The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-01
Prepared For Congress by Sec
rotary of War Root.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL.
And Retirement of Any Offcer
Who Is Suspended.
The Combination Evidently De-
signed to Promote Peace.


teen brigadier generals. The number of
captains. first lieutenants and second
lieutenants OF the cavalry and infantry
are Increased from Z to 15 for each reg
iHeHt- Three OF the captains shall be
available for details as adIutant, quar-
termaster and conmissary. three first
Heutenants for squadron and battalion
adjutants and three second Heutenants
Tor squadron quartermasters and com
nissary.
Provisions for the discontinuance of
the artillery arm as at present organ
lied Is made by organizing an artillery
corps as coast artillery and field ar
ulllery- Officers of artillery are to be
paced on one list for promotion ac-
cording to seniority. The corps will
have a chief of artillery detailed from
the colonies, and while serving in this
capacity viii have the rank and pay of
a brlgad1er general There viii be in
addition Is colOnels. 13 lieutenant
colonies. 80 majors. 1872 captains, 1873
hrst heutenantS and 1872 second lieuten-
ants The captains and lieutenantS
when not required for duty with bat
terIes viii be availa bic as staff officers
during garrison
Each battery of coast and field ar
tllery shall be organized as at present
The increases in the artillery shall be
20 per cent each year for five years.
until the maximum of Is. 920 men is
reached The adjutant general viii
nave the rank OF mayor general, ana
his corps is increased one lieutenant
colonel and ten majoTs- The inspector
generals department is increased one
lieutenant colonel and six majors The
judge advocates department is in
creased one colonel and three majors.
The quartermaster's department is in
creased two colonies. one Lieutenant
colonel four majors and "A captains To
ill the grade OF captains volunteers not
over IS years old may be appointed The
subsistence department is increased
one colonel. one lieutenant colonel. one
major and Is captains The medical
department is increased two colonies.
two lieutenant c0lOnels, 10 majors. III
captains and 4ieutenants- The pay
department is increased one colonel. one
lieutenant colonel and the number of
majors IS fixed at nine instead of 20 as
at present. with p captains The ma
jOrs in the pay department at present
viii hold that rank. but no promotions
are TO be made until the number or
majors is reduced below nine -
To fill the vacancies Of captains men
serving as additional paEmasters not
over 40 years may be selected The en-
gi1eer corps IS Increased captains. Il
first lieutenants and y second Iieuten-
arts Promotions are TO be made BY
seniority and vacancies are TO be filed
from the regular army. The ordnance
bureau is increased one lieutenant col
orel and seven first Heutenants- The
signal corps is increased two majors
four captains. nine first fieutenants and
dent is authorized to appoint for duty
in the Philippines ten first Heutenants
and ten second heutenants as volunteer
signal officers
An the promotions in the staff created
under the act are to be made from the
present staff corps when vacancies oc-
cur by retirement or otherwise the pro
motions shall be made by seniority.
Vacancies that can not be filled by such
promotions are to be filed from detail
from the line Of the army, the details
lasting four years. after which the Off
Ger shall not be available for staff duty
until he has served two years IN the line
The provision for filing vacancies at the
head Of the various staff corps is as fol-
lows
That upon the occurrence of q va
ca1cy in the office of the adjutant gen
eraI. Inspector general. judge advocate
general quartermaster general, commits
sary general, paymaster general, chief
Of ordnance or chief signal officer. the
president may appoint the chief OF any
OF said departments or corps from the
officers Of the army at large not below
the grade Of lieutenant colonel, provided
that chiefs OF staff corps or depart
ments shall be appointed for terms TO
continue four years. unless sooner ter
minated by the president and While 50
serving shall have the rank, pay and
afIoyva noes now authorized for chiefs Of
said corps or departments, and pro
vided that any officer serving detail
as chief of a star, corps or department.
is retired, he shall be retired with rank
and pay now authorized for chief Of
such STAFF. corps or department.
It is provided also that officers below
the grade of lieutenant colonel in any
OF the above named departments shall
serve one year in the line. but shall not
lose their places in the staff corps
The above quoted provision Is one Of
the most important and radical of the
changes proposed by the bill It
amounts in effect to the abolition of the
staff corps as permanent institution
their military career The proposition
that line officers should be appointed 10
stan duty for a definite period and at
the conclusion Of that term return again
to the line has been Strenuously advo-
Gated BY many Of the best military au-
thorities in this country for years It IS
a pet idea Of former Secretary OF War
Proctor now one of the mem bers OF the
senate committee on military affairs
According to the provision as 1t now
stands the full effect of it viii not be
worked out for several years, as II IS
not proposed TO make the provision APP
plicable to present members q the stan
corps above the rank Of lieutenant
colonel
The provision for filing Of vacancies
that may occur by reason OF the in
crease Of officers under the proposed act
IS as follows The vacancies In the
grade OF field officers and captains Gre
a1ed by this act in the cavalry. artillery
and infantry shall be Allied BY promotion
according to seniority in each branch
respectively Vacancies existing after
the promotions have been made shall
be provided for as follows. 4 Sufficient
number shall be reserved for the next
military academy Officers now hold
ing commissions in the volunteer army
and whose age does not exceed 50 years
at the date Of the passage OF this act
may be ordered before boards OF o1llce-s
for such examination as may be pre-
scrfbed BY the secretary Of war. Vol