Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-12-05
PLANS FOR The ARMY :.
New Laws Proposed by Secretary OF
War Root for Its ReOr-
E8DiZatiOn.

Washington, Dec. 1.-Secretary Roots
army bill provides for a lieutenant general,
six major generals and Is brigadier gen.
erals. The number of captains, first lieu
tenants and second lieutenants, of the cav
airy and infantry, are increased from II
to Is for each regiment. Three Of the cap
ta1nS shall be available for detaif as ad-
Jutant, quartermaster and commissary;
three first lieutenants for squadron and
battalion adjutants, and three second lieu
tenants for squadron Quartermasters and
cornmissary.
Provision for the discontinuance of the
artillery arm as at present orgsniZed is
made by organizing an artillery corps
known as coast artillery and field artillery.
OfhcerS 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 colonies, and while serving
In this capacity will have the rank and pay
OF brigadier general. There will be in
addition Is colonies; Is lieutenant colonies,
~ majors, 1872 captains 1913 first lieutenants
and 1872 second lieutenants. The captains
and lieutenants when not required for duty
with batteries will be available as staff
officers during garrison. Each battery of
coast and field artillery shall be organized
as at present. The increases in the artillery
snail be ~ per cent. each year for five years
until the maximum of 10. 920 men is reached.
The adjutant general will have the rank
OF major general and his corps is increased
one lieutenant colonel and ten majors The
inspector generals department is increased
one lieutenant colonel and six majors. The
Judge advocates department is increased
one colonel and three majors. The quar-
termaster's department is increased two
colonies. one lieutenant colonel. four ma
1ors and "a captains. To fill the grade of
captains volunteers not over Sc years old
may be appointed. The subsistence depart
G nYon
ant colonel, one major and IS 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 a 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 majors is reduced be-
low nine. To fill the vacancies Of captains
men serving as additional paymasters not
over DO years may be selected. The en-"
gineer corps is increased five captains, IA
first lieutenants 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, nine
first lieutenanls and during the present
emergency the president is authorized to
continue for duty in the Philippines ten
first lieutenants and ten second ieutenants
Is 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
tons 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 a 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
corps from the officers of the army a large
not below the grade Of lieutenant colonel.
Provided, that chiefs of staff corps or de-
partments shall be appointed for terms to
continue four years, unless sooner termin-
ated by the president, and while so serv-
ing shall nave the rank, pay and allow
ance now authorized for chiefs of said
corps or departments. And provided, that
when any officer serving a detail as chief
of a staff, corps department is retired,
IL
authorized for the chief of such staff, corps
or department"
1t is provided also that officers below the
grade of lieutenant colonel in any of the
above named departments shall serve one
year 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 a 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 definite
period and, al the conclusion of that term,
return again to the line, has been siren
uously advocated by many of the best mil
ltary authorities in this country for years.
1t is pet idea Of Former Secretary of War
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 to
make the provision, if it should be enacted
into law, applicable to present members
of the staff corps above the rank of lieu
tenant colonel
The provision for the filing 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 organizations similar to the cavalry and
infantry to the number of $4,000, the Off
GERS for such organization to be selected
from the regular army. The highest Off
GERS in command of the natives shall be
majors. 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 ieutenants. A regiment Of Porto
RicanS also is authorized.
Monument to Hobart.
New York, Dec. 1.-The design for
the monument Of the late Vice Presi-
dent G. A. Hobart has been decided