The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-11

several Amendments Adopted.
Considerable progress was made on the
Army Reorganization bill in the Senate
yesterday. A number of committee
amendments were adopted in addition to
several offered by Senators. Among the
amendments adopted was one by Mr.. DAN
iel authorizing the President to select
two brigadier generals from the volunteer
army and appoint them in the Regular
Army for the purpose of placing them on
the retired list. This amendment is for
the benefit of Generals Wilson and Lee.
Another amendment which was adopted
was offered by Mr.. Sewell and provides
for the appointment of General Shafter
as a major general on the retired list.
Mr.. Pettigrew opposed the amendment
and severely criticised Shafter, charging
the general with 'blundering incapacity
and inefficiency almost unparalleled in the
history of battles that were won
The bill to increase the efficiency Of the
army was then taken up, the pending
question being on a committee amendment
offered yesterday by Mr.. Proctor as to the
appointment of volunteers to the grades OF
first or second Iieutenants in the regular
army.
The amendment was agreed to as fol-
lows: "On page SO, line 16, strike out all
of section "a after the words military
academy and insert the following: Per-
sons not over forty years of age who
teers subsequent to April 81, 1898 may
be ordered before boards of officers for
such examination as may be prescribed by
the Secretary of War, and those who may
establish their fitness before these ex-
amining boards. may be appointed to tine
grades of first or second lieutenant in the
regular army, taking rank in the respec-
tive grades according to seniority
as determined by length of prior
commissioned service, but no officer ap-
pointed under the provisions of this sec
tion shall be placed above another in the
same grade with longer commissioned
service, and nothing herein contained
shall change the relative rank Of officers
heretofore commissioned in the regular
army.
ENLISTED men of volunteers may be
appointed second lieutenants in the reg
ular army under the same conditions now
authorized by law for enlisted men Of the
regular army
Another committee amendment which
was agreed to, was one increasing the
first class privates of the Signal Corps
from 200 to $50.
Another committee amendment was to
add TO section 81, as to the retirement of
officers the words. But this act shall not
apply TO any officer who has been placed
on the retired list by virtue of any special
act Of Congress, or to any officer who has
already received such higher grade 1t
was agreed to.
The preceding part of the section reads:
That any officer of the army now on the
active list below the grade of brigadier
general who served during the civil war
shall, when retired, be retired with the
rank and pay of the next higher grade.
except such officer as may be retired un-
der section 29 OF this act. This act shall
apply to officers who have been retired on
or since the l1th day of August 1898, but
shall not apply TO any officer whose SER
vice on the active list does not exceed
thirty-five years"
Mr. Teller offered substitute for the
section and made a long statement to
show that officers who had served in the
civil war had been badly treated in the
matter of the retired list. The matter
went over without action.
Mr.. Daniel offered an amendment au-
brigadier generals of the volunteers two
volunteer officers without regard to age
and appoint them TO be brigadier generals
of the United States Army for the purpose
of placing them on the retired list. After
a short discussion, in which 1t was stated
that the amendment applied to General
| Wilson and General Fitzhugh Lee the
amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Sewell also offered an amendment
authorizing the President to select from
the retired list Of the army an officer not
above the rank of brigadier general who
distinguished himself during the war with
Spain in the command of a separate corps,
and appoint him as major general on the
retired list.
Mr. Pettigrew asked whether this
amendment was intended to apply to Gen.
eral Shafter ard when he was informed
that IL was, he questioned the right of the
general to be so selected, and denied that
he had distinguished himself in the cam
palgn at Santiago. He had noticed, he
said that when an effort was made to
promote a soldier by act of Congress. the
soldier was not man who had done fight
ing. The fighting at Santiago he said. was
not done by Shafter, and there was moth
ing in the history of that transaction
which entitled Shafter to promotion. In
that connection, and to verify his asser-
ton. he sent to the Secretary's table and
had read an extract from Senator Lodges
history Of the Battle of san Juan.
Commenting on Mr.. Lodges description
of the battle Mr.. Pettigrew spoke Of the
absence OF any plan whatever on :he part
Of the commanding general. and yet"
said he, this is the man who is to be
specially honored after this damaging tes-
tfmony from the most eminent historian
Of this body.
The victory" he continued. was won
in spite of Shafter and now it is proposed
to promote him for laundering incapacity
and inefficiency almost unparalleled in the
history of battles that were won"
I'VE have already" he added. pro
NOTED Corbin by act of Congress, and
promoted Ainsworth, who performed the
duties of clerk, and now it is proposed
to put Shafter on the list 1t emphasizes
the fact that Congress never promotes
anybody by special act unless he is sure
not to have done any fighting"
Mr.. Sewell replied to Mr.. Pettigrew and
smoke of General Shafter as one of the
best soldiers of the army. and as being
entitled to great credit.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Sewell's
amendment to put General Shafter on he
retired list as major general, and it was
agreed to-yeas Il; nays, II.
Mr.. Pettigrew moved to amend the bill
by striking out all provisions putting an
age limit on appointments Of volunteers
and by providing that one-third of the
original vacancies created by the act
from colonel to second lieutenant shall
be filled by selections from officers of vol
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