The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-17
REORGANIZATION OF ARMY
FEATURE OF LIEUT.. GEN. MILES
ANNU1L REPORT.
Half Have Resulted Ina "a Condition
That the Nation Must Prepare to Meet
-Weighty Reasons Why n Well Or
ganized Lund Force is Necessary.

S5hhtA lauhu FfESS IS 4sSSSeShHS'
Washington Nov. 16.-The feature of
the annual report of Lieutenant General
Miles is chapter dealing with the need
for a general reorganization of the
military service. In regard to this
question he says:
"The events of the past two years
and a half have resulted in a condition
that the nation must prepare to meet
The need for an efficient and Well-or-
ganized land force for an indefinite pc
riod in the future is most obvious and
the organization of such force can
not be wisely avoided There are
weighty reasons why such a service as
is now demanded Of the army cannot
be performed by temporary organi-
zation."
General Miles renews his recommen-
daton that the permanent force Of the
army should be one man for each thou
sand of population of the United States.
He submits draft of a bill embodying
his views and recommendations on
army reorganization.
General Miles says the force has been
so much reduced that at the present
time there are not one-fourth enough
troops properly to care for and man
the Notifications which have been
erected on the seacoast at an eXpen-
diture of nearly $55, 100000. In addition
to the artillery deficiency, the present
home force, 99S officers and 1883 men,
is not sufficient to occupy the interior
ealrisons properly, or to protect me
| 1,,,ttr ON western +,
and what is still more serious, the gov
ernment is left without troops to re-
lieve those who have had too much
tropical service.
Touching upon the Chinese campaign
General Miles compares the American
contingent in the Pekin expedition with
those of other nationalities, and says:
at would be difficult to name any oc-
casion on which troops engaged IN ac-
ton were better commanded, were
more steady under fire, or where they
made the soldiers sacrifice with more
unselfish patriotism, or rendered
higher tribute to the honor OF thelr
country"
Great reverence is due, he says, the
memory of Colonel E. s. Liscum, Major
Jesse NJ. Lee of the Ninth infantry VINO
took up the command of the American
1orces at Tien Tsin after Colonel LIS
GUMS death Captain Reilly is also
named as an ideal soldier, who by his
death at Pekin again demonstrated the
zeal and courage of the American SOL
dier.
General Miles calls attention to the
fact that under the law the volunteers
in the Philippines must be Withdrawn
and discharged before July /, next,
wherefore, he eaye, it will be necessary
to begin their return home almost i'm
mediately.
In few short paragraphs the report
shows what has been accomplished IN
the officers training schools ana TO-
wards the extension of the coast de-
tense system, on which at least Sf5, 5,O0o,-
600 additional will be required to carry
out the present project. For the next
fiscal wear alone the sum of Sll,s2n00O
is estimated as necessary to defray the
cost of fort1cations. barracks ana sites
on the coasts. The largest figure Is W.
T24,4S5 for New York; next comes Car
ifornia with $1,417 ,79O: Maine $l,2S5, 925
| Oregon and Washington $11o6,602, and
Virginia 1895, ,450. Porto Rico is as
signed 1882 400 while the national capi-
tai is set down for 0,000
General Miles claims that the fortifi-
cations board has developed high ex-
plosive, superior in effectiveness to all
known safe military explosives. He
predicts, that within the next twelve
months greater advance will be made
| in seacoast and field artillery than has
been accomplished during the last two
decades.
The pay Of enlisted men, he says
should be increased. General Miles does
not think it wise to longer delay the
practical application of self-movlng We
hicles to the military service.
A closing recommendation is that the
tract known as the Potomac Flats
now a menace to health. be put in SUIT
able condition for the encampmeht OF
regular troops, whenever assembled al
the national capital, and for state
troops when occasionally required.