The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-28
SECRETARY ROOTS APPEAL.
ASKS FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION
OF THE ARMY BILL.
Points the Necessity for the Pro-
posed Changes i'm the Methods of
Promotion and In the Assignment
of Ofncers to STAN Duty.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27-Secretary Root
/ today appeared before the house COMMITTEES
on military affairs and made strong APP
/ peal to the committee TO report favorahly
/ the bin drafted by him to increase the
! efficiency of the army. The secretary said
| in part:
1.-THE bill is limited to three subjects:
| "a Promotion in the line.
80 Tenure of staff appointments and The
| relations between the staff and the line.
g. Reorganization Of the artillery.
Provisions for Promotion.
TT is carefully framed to avoid raising
| the question Of the size OF the army whlch
| II Is understood congress Is not now ready
| to discuss. and its provisions are made APP
| pIicable to any army Of whatever size con-
| gress may determine upon. The provision
| as to line promotion is that every third
! promotion to the office of major. lieutenant
| colonel and colonel shall be by selection.
| leaving the other two-thirds to be as at
| present bv seniority This is designed to
afford some slight opportunity for reeog-
| milton of exceptional ability and gallantry.
| Under the present law which permits pro-
motion only by seniority, the president is
| prohibited from recognizing meritortous or
| gallant conduct the most effective ana
| brilliant service must go unrewarded, the
| thoughtful, devoted and ambitious young
| man is precuded from advancing himself
| by his own exertion q harbreadth beyond
| the INDECENT the dull and the inefficient
/ man who is just able to perform duty TO
| keep from being turned out OF the service
Guards Against Favoritfsm.
'"The only objections to the proposed
measure are that there may be favoritism
| In selections The impartiality of the Sc
lection ia safeguarded by the provision of
| the bill that the promotion shall be MADE
| from a list of three officers selected from
| the grade from which the promotion Is to
| be made by a board of officers of superior
| rank convened for that purpose and sworn
| to make the selection according to the
merits and fitness of the candidate as
| shown by his service records.
From these three the president Is TO
| make the nomination which has again
| to pass the ordeal of continuation by the
senate The officers of the army nave
1 it's efficiency and honor and justice TO
| their fellows more deeply at heart than
| anyone else in the world. and this bill
| puts in their hands the power and I'M
| poses upon them the solemn duty or
/ combining these promotions strictly within
the lines of justice.
| Improvement In the stan.
THE sections relating to stan organ
| izations provide for the abolition OF the
| present system of permanent stan APP
| pointments and for the substitution OF
| details from the line for the staff for
| periods of four years. unless sooner ter
| minated by the president, with the re-
| quirements that upon the expiration of
| a detail the officer shall serve at least
one year in the line before he is eligible
| for another detail. The advantages OF
| these provisions, / believe, will be mani
| fold. | think the changes will break
| up and prevent the tendency to bureau
| cratic government OF which there Is al
| ways danger. and will increase the eff
! ficiency both of the line and the stan,
| by breaking down the division between
| them: by giving to each a more intimate
| and personal knowledge and appreciation
of the difficulties and the needs OF the
| other. and by creating larger body of
| ali-round men, trained in every branch
| of the service and competent for any COM
| mand. instead of men who have been
trained in one branch only. The pro-
| vision which permits the president to
terminate a detail to the staff is of the
| highest importance. Nothing could be
| more impractical than the present per-
| manent tenure of the chief of bureau
No Power over the stan.
1.-THE president as communicating chief,
| is responsible for the efficiency of the
army. In time of war he is expected by
the country to produce results by its use.
| He can determine who shall command the
| armies and can change generals in COM
| mand as often as he chooses, but he Is
| absolutely powerless as to the heads OF
| these great departments which organize
| ana assemble and feed and clothe and
| transport and arm and equip and care
| for the army. Victory defeat is or
| ganized in the stan departments before
| a shot ia fired. fneffciency In them
| means necessary disaster at the begin
| ming. and the expenditure of countless
| treasure and the sacrifice of countless
| lives. Yet no matter how plainly made
| quate TO the task the head of one OF these
| departments may be, the president is
powerless to make change unless the
| officer commits some distinct and helm
| Gus offense upon which he can be court
| martialed and dismissed from the serv-
| ice"
| Protection to Incumbepts.
The secretary said care had been taken
| TO protect the rights Of present ineumbents
| OF stan positions. and he understood the
| great majority OF them were satisfied TO
| accept the change cheerfully. but he un-
| derstood there were a very few who were
| dissatisfied Their opposition. he said. is
purely personal and Of the same kind