.
This ensures that these staf depart
ments shall be in touch and harmony with
the fighting branches. 1t does not change
the status Of any OF the members OF the
present STATS or affect their duties or OPP
portunities for promotion. This feature
Of the bill does not increase or diminish
the total number of officers in the Army
or affect their rank. The new system be
gins in each corps only when vacancies
occur at the foot of the list and as all va
cancies are TO be filled by detail from the
line this ensures a certain amount of
| knowledge Of the practical workings Of
the Army on the part of all staff officers
coming into the departments affected.
The Artillery Service.
The new system is not applied to the
Corps Of Engineers, Medical Department
Pay Department, or Judge Advocate Cen
erals Department. 1t discontinues the
! regimental organization of the artillery
and establishes an artillery corps of two
| branches. viz. 1926 batteries of coast ar
tillery and Is batteries OF field artillery.
II effects a saving Of forty-two company
officers over what would be required for
the same number of officers under a regi-
mental organization.
The bill provides for Il, 44S men. distrib-
uted as follows; One hundred and twenty
| SIX batteries, of 1i3. IA, 23s men; sixteen
/ field, Of 1862, 2,592 men; two siege. of las,
| go men; ten bands, Of 2S $50 men; regi-
mental sergeant majors p men: battalion
! sergeant majors, p men. Total 17,44S
| men.
By the. provisions of the bill the major
| general commanding the Army is given
| the rank. pay. and allowances of lieuten-
/ ant general. and his private staff have the
| rank, pay, and allowances authorized for
| the staff of lieutenant general. Adjutant
/ General Corbin is made a major general,
with the pay and allowances Of that rank.
! Some opposition developed to the sec
| ton making General Miles a lieutenant
general, but that portion advancing Adju-
tant General Corbin was not amended in
any way. When the bill was called up by
Mr.. Proctor, Senator Tillman offered an
amendmeH to section Is. making it read:
That the senior major general command
ing the Army shall have the rank. pay. ana
allowances Of a Lieutenant general. and his
personal staff shall have the rank. pay. and
allowances authorized for the staff of a
lieutenant general"
This amendment had the effect Of strik-
ing out the provision making the section
apply only to General Miles. the present
commander Of the Army. Il was agreed to.
Mr.. Berry's Proposition.
Mr.. Berry then moved to strike out the
section as amended. as he saw no use for
the rank Of lieutenant general
Mr.. Bate took the same position and
spoke against the tendency to increase
the rank OF Army officers and to increase
the strength Of the Army.
Mr.. Sewell opposed the amendment and
eulogized General Miles as man dis
tinguished In every sense. General Miles.
he said had lost his great opportunity by
the closing Of the war The United States
had now an Army Of 100000 men. Such
an Army in Europe would have ten major
generals, two lieutenant generals, one gen
eral and one field marshal
Mr. Lodge sent to the clerks desk and
had read an extract from a report Of Gen
eral Hancock in 1853, highly compliment
tary TO General (then Colonel Miles.
Mr.. Teller opposed the motion. and said
that if there was any man in the public
service, who deserved such legislation it
was the major general now commanding
the Army.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Berry's mo-
ton to strike out section Is and il was de-
feated by the following vote:
Yeas-Bate, Berry. Butler, Clay, CuIberson,
Kenuey. Money. and Vests
Nays-Allison, Bacon, Baker, Bard, Burrows,
banks, Foraker Foster. FRYE. Galiinger Gear,
Hale, Haushrough. Harris, Hawiey, Hoar, Jones
Of Nevada. hean. Kyle, Lindsay Lodge, MrComas,
Mason. Nelson, Perkins, Pettigrew, Pettus Plat
Of Connecticut Proctor Quarles Rawlins Ross.
SeweN, Shoup, Simon, Stewart Teller, yelling
ton, and Nolcott-H
Senator Kenny then offered an amend
ment creating a veterinary corps as fol-
lows:
That the veterinary corps shall consist
OF a chief veterinarian with the rank pay
and allowances Of a colonel. United States
the rank, pay, and allowances Of major.
United States Army. to be promoted in
1905, after competitive satisfactory eXami-
nation from the grade of veterinarian and
captain: four veterinarians with the rank
pay. and allowances of a captain Of cavalry,
to be promoted in 1903. after competitive
satisfactory examination from the grade
OF assistant veterinarian and first lieu
tenant; ten assistant veterinarians with
the rank, pay and allowances Of q first
lieutenant of cavalry, to be promoted after
satisfactory examination from the grade
Of assistant veterinarian and second lieu
tenant after one years service in this
grade: twenty assistant veterinarians with
the rank, pay, and allowances Of a second
lieutenant OF cavalry to be appointed after
satisfactory examination:
Provided, that these twenty positions
shall include the veterinarians, first-cass
provided for in the act Of March ., 1899,
who have passed satisfactory examina
tions. and also the six veterinarians, sec
ond class who are now employed in the
Army under said act of March .. 1893.
"All rules and regulations governing the
veterinary corps shall be made by the
Secretary Of War, but the chief veterl-
marian shall report directly to that officer.
For pay of officers Of the veterinary
corps, $33,5O0.'
The Kenncy Amendment Adopted.
There was a long discussion on the
amendment pro and con. a letter from the
Secretary Of War adverse to the PROPOSE
ton was read by Mr.. Proctor, WHO
also onposed it. II was advocated by sew
eral Senators. including Senator Calm
ger. himself a physician, who claimed that
veterinary doctors were educated men and
hon. 10.