The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-17
ArEax Reorwanizntian.

When Two such great aetnoritirs as
General Miles and Secretary Root agree
that a large army is necessary. and their
view is supported by the opinion of
Messrs. Rockefeller, Havemeyer, Carne-
gle, Morgan. StiIlman, and Duke, it IS
quite unnecessary to remark that Con-
gress and the President will do the rest
It is now understood that both the Gen
eral and the War Minister viii. in their
annual reports, strongly urge an increase
of the Army. Niles is modest. He thinks
as there are seventy-six million people
in the United States, that shows that
there ought 20 be se7enty-six thousand
troops, offs for each thousand of the pcp
uIation The logic OF this proposition a.
trile obscure. but perhaps it is all right.
II is true that there are seventy-six mil
lion inhabitants in this country. 1t IS
equally fact that there are three hun
dred and sIxty-five days in the year Why.
therefore, should We not have an Army
OF three hundred and sfxty-1ve Thousand.
cne thousand for each and every. cozseeu-
tive day in the year AID a CommIssary
Ike Eagan for Leap Year?
wants one hundred and six thousand SOL
diers Probably he really wants r-ore,
but that figure will satisfy his military
greed as far as the winter session Of
Congress Is concerned Very shcTtly. tn
homeward movement Of volunteers from
the Philippines must begin, If all whose
term OF service viii expire July 1 next
arc to get back in time to be mustered
out under the law. According to General
Macarthur, Dr. Sohurman. and others IA
miliar with the Philippine situation, a
much larger number of troops viii lie
necessary to replace them; and these new
levies VIII need to be recruited and licked
into shape before being finally consigned
TO their doom
It Is evident that no time must be los
in providing Mr. Root with proper and am
pie food for the bullets and boJos Of our
amiable Tagal subjects The Philippine
service is not as popular as it once was.
and there may be serious trouble in Sc
curing a body Of one hundred thousand
men, most of whom viii have TO undertake
it Perhaps the Secretary is wise in call
ing for large standing Army II IS to lie
doubted that he could raise another voIun-
teer force for duty in the swamps Of Luzon.
Aside from staH positions We do not i'm
agine that the sons of Cabinet of1eers.
Senator's. and Representatives wouli con-
slider the idea of commissions as partcu-
larry aIluring. Patronage. therefore, would
be more OF less wasted On the ether
hand a large Regular Army would be a
blessing in more ways than one. officers
with fathers. or a pull otherwise, could be
kept on the home establishment. and BE
certain OF rapid promotion because Of the
deadly climate in the Philippines added To
the accidents Of war.
There is a commercial as we'll as pro-
fessionaI side 10 the question. With an
army only provisional in character it is
difficult for the Meat Trust, the Blanket
Trust, the Khaki Trust, and the Biscuit
Trust o adjust their product and mill
tary. relations Jo conditions OF a prec&ri-
ous nature Were a force Of one hun
d1ed thousand men permanently certain
this evil would disappear EmbaImed
beef contractors could establish their
schedules of price and commission upon
an enduring basis, and they and their
benefciaries would know where they are.
We have nc doubt that this important
subject viii engage the early attention
OF our National Legislature, and that thu
Macedonian cry of the trusts for big
army will be hardened to in spirit of
/ boundless Iiberality.