The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-04-26
FATHER Of
ARMY BILL
- ON J. A. 7. HULL. chairman ~

the House Committee on Military
Affairs, and the author OF the IN.
nous Hun Army bin which passed at the
last session OF Congress. Il visitor In
the city. having arrived yesterday on the
transport Logan en- route to Manila. The
distinguished lawmaker Is on personal
m,vsion OF Investigation and observation
OF the conditions which were In n large
measure responsible for the passage Of
the Army reorganization bill by whiSh
the United states military forces are In
creased TO include 10000 men in the reg
ulgr establishment.
Hawafs military future Is in the hands
of the War and Navy Departments. nc
cordinE TO MIR. HUI, and there will be
no further need for legislation In Con-
gress covering this matter, and he " N
net attempt to investigate the Islands
fiom this standpoint. None OF .nese
matters will come up before the House
Committee on Military Affairs.
Hawaii is valuable to the United
States from a strategic standpoint" said
Mr.. Hull yesterday. Commercially. the
same can be said, as l understand the
Islands are very rich in their production
OF sugar. and these two elements COM
bired have made them an advantageous
acquisition to the United States What
Is to be done for Hawaii In the wav OF
Notifications and strengthening them by
the retention of military forces here, will
be done by the Board Of Fortlhcations
They assume the responsibility Of fortlfy-
ing the group and whatever money is
needed will be put in the appropriation
bill. Congress relies upon the judgment
of this Board to the extent that 1t usual
ly passes the items called for. The House
Committee on Military Affairs will have
nothing to do with these matters now,
as they have gone out OF the legislative
duties of the House.
Pearl Harbor Is probably the best
place in your group for establishing the
Naval depot. From what l have seen
of Honolulu harbor and its approaches,
1t is only roadstead."
Mr.. Hull will be absent from the States
for about four months and most of this
time will be spent In investigating the
civil and military affairs of the Philip
pines. He is interested in observing the
effect of the reorganization of the Army,
and wishes to see the new regiments of
native troops which are to be recruited
from among the Filipinos
Congressman Hull fought for the reor-
ganization of the Army for four years,
and now has the satisfaction of having
been instrumental in putting the United
States in line with the rest of the world
as far as the military arm of the govern
ment is concerned. The insignificance of
an Army of $4,000 men at the outbreak OF
hostilities between the United States and
Spain had signal effect upon Congress
and in the first week of the late session
the House promptly passed the Hull bill,
making an effective organization OF about
100000 enlisted men. The measure as 1t
passed the House provided for a corps
of artillery, fifteen regiments of cavalry
and thirty regiments of infantry. This
was an increase of five regiments OF cav
airy, five of infantry and a sufficient in
in, thn nrti1 70 al CIT .a,yt-
ments.
Mr.. Hull's reorganization has also had
a salutary effect in Kidding the Army of
the old bureaucracy methods by which
staff officers when appointed as such,
had fixed stations. The reorganization
provides for a detail of officers for stan
duty, changing every four years. Thus
In the past where an inferior officer,
through pull" became attached to the
staff, there was no way of getting rid
OF him.
The famous Congressman states that
the detail system will give all officers an
opportunity to do staff duty, and II he
is not an efficient officer he will not stand
much of a chance of being detailed
second time. The reorganization now
gives the United States the protection of
a regular Army differed by one Lieu
tenant General. six Major Generals, fif-
teen Brigadier Generals, a corps of artil-
lery numbering 1890 men, fifteen regi-
ments of cavalry and thirty of infantry,
with an organization in each arm ap-
proved by the best modern military SCI
ence. corps OF engineers is also pro-
vided for, together with a medical corps,
quartermaster and subsistence depart
ments, and a pay corps. There will be n
signal corps. with the detail system in
full force after original vacancies are
filled, an ordnance department in which
nc more permanent appointments will be
made and a record and pension bureau.
In addition corps of women nurses has
been established. The Army at the max
imum in al arms of the service will be
100000 men and at the minimum 5000,
but there is no minimum of artillery. The
full force of the latter is needed to man
the coast defense batteries and supply
the field artillery, so that the infantry
and cavalry, on peace footing will not
number 10000 men.
The author and main spirit in securing
the passage of this bill which has so
radically changed the militant branch OF
the Federal Government, believes that he
has won good fight, although II took
years of persistent and earnest effort to
convince the majority in Congress that
the country was In need of better de-
fensive arrangements than those which
had obtained since the Civil War. When
Congressman Hull secured the attention
OF the House for his pet measure and
hammered away at II until the House
shared his views OF the subject. lie urg-
cd upon Congress the imperative necessl-
~ for legislation during the late session.
Thirty-hve thousand of the 5000 soldiers
In the Philippines were. by the terms of
their enlistment. TO be mustered out OF
the service by July ! next, There were
over 400 posts In the Philippines held by
soldiers. and TO remove the troops before
others were on hand 10 take their places
would be 10 ieopardize the rest OF the
military forces. lie stated then that the
natives would consider the withdrawal as
sign OF weakness and would have been
encouraged 90 continue the rebellion.
Mr.. HUI II a Republican Congressman
from the seventh District OF Iowa, Ito
enlisted In the Twenty-lhlrd Iowa Infan,
try In July, 1862 WAS First Lieutenant
ana Captain WAS wounded IN the charge
. a. AZ -