The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-09
THE NEW ARMY BILL.

| provides for a Lieutenant General, SIX
major generals, and fifteen brigadier gen
erals in the line. Prior to this law the
rank of Lieutenant General was only given
| temporarily to 1.-THE senior major general
of the line commanding the army" and in
the event of his being relieved from COM
mand it would have lapsed, ard he would
| have returned to his rank as major gen.
| eral. The selection of Maj. Gen. Nelson
| 4. Miles by the President as Lieutenant
| General therefore places him permanently
at the head of the army, until he is sixty
| four years of age, or until he is retired af-
| ter thirty years service. 1t is said that
he was nominated by the President with
the distinct understanding that he would
apply for retirement within a certain fixed
period, in order that the President might
reward Major General Otis by placing him
at the head OF the army before his re-
tirement for age
The law increases the number of major
generals to six, and the number of briga
der generals to fifteen. The nine staff
departments are increased as follows:
Assistant adjutants general, one lieutenant
colonel and len majors; inspectors general, one
colonel. lieutenant colonel and FIVE major I;
Judge advocates general. colonel and three
majors Quarternaster's Department, two col
orels, enc lieutenant colonel six majors, and
thirty captains: Subsistence Department one col
onel, one lieutenant coloral, major, and nine
teen captains: Medical Department, two colonies,
two lieutenant colonelS ten majors and one hun
dred and fifteen captains and first lieutenants as
sistant surgeons; Pay Department, colonel
one lieutenant colonel. and twenty five captains;
Corps OF Engineers, five captains. ten first lieu
at.F anti ND.
nance Department, lieutenant colonel and
four first licutenants."
The Signal Corps is increased by three
majors, nine captains. and twelve first
lieutenants, and it is also provided that
the President is "authorized to continue
in service during the present emergency
for duty in the Philippine Islands five vol
unteer signal officers, with the rank OF
first lieutenant, and five volunteer signal
officers with the rank of second lieu
tenant
Section thirteen Of the bill provides that
on the expiration of service of the pres
ent incumbent the Adjutant General shall
have the rank and pay of {. brigadier gen.
eral, and section twenty-fv provides that
any person appointed to be the Chief of
passage of this act shall have the rank of
colonel This reduces the present rank of
the head Of this bureau one grade, and
section one provides that when a vacancy
shall occur ''in the office of storekeeper,
now provided by law In the Quartermas-
ter's Department and Ordnance Depart
mcnt. respectively, said Offices shall cease
to exist
Now follows the most important act re-
garding the staff of the army that has
been passed in many years, 1t will meet
with the hearty approval Of nineteen
twentieths of the line officers of the army:
''Section 28.-That so long as there remain any
officers holding permanent appointments in the
Adjutant Generals Department the Inspector
Generals Department, the Quartermaster's De-
partment, the Subsistence Department the Pay
Department. the Ordnance Department. and the
Signal Corps, including those appointed to orig
nal vacancies in the grades OF captain and first
lieutenant as provided In sections twelve, thir-
teen, seventeen, and twenty of this act, they
shall be promoted according to seniority in the
several grades, now provided by law and moth
ing herein contained shall be deemed 10 apply
to vacancies which be filed by such pro-
motions TO the periods for which the officers
so promoted shall hold their appointments, and
the department or corps shall occur which can
not be filled by promotion as provided in this
section. it shall be Allied by detail from the
line of the army, and more permanent ap
pointments shall be made in those departments
or corps after the original vacancies created by
this act shall have been filed. Such details
shall be made from the grade in which the
exist under such system OF examination
as the President may from time to time prescribe.
IAN officers detailed shall for period
OF four years, at the expiration OF which time |
they shall return to duty with the line. and
officers below the rank of lieutenant colonel shall
not again be eligible for selection in any staff |
department until they shall have served two years
with the line
The above resume includes the changes |
in the staff. And the line OF the army |
must, and probably does. give the Presi- |
dent, the Secretary OF War, and the Ad |
jutant General of the Army full credit |
for their work in It's behalf in this direc- |
ton. The law is so framed that 1t does
not do injustice to any Of the staff Off |
GERS in Its eventual outcome and it will |
serve to keep the line and staff in touch |
In way that must be beneficial TO the |
whole army, and will ensure a thorough |
entente between the stan and line that |
has been woefuly lacking for some years
past.
We now come to the changes in the line |
Of the army. First, as to the regiments
and the officers and nom commissioned
officers. The cavalry is increased from
ten to fifteen regiments, a gain of Ave
regiments of twelve troops each.
The organization of the cavalry is prac-
tically the same as 1t now exists, but the
number of captains in each regiment is
increased by three and the second lieu
by three, making for the old regi-
ments an Increase of thirty captains and
thirty second lieutenants. The five new
regiments Will add to the service seventy
1--WE captains and seventy-fye each first
and second lieutenants. The changes in |
he increase of on-commissioned officers
will be as follows: In each of the ten old
regiments two veterinarians and two color
;ergeants, total increase OF forty. The
on the same basis as to veteri-
larians and color sergeants. In regard to
he extra captains and second lieutenants
n the new organization, section of the
oill says:
"Of the officers herein provided. the captains
md lieutcnants not required for duty with the
roops shall be available for detail as regimen
al and squadron staff officers and such other
letails may be authorized by law regula-
ions"
The fifteen cavalry regiments. if re-
.ruited to the maximum, will number 167
,fficers and 1880 enlisted men, an ag-
sregate of 1907 cavalrymen.