The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-08
NO REDUCTIONS
In the New Army, According to the
Provisions Of the Law.
SURPRISE FOR CONGRESS.
The Law Of the Fifty-Afth Congress
Stands GoOd-Many Officers in the
philippine Service to be Retained.

NEW YORK. May IA special to
he Tribune from Washington says:
congress win perhaps be surprised to
learn that the army law of 1893 dogs
not provide for the reduction Of the
regular army to It's dimensions prior to
1895. as is now popularity supposed. Ex-
ports say that only the rank and lille
will ba reduced to $4,000 men; that there
Is thimble-rIgglng phraseology in the
,.w which retains all the additional
officers in the service.
Iny5rtlgation seems to confirm this
assertion.
before the Spanish war the regular
army consisted of only 500 men, all
tod, namely, $4,000 rank-and file, 81
military cadets and professors at West
Point: 2,l64 general, stan and line OIL
cars In the active service, besides 1898
enlisted men and $50 officers on the re-
urad list. AS enlarged from time to
dime under the various war legislation
nat followed, the United States army
now consists OF 64,sso rank and file. sSl
cadets and West Point professors
1885 general, stan and line officers in
active service, with 1A47 enlisted men
and 1888 officers on the retired list.
Besides these regulars there are up
proxImately $4,000 volunteers in tile
rc,Iye service. These figures show the
following increases in the various
grades Of the active service:
Enlisted men, 1896; officers, 422; pro-
fassors /; cadets, 10; on the retired list
there has been an increase Of 80 officers
and l49 enlisted men.
In the expiring hours OF the Fifty
ninth Congress. by the agency of the
conference committee. a law was rushed
through and approved on March 2. 1899,
containing a clause which provides that
on and after July /. 1901, ''all the gen
eraI. stan and line officers appointed TO
the army under this act shall be dis
charged and the numbers restored to
each grade, to those existing at the
passage of this act. and the enlisted
force OF the line OF the army shall be
reduced to the number as provided fos
by a law prior to April /, 1895"
This army law OF 1899, known as the
CockreR,Gormsn bill, IS q muddIe of
incyplIcable contradictions. The posi-
tive Rotations Of the foregoing para
graph apparently leave no escape from
the nearly universal conclusion that
on July l, 1901. the army is to go back
to It's original strength before the
Spanish war, unless meanwhile there is
supplementary legislation. That this "a
the understanding in Congress has been
made manifest by the utterances OF
members and senators In the discussion
Of pending legislation. This threatened
event Is used constantly as an appeal
for immediate legislation to put the.
army on n permanent footing.
Nevertheless the vague hint has got
abroad that this law of March 2. 1899,
does not provide for reducing the off,
GERS of the regular army on the date
named, or any other date. although n
superficial reading leaves the Impress
ion, and that was what Congress was
providing for when 1t passed the act
a careful investigation leaves little
room for doubt that both Congress and
administration circles err In any pre-
sumption that the Cockrell-Gorman ret
puts the official personnel of the army
back to its old number before the Span
lsh war. 1t unquestioRably compels the
reduction OF the enlisted strength to the
maximum unless the present Congress-
provides differently, and also the mus
ter out OF the volunteer general, staff
and line officers and the volunteer SOL
d.ery.
But Jew II any, of the additional reg
ular uGicers required for the Spanish
and Philippine ware will, can or are
Intended to be discharged under It's
provisions.