New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-20
REORGANIZING THE ARMY.
FULL TEXT OF THE BILL PREPARED
BY SECRETARY ROOT
[Hr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuxE.I

lBY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUNEl
Washington. Feb 19.-The full text of the
Army Reorganization bill introduced in Con-
gress to-day is as follows:
Section THAT hereafter every third promo
ton to the grade of colonel lieutenant colonel
and major respectively in the line of the Army
shall be by selection from the next lower grade
in the arm. The selection in each case
| shall be made by the President, from list of
| three names to be prepared by board COM
posed OF officers of the same branch OF the ser
| vice. and senior to the grade from which the
promotion is to be made. Whenever a promo
| ton by selection to the grade of colonel is to
be made. the board may include general officers
and coionels. The members of said boards shall
be impartialy to select officers for pro-
motion according TO their service records, ali
OF which shall be accessible to the board.
Sec. > That when, in the opinion Of the
President, the interests Of the service would be
benefited thereby. he Is empowered by Executive
order to place the chief OF any staff corps or
department, who holds permanent appoint
ment the retired list, and, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, to name his
! successor, and the President may select the
chief of any staff corps department from the
Army large Provided, that chiefs of staff
corps or departments shall be appointed for
terms to continue four years, unless sooner ter
minated by the President.
APPOINTMENTS TO STAFF CORPS.
Sec 3 That hereafter when vacancy shall
occur in the Adjutant- Generals Department
or the Inspector Generals Department. it shall
be filled by detail from the Army at large line
or staff, and more permanent appointments
shall be made in either department.
Sec. T. That details to duty in the AdJutant-
Generals Department and Inspector-GeneraFs
Department shall be made from the grade next
below that in which the vacancies exist: Pro
vided that officers so detailed shall nave the
rank pay and emoluments of the next higher
grade: and provided that selections or otncers
for detail shall be made by boards composed
of three officers on duty in the department IN
which a vacancy exists, and senior to the grade
from which the detail is to be made. The mem
bers of said boards shall be sworn imparualiy
! ga Toll mo
service records, all OF which snail be accessloie
to the boards.
Sec. ). That all officers detailed for service
in the acknowledgements Department or IN
spector- Generals Department shall serve for
period of four years. at the expiration OF Whlch
officers detached from the staff shall return 10
their former branch or be detailed for duty
with the line. officers detached from the nne
NAV be returned to their own to different
branch Of the service. either line or staff, in the
discretion of the Secretary of War, with the
actual rank held by them in their respective
branches and shall not again be eligible for Sc
lection in either department until they shall
have served year under their new assign
ment: Provided that when an otilcer rs assigned s
to a different branch from that in which he was
actually commissioned, and is not again selected
at the expiration OF one year for tour or duty
in a staff corps or department. he shall re1oh
the branch of the service in which he was COM
missioned.
TRANSFERS FROM THE LINE.
Sec. 8. That hereafter. when vacancy shall
occur in the Quartermasters Department, the
ment or the Signal Corps. it shall be filed by
detail from the line of the Army. and no more
permanent appointments shall be made IN those
Sec. I. That officers for duty in the Quar-
termaster's Department, the Subsistence De
partment the Ordnance Department and the
Signal Corps shall be selected from the line in
similar manner to those detailed III the AuJu-
tant- Generals Department and the Inspector
GAnaraIs department and shall. after four
years tour OF duty, return 10 the branch OF the
Army from which detailed. and shall not again
be subject to detail until they shall nave COM
pleted tour of one year IN the line
/ Sec s. That so long there remain any
officers holding permanent appointments IN tne
Acknowledgements department the lHspec D
Generals Department, the Quartermaster De
partment, the Subsistence Department, the ORD
nance Department and the Signal Corps, theS
shall be promoted according to seniority IN the
several grades provided by law ana
nothing i'm this bill contained shall be deemed to
| apply to the vacancies which can be hlled by
such promotions or TO the periods Tor whlch the
/ officers so promoted shall hold their appoint
ments.
Sec O. That officers below the grade OF
Northumberland holding permanent appoint
ments in the Adjutant-Generals Department,
the ACCOMPLISHMENTS Department. the guar
termaster's Department, the Subsistence De-
partment the Corps of Engineers the Ordnance
Department and the Signal Corps. shall serve
one year in five with such branch of the line or
the Army as may be designated by the Secre-
tary of War. Provided, that no vacancies shall
he created in those corps or departments by the
temporary detachment of said permanent offl-
GERS.
GERS of the line. transferred to any department
of the staff for tours of service under this act.
shall be filed by promotion in the line, until the
total number detailed equals the number au-
thorized for duty in each staff department.
Thereafter. vacancies caused by details from
the line to the staff shall be filled by officers
turning from tours of staff duty.
ALLOWANCES FOR RETIRED OFFICERS.
Sec IL That when officers who have been
selected by the President chiefs of staff
corps departments are retired while holding
said offices, they have the pay and allowances
authorized by law for retired officers OF the
grade then held by them. and any officer now
holding office in any corps or department, who
shall hereafter serve chief of corps or de-
partment and shall subsequently be retired
with the rank, pay and allowances authorized
by law for the retirement of such corps or de-
partment chief.
Sec. 70. That when in the opinion OF the
President, any part of the duties heretofore
performed by any staff corps department may
be performed economically and adj
vantageously by another department he is au-
thorized to transfer such duties. and any funds
pertaining thereto for the support OF the Army,
from one bureau OF the War Department to
other.
THE ARTILLERY ORGANIZATION
Sec. IL. That the regimental organization
of the artillery of the United States Army
is hereby discontinued. and that is consti-
tuted and designated as the Artillery Corps. 1t
shall be organized hereinafter specified, and
shall belong to the line of the Army
Sec. Ia. That the Artillery Corps shall COM
prise two branches, the coast artillery and the
field artillery. The coast artillery is defined as
that portion charged with the and use OF the
flxed and movable elements of land and coast
Qualifications. including the submarine mine and
torpedo defences; and the field artillery as that
portion accompanying an army In the field and
including field and light artillery proper. horse
artillery. siege artillery, mountain artillery and
also machine gun batteries. Provided, that this