The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-07-11
The UNITED STATES ARMY.

The regular army has undergone so
great q change since the Spanish war.
and particularly since the passage OF
the reorganization act. that II is. as to
its officers and men. practically a new
body. 10 which the public needs an in
PRODUCTION. Al the top. indeed. II is
much the same as IL has been Tor a
good many years. General Miles CON-
msnds il. al least nominally. as be has
done since General schohelc retired in
1895. and General Corbin as chief Of
the Adjutant Generals Department.
superiutends It's most important Of
hcial functions as the direct repre-
sentative OF the Secretary OF war. as
he has done since 1888 But the i'm
portant and active commands are now
held by men like Macarthur. Chaffee
Sumner. Wood. Ludlow and Randolph
all Of whom were lieutenant colonels.
majors or OF less rank still when the
Spanish war broke out; and the list
OF brigadier generals includes two men
who were not In the army at all before
that war
Promotion has taken place so rapid
Is. as a result Of the reorganization
act. that the colonies OF cavalry and
infantry are now all practically new to
their rank The junior colonel OF cav
airy was captain as late as 1896.
Lower down the advancements have
been going on In way quite without
precedent since the civil war. In 1888
there were gray haired first lieuten-
ants who had been in the service for
twenty-five years. But recently young
officers were made captains OF artillery
and assigned 10 the command of bat
teries who were appointed TO the mill
tary academy as lately as 1855, who
we're commissioned as second lieuten-
ants In 1892 and went into the Span
ish war with that rank In the cavalry
some OF the cadets appointed in 1886
and commissioned as second lieuten
ants only In 1895 are now captains.
All subaltern officers are practically
new men, and are made up OF medley
Of West Pointers who were cadets but
yesterday, young men who have come
In from the volunteers, and men pro
NOTED from the ranks OF the regular
army. with a small sprinkling of mer
lately civilians.
IN its rank and fle the army Is
newer. and in sense greener than In
its star and line. The complete re-
organization and large expansion o.
the artillery into ninety-seven indepen
dent batteries In place OF seven regi
ments has made practically a new
arm OF that branch Of the service
Il Is as yet far from being shaker
down into perfect organization. The
new regiments OF cavalry and infantr.
have taken up many new men and lie,
10 a great number Of transfers. II vii
take some time before these command
take on what may appear like per
manent basis. The staf department
remain much as they were. and i
them. particularly in the upper grades
promotion is as slow as ever. The ord
nance department. for instance, cor
tains captains whose present commits
sions go back to 1883.
The rank and file OF the army wa
never made up Of better material thai
Il is now. The average regular sol
der is 4 younger and brighter ma
than he has ever been before With
the memory OF men now living. He
a picked man. too. Of good statur.
strength and intelligence. The officer
have had the stirring up OF experience
travel and advancement. They are on
Of their old ruts and are alert an
hopeful With the passage Of a litti
time the regular army win reach n
highest stage OF strength and efsieienc
that Il has ever attained.
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