Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-04
Field Exercises Advocated.


Our army is so small and so much scat
tered that 1t is very difficult 70 give the
higher officers Gas we'll as the lower Off
GERS and the enlisted nen) chance "a
practice maneuvcrs in mass and on COM
| paratively large scale. In time OF need
no amount of individual excellence would
avail against the paralysis which would
follow inability to work as n coherent
| whole under skillfui and daring leadership.
The congress should provide means
whereby il will be possible to have field
exercises by Mt least division Of reSu-
lars and. If possible also Il division Of ma =
tional Suardsren once q year. These cx-
ercises might take the form Of field ma
neuvers. or II on the gulf coast or the pa
ciiic or Atlantic Seaboard or in the region
OF the great lakes the army corps when
assembled could be marched from some
inland point to some point on the water,
there embarked. disembarked after cou-
pie OF days journey al some other point
and again marched inland Only by actual
handling and providing for men in masses
Whlfc they are marching. camping, en-
barking and disembarkinE Will il be possi-
bic TO train the higher officers to perform
their duties well and smoothly.
great debt is owing from the public
TO the men OF the army and navy. They
should be so treated as TO enable them 10
reach the highest point OF efficiency 50
that they may be able To respond instant
ly TO any demand made upon them 10 sus-
tain The interests Of the nation and the
honor OF the flag. The Individual Amer
lean enlisted man is probably on tho
whole " more formidable fighting man
than the regular OF any other army Ev-
cry considera ton should lie shown him.
and in return the highest standard OF
usefulness should be .xacted from him
ii is well worth while for the congress 10
consider whether the pay " enlisted men
upon second and subsequent eulistments
should not lie increased TO correspond
with the increased value of the veteran
soldier.
Army Reorganization.
Much good has already come from the
act recognizing the army passed early in
the present Year. The three prime re-
forms. all OF them OF literally nestimable
value are. first. the substitution Of four
year details from the line for permanent
appointments in the so called staff divi-
sions: second, the establishment or a
corps or artillery with Il chief at The
head; third. the establishment of u maxi
mum and minimum limit for the arnlr It
would be difficult to overestimatc the. I'M
provement ii the efficiency Of oar Iriny
which these three reforms are making
and have in part already effected.
Ine reorganization PROVIDED Tor hv tho
act has been substantially ACCOMPLISHED
The improved conditions in the Philip
pines have enabled the war department
materially 10 reduce the military charge
upon our revenue and to arrange the
number of soldiers so as to bring this
number much nearer TO the minimum
than to the ma aximum limit established by
law. There is, however. need OF supple-
mentary legislation. Thorough military
education must be provided and in addi-
tion to the regulars the advantages of
this education should be given to the Of
iicers of the national guard and others in
civil life who desire inteiligenily to fit
themselves for possible military duty
The officers should be given the chance
to perfect themselves by study in the
higher. branches Of this art. At West
Point the education should be Of the kind
inost APT 10 turn out men who are good in
actual field service. 4 90 much stress should
not be laid on mathematics, nor should pro-
ftciency therein be held to establish the
right OF entry to Il corps delitc. The typ
ical American officer of the best kind need
MT be- A Ecod mathematician. but he must