Evening star., 1901-02-02
Radical Changes 1t Will Be Subjected
to by Reorganization.
MANY PROBLEMS TO Be MASTERED
General Rearrangemento Of the Per-
sonneI Requisite.
A TREMEN NDOUS ASK

A competent military critic, who has
carefully studied the new army reorganiza-
| ton act, declares that it will subject the
regular military establishment to greater
and more radical changes than have ever
| occurred at any one time in its history.
| He asserts that not only does It involve
| more careful and intricate labor on the
| part Of the War Department officials than
| the reorganizations of 1868 and 1860, but
| promises, especially as regards the lower
q ades,- to result in more general rear
rangement Of the personnel of the army.
Aside from all this, however, he claims to
voice the general sentiment of the army
in stating that apart from some minor de-
| tails affecting the status of a few partfcu-
| lar classes of officers, the new law Is most
| satisfactory a whole, and will result in
unmeasured good to the military service.
| both with respect to general efficiency and
| specific individual advantage.
Under 1t he states that the regular army
| Will at last be organized on the lines rec
| commended and urged by military authori-
| ties for the past twenty-five years, and
| promises that degree Of elasticity which
would be equal to meeting the emergency
| for quickly required army. pending the
| naturally tardy work of organizing and
eQuipping volunteers.
Speaking Of the proposed changes in gen.
| eral, he declares that they involve not
| only the introduction Of large, entirely
| new element into the regular service, but
| provides for the fortunate selection at this
| time Of that new element from the expert
| enced and well-trained younger officers of
| volunteers In this respect the regular
| army is delighted. AS rule in times past
| enlargements or curtailments Of the regu-
| lar establishment have worked grave in
| justices to veterans who. having no politi-
| cal backing and relying upon military sery-
| Ice alone. have been jumped and over
| slaughed by younger men, This was espe-
| cially so in 1885. when volunteers twenty
six years Of age were appointed colonels
| over men who had graduated from West
| Point in the forties.
| But 1t is not so now. While providing
| openings in the regular army for aspiring
| young volunteers, the regular officer al
| ready in the service will be carefully guard
| ed in his rights.
DeranGement of Regiments.
| Nevertheless it will cause extensive de-
| rangement of the personnel Of regiments
| and will in great measure tend to upset
| that regimental esprit which prompts OFF,
| GERS to espouse the respective regimental
claims of particular achievements and ira
| ditions. This condition relates exclusively
| to the line Of the army. The personnel OF
the staff will not be materially affected,
| inasmuch as the additions to the staff be-
| ing all at the bottom will enable the older
! set to be advanced each In his own corps
1
| that esprit of corps which all are wont to
maintain and cherish. OF course, so far
| as the three arms Of cavalry artillery ana
infantry are concerned. they Will remain
separate and intact, unmfxed with each
| other as in 1866 and the votaries or eacn
may still contend and banter with each
| other over alleged special merit ana useIui-
ness. But on the creation OF ne" req, s',
! ments the doubling Of the cavalry
strength, the one-third increase OF the
| artillery and the one-f1fth increase OF IN,
fantry, the changes In the personuel OF
| regimental organization must necessarily
For example, of the 1856 line officers Of
| ali grades on the army list of today s6o
will be promoted by the new law; " the
| total 469 officers of cavalry 2lO Will De pro,
! moted. Of the $40 artillery officers go Will
I he advanced and the same Will be true OF
$40 of the LII officers of infantry: AS 1ar
as practicable promoted ofncers VIII pe as. as
signed to their old regiments, but naturally
| obstacles to this plan will arise by reason
| of the scattered distant stations OF ohcers'
| and besides it may be decided to make
general redistribution OF reglmen1al oii,-
/ GERS so as to preserve a system or equal
! ized rank and experience In both oid ana
new organizationA OmosrS who desire es.
pecially To waive advantages OF regimental
| status and to remain with old regiments In
whose service they have long shared will
! doubtless be gratified, but all In all the
wholesale promotions bid fare to cause
| general upheaval of regmental personnel
Extensive Changes.
Some idea Of the extensive changes likely
to occur in this regard may be had from
| the statement that over $500 new COM
| missions must issue, one-half of which will
| be for appointments from the volunteer
| force and civil life to the go vacancies Of
| first and second lieutenants of the line and
| 2SS available vacancies of first HeutenantS,
captains and majors of staff, not including
| the 200 two-year service volunteer surgeons
| and assistant surgeons, the tWenty-four re-
| tanned volunteer QuartermaSterS, the thirty
| dental surgeons and the veterinarians pro-
| vided for. The vacancies to be caused by
promotions and retirements and appoint
| ments to fifteen brigadierships will create
| new places to be added to those for which
| original appointments Of volunteers may be
| made excepting, Of course, the number of
| vacancies to be reserved for the annual
promotion of meritoriOus non-commission-
| ed officers Of the regular army and for this
| years graduating class OF West Pointers.
| The civilian aspirant, though he be handf-
| capped by the preference to be given to
| volunteer officers. will not be debarred al
| together, as aside from all considerations
| the President Is vested with full discretion
| to proceed according to merit and fitness OF
applicants.
Interesting Companions.
Usually in times past after our wars, re-
organization of the army meant simply re-
| ductions and muster out; but now 1t calls
| for both muster out and muster fn-for
disbandment Of volunteer or temporary
army and the replacing Of 1t by a newly
recruited and entirely reorganized perma-
nent army. Not only will the twenty-five
new regiments have to be withdrawn from
active hostile campaigning, brought home.
| mustered out and paid of. but fifteen new
regiments of regulars must be quickly as
| sembled to take their places. In estimat-
ing the serious task devolved upon. the
War Department by the delayed passage
of the new army law, 1t Is not forgotten
that after the great civil war the rapid
disbandment of Grants immense war
armies Of nearly a million men was rightly
proclaimed q masterpiece of military ad-
ministration. At that time within the brief
period of four months between May and
October. 1885, over 10000 volunteers had
been mustered out and returned to their
families.
That. however. was after peace had been
accomplished. No longer were men needed
to campaign, as now, against a hostile en-
emy. and all the disbanded troops were N
adjacent localities, within comparative
stones throw Of the national capital in
stead of, as now, over ten thousand miles
distant. Now, the change affects the army
to be mustered out and that to be enlarged
and reorganized. More than that, the DIS
banded army must be withdrawn and re-
placed with due regard to military Urecau-,