The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-08
Circulation Statement


If our experience in the Spanish war
taught anything it was that our army
organization for peace, not to say war
purposes. was. technically speaking, de-
fective enough TO be dangerous as well as
ridiculous. We had then a military estab-
lishment so arranged that it could be mis-
managed by civilian department head,
acting through archaic staff bureaux, in
dependently of the General Commanding
the Army, and without any central pro-
fessional control whatever.
During the Spanish war Mr.. Alger was
able to ignore General Miles. whose name
was repeatedly affixed to orders of which
he never had heard; was able TO detach
the Inspector Generals officers and as
sign them to duties other than belonged
to them. and to do other things the net
result of which was that there was no
effective check upon illegitimate civilian
influence; vast quantities of supplies were
unloaded upon the Government without
inspection; and the proper inspection of
rations and supplies as issued in the field
was prevented. The embalmed beef and
other scandals were the natural conse-
quences of a system at once completely
obsolete and unscientiflc. and one which
offered premium upon corruption.
Ever since friends of the army have
been hoping that legislation would be en-
acted which would effectually change the
order of things. clean out the old staff
cobwebs, and give us a staff modelled on
modern and sane lines, and render again
impossible such evils and abuses as pre-
viously marked the relations of officials
and friends of the Administration with
army contractors and so on. To date
there has been nothing in the way of frui-
tion of this hope but the crazy-quilt Army
Reorganization bill which is now before
the Senate. and is a measure too COM
pletely opposed to sense or public policy
10 be discussed with seriousness. While
1t is called an army reorganization bill, its
real object is to perpetuate some of the
worst features of the old establishment
and to mai a new one which shall be at
the disposal of the President for present
foreign needs. and, later, for such do
mesifc uses as he or his advisers may
think desirable. Instead of a standing
army definitely to be placed at a minimum
at the end of the Philippine insurrection.
this bill gives the President authority to
maintain it at any strength between fifty
eight and one hundred thousand men at
his own option raising or lowering num-
bers at any time exactly as he may see
fit. AS no one has ever seen reduction
of Offices or retrenchment of expenses
originating with the present Administra-
tion. the chance would seem to be small
that the army would be cut down from its
maximum in Mr. McKinIey's time.
There is no intention of that kind on
the part Of those who are pressing the
bill. They argue that the war in the
Philippines will soon be over. and that
then a hundred thousand soldiers will
be handy to have in the country in view OF
the steady pressure of monopoly upon the
masses. which is likely to increase vastly
during the second Mckinley Administra-
ton, ard many lead to discomfort and
trouble. The garrisons near trade cen
tres which Senator Hawley of Connecti-
cut has so strongly advocated, would take
a good many troops, and more would be
required to enforce a force hill in the
South, which Republican leaders hope to
pass in the Fifty-seventh Congress So,
as nearly as possible, they are anxious TO
withdraw the army from other influence
or control than that of Mr. Hanna and
Mr.. Mckinley. in order that its reorgan-
ization many harmonic with the views
and interests Of the trusts and monopolies
As we have remarked on other occasions.
the bill is SO outrageous in this princi-
pal respect. that. otherwise. it is hardly
worth talking about. If every other pro-
vision were unobjectionable, its elastic
Presidential control feature would con-
denim. it. and no honest men could vote
for it. II happens. however, that its
worst provision only heads list OF minor
ones also bad. In the proposed new army
a man who has risen to generals rank in
the volunteer service on his merits as a
soldier, if ne choose to remain il the SER
vice can hope for nothing better than
lieutenancy.
We presume that with patches and CON-
promises. the miserable make believe viii
be put into some shape in conference
committee OF the two houses and passed
It ought to be defeated. even if that course
should neeessltate an extraordinary ses-
sion.
MaueI