The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29

stalking horse for the promotion Of their
prejudlces. private spites or chambef ami
mosities Indeed, it is an eternal pity
that the subject Of Army legislation can
not be taken I'D and discussed in the Senate
and the House without partisanship. Sen
ator Jones Of Arkansas has a right to think
that an army OF an hundred thousand,
eighty thousand, sixty thousand, or forty
thousand men, as a permanent establish
meut would be dangerous TO the institu-
lions Of the country and the liberties Of
its people But neither he nor any other
member Of the Legislature possesses a
right to block all legislation on military
subjects
The matter Of our regular and reserve
Army organization in the future is one of
grave concern. The Times is not at this
time disposed to present arguments for or
against a large. a moderate. OF a small
establishment. There are certain consid-
erations. however. connected with our
military situation which ought not TO be
ignored. and a deliberate attempt to post
pone all action on Army matters to the
short session Of Congress next winter at
which they could hardly receive careful
and leisurely treatment would amount to
a plain violation OF propriety.
Within another year the immediate flu
ture of the Army must be settled. The
problems which confront Congress in pro-
yiding the means and methods for the re
forms which all honest soldiers and all
disinterested public men feel to be essen
tial to the good Of the service and the
country are not Of a kind to be left TO
NreIess and haphazard consideration at
the eleventh hour Il might be possible TO
delay defnitive action in regard to the
size OF the force in a general sense with
out great damage, but this cannot be said
OF the artillery for example. At great
cost we have been constructing an elab-
crate system OF coast defence. We have
spent millions in providing magnificent
guns and delicate machinery by which to
serve them. Both demand adequate and
skilled manning or they viii simply
become fit only for the scrap pile in a
very short time. Yet at present our
artillery arm is so deficient in numbers
that it provides but single relief for
the men who must be employed in the
work II war were 10 break out tomorrow
the United States would be in the ridicu-
lous position Of lacking artillerists enough .
TO man the batteries. Competent gunners, .
under modern conditions, cannot be made Z
out OF recruits in a day or year. Even I
though We were 10 adopt the policy Of I
cutting down or starving our cavalry and I
infantry, the artillery must be kept at an I.
effective standard or practically the coasts /
will be defenceless. and the national in /
yestment designed for their protection f.
will, to a great extent. be lost and have +.
been in vain.
II is unpleasant to hear that there are .
Democrats in Congress who onjec. TO IN
increase Of even six thousand in the artil- .
tery arm and who are ready to carry their .
opposition to the point Of holding up the /
Army Reorganization bill 90 the day Ct
adjournment in June, or whenever it may F.
happen As matter OF truth. the artillery .
ought to be increased by not less than
twelve thousand, including officer. rank .
and file. one Of these days We are likely 10 '
find ourselves in the presence OF an omer- .
gency. and II doddering provincl1li=n IS
to dictate our course toward the Amy
we shall be as unprepared as We were
when the Spanish war hove 30 sistE. it fs
passing strange that. with the lessons % .
1885 stin fresh in the memory, auI ire
spectacle OF British unpreparednass Tor
the South African struggle before or
eyes. there should be a solitary uan
in the National Legislature willing TO or
struct consideration OF our military stu
alton
What Viii the country think OF Demo-
cratic statesmen who, while denuuuCiug
the scandals OF Algerism and Ea gauisn in
The Army are absolutely unwilling TO aid
in securing the reforms which would
cure such vices Every decent Amari-
can who gives any attention TO public al
fairs knows that at the present time the
organization Of our Army is archaic. and.
az % its stan departments, ridiculous. We
have a General u-Chief who. in pail, 4
professional ability, experience. and all Tat
goes to make commander ranks al least
equally with any European general OF this
generation. Yet, under the political and
Nll llA 1f1tFAA M4lNA mas El1mu zap lA INC
service during many years. the General
Of the Army is but little more than fig
urehead. and his proper functions are
usurped by the Adjuiaut Generals ON e..
normally a clerical department, which
should be completely under the direction
Of the chief Of staff
Then We have a fosilized stah Office sys-
TEN which is the contempt Of foreign writ
ers and observers. It's personnel is the
result largely OF nepotism and favoritism
Il is on a permanent and immoyable basis
utterly at variance with all recognized
professional ideas and standards adopted
since the days OF Frederick the Great. OH .
GERS in other armies are transferred from
line to stan and from one branch Of the
service TO another. until by the time an
soldier reaches the age o. forty
or forty-fye he has been trained in every
arm: understands commisssry. transport.
ousrtermaster. and all other duties neces-
stiles. and organization requisite to the
successful maintenance Of an army in the
field, and is fully equipped to take com
mand OF a division or q corps Our stan
officers. on the other hand. as a rule are
3 LOT Of fat old desk men. They should not
be 80. The advice OF General Miles and
Secretary Root, that the stan be modern /