Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1900-05-08
ARMY BILL DEFECTIVE.
The Measure Passed Does Not Provide
for Reduction as Intended.


The Measure Passed Does Not Provide
for Reduetien as Intended.
Washington. May 7.-Congress win
perhaps be surprised TO learn that the
army law Of 1899 docs not provide for
tho reduction Of the regular army TO is /
dimensions prior to 1898. rs Is now pop.
ularly supposed. Experts say that only I
the rank and ile will be reduced 10 25..
600 men. that there Is thimleriggine
phraseology in the law which retains all
the additional officers IN the service. In.
vestigAtion appears 10 confirm this asser.
tion. Before the Spanish war the rcgu.
lar army consisted Of only 2s.217 men all
told. namely. 5000 rank and file. 35l
military cadets and seven professors az
West Point; 2l6i general. staff and line
officers in the active service, besides EOS
enlisted men and G63 officers ON the re.
tired list.
As enlarged from time 10 time under
the various war legislation that follow.
ed, the United States army now consists
Of 60 900 rank and file, 3Sl cadets and
West Point professors, 25S6 generals,
staff and line officers on the active ser.
vice. with lli7 enlisted men and 7b3 Of.
fcors ON the retired list. Besides thcso
regulars, there are approximately $4,000
volunteers in the active service. These
figures show the following increase IN
the various grades Of the active service:
Enlisted men, 30 500: officers. 1888: pro.
fessors. /; cadets, 10. On the retired list
there has been an increase of 30 officers
and 40 enlisted men.
In the expiring hours Of the Fifty.fi3h
congress by the agency Of conference
committee. law was rushed through
and approved on March 2. 1899. con.
tanning clause which proves that on
and after July /, 1901, "all the general,
staff and line officers appointed 20 the
army under this act shall be- discharged
and the numbers restored in each grade
70 those existing at the passage Of this
act, and tho enlisted force Of the line Of
the army shall be reduced 70 the NUM-
Der as provided for by "A law prior April
1, 1888"
This army law Of 1893. known as the
Cockrell.Gorman hill Is muddle Of in
explicable oontractions. The positive
q Rotations Of the foregoing paragraph
apparently leave no escape from nearly
universal conclusion that on July 1901
Il the army is 10 go back 10 its original
e strength before the Spanish war unless
'. meanwhile there is supplementary legis
IL lation. That such Is the understanding
l. In congress has been made manifest by
Il all the members and senators II
,c the discussion Of the pending ARM
n legislation. This threatened event !,
m used constantly as an appeal for imme
le diate Legislation 10 put the army ON I
- permanent footing.
Il Nevertheless vague hint has some
Z . how got abroad recently that this law o
= March 2, 1920. does not provide for 70
ducing the officers u the regular arm,
on the date named or any other date. al
= though a superficial reading leaves tina
i impression and that was undoubtedl
IF what congress thought II was providin
d for when 1t passed the act. A carefr
ne investigation leaves little room for doub
IN that both ongress and the administers
10 ton err in any presumption that IN
Cochrell. German act puts the oiiicis
personnel Of the army back 10 It's oil
number for the Spanish war.
'i IL unquestiouably compels the rsdu,
ie ton Of the enlisted strength 10 the Of
I'd maxim unless the present congress d
" cides differently and also the muster on
ne OF volunteer, general. staff and line of
sr GERS and the volunteer soldiory. But Few
!. II any, " the additional regular officer
required for the Spanish and Philppin
=" will. can or are intended 10 BE- dii
III chRred under It's provisions