The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-01

/ some details. for while the general pur-
( pose seems to be in the right direction.
under the provisions of the measure, it
must be admitted that great deal
I Of margin is left for the operation OF that
! political favoritism which was the curse
and scandal Of the service during the
( Spanish war Where the bill is particular
ly faulty is in that It does not at once
/ strike at the root Of the evil in our mill
! tary organization. which is its lack Of ad-
/ justment to modern conditions and stand
ards as recognized by the general STATS
and professional writer's Of the great mill
tary nations of the world.
If we are to have Army reform we
should begin at the beginning. We should
abandon our small grand unit. which was
well enough in the time of Steuben. when
IL was adopted, and civilize our tactical
battle formation. We should have larger
regiments make the brigade provisional,
reduce the number of headquarters through
which an order must come finally to a
given part Of the firing line from the gen
eral in chief command in the field, and do
away with the fixed grade Of brigadier
just as other first-class powers have, and
as we have the corresponding rank Of COM
modore in our Navy. We should have a
full general commanding in chief who
should be also general chief of staff as
Moltke was. To him all the staff depart
ments and their heads should be directly
and absolutely subordinate. There should
be lieutenant generals, 10 command corps
darmee, and major generals to command
divisions and briFades when the total
force engaged in a campaign Is too small
to separate into full divisions. Under this
system the senior colonel OF detachment
OF two or more regiments. IN the absence
Of a general officer. would become briga-
der Professionally
We may say that the great fault Of Sec
Rotary Roots bill is that instead Of pro-
noting modern stan organization by
starting with the chief OF staff. it stn
further places the great departments Of
the Army under the political and personal
civilian control Of the White House ard
the Secretary Of War. all of which is
against good military policy and the best
interests Of the service. In some other
respects We are in accord with the pro-
visions Of the measure. It is well that
there should be some chance for promotion
other than by seniority. and there can be
no question that IL is Chinese barbarism
TO maintain a permanent STAFF corps. the
members OF which are innocent OF mill
tary experience. save that acquired as
oommissaries. quartermasters. adjutants, /
or inspectors.
Perhaps we should not be so ready to
question the bona hdes Of the measure,
considered as a whole if there were not
an innocent little scheme attached to #
in fact. in the shape of a separate bill
which the House Committee on Military
Affairs, We are sorry to see, has agreed 4
to report favorably, Ostensibly it relates 4
to army chaplains. Actually it is a bill /
10 make the Adjutsnt General Of the Army /
a major general, and to retire BTigader /
General Shafter with like rank. For the (
credit OF the country and the service it I
would have been better If Secretary Root .
had refused his sanction TO this scheme. /
II he does not know what it will lead TO
open discussion. somebody ought TO tell .
him, and tell the President The latter I
II least should realize the polite reserve .
which the press of the country has OBJ
served toward him and toward certain of
ais suOordinates, out Of consideration for
him, during the past two years. His Ad-
is already saddled with the
20 -,
lection with Algerism, Esganism, Samp-
sonism, Otisism, and so on. to admonish
It against inviting a new Army scandal
quite as bad as any that have been I'M
sarthed before,-if not positively worse.
And this. it would be well for Mr.. Nc
Kinley to remember. is a Presidential year.
But. leaving the personal equation as
much as possible out Of the matter, new
lonors to Shsfter. the officer who, IN his
five miles away from the firing
inc. thought OF an American retreat TO
,e effected on July T. 1895. do not con-
titute q popular proposition. Neither will
anybody outside Of the political circle
Interested. Justify the elevation OF the
,diuant General 10 a rank above that
,eld by other chiefs Of staff departments
he Adiutsnt General normally considered,
3 the adiutant OF the General Command
uE the Army. From military point of
lev neither his once nor his personality
p more Important than the Offices and
.ersonalities Of the Inspector General, the
'ommissary General, the Quartermaster
General or the Surgeon General His de-
iyatiys authority a. one speaking by
.ommand o. the proper chief Of STAFF. is
hyperion 20 that OF the others: but so is |
be authority OF a major and adjutant
General properly speaking 10 the name Of
he division commander, superior to that
q a brigade general IN the command In |
ther words the plan half way concealed
n this movement to increase the power
( the Adjutant General al the expense Of
hat OF his staff colleagues, is to work
he Adiutant General abnormslly and OBJ
oxiously into the position Of general chief
( STAFF. We are entirely confident that
he country would not stand such thing.
ven assuming the present incumbent of
he Office to be the most popular and I'M
ssailable person in the employment Of /
he Republican party.
Popular Taste in Music II
Atlanta, Ga, is In a state of considerable 1
erfurbatfOn over the recent visit NJ | [