The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-12
SCHOFIELD TALKS OUT
TELLS OF ARMY SYSTEMS IN-
 CONGRUITIES.
Ex-Commanding General Says That in the Civil War Confederates Had the Best Blood and
 the Best Brains,

Washington. April 1.-The report of the testimony given before the Senate Committed on Military Affairs by Gen. eral Schofield. formerly the Commanding General of the army, on the bill to cre- ate a general staff, was made public to- day. He endorsed the bill. saying that he had long since come to the conclusion that there Is no room under our consti- tuition for two commanders, and that the President, whom the constitution makes the supreme commander, must act through the Secretary of War. He added:
 .'Tbe very exalted individual office, so- called, of commanding general of the army must disappear. There Is no room for it in this Government. no matter who occupies it; it Is not a question Of per- sonality at all. or the character of the individual, so far as this great question is concerned. He must be what other nations of the earth have. a chief of staff. not a commanding general"
 Referring to the German system, Gen. erai Schofieid said:
 We would have to modify their sys- tenn so as to make it applicable. If we had at the head of tho army for years 2 the same distinguished general, other things being satisfactory. that would be very well. but what is tho use of great general as the nominal head of the army if the Secretary of War and he do not even see each other? What good is there?"
 Senator Burrows-Why would not the same condition of affairs exist between the chief of staff and the President?
 General Schoiield-Because he would relieve him and get another. The per- sonaI relations between the President the Secretary of War and the Command ing General are. after all, more import ant than any law, and that is one of the reasons why this bill is absolutely indis- pensiblc. or something like it. You must give to the President discretion to select that.
 Senator Burrows-Why cannot the Lieu tenant General of the Army and the Pres ident confer as it is?
 General Schofield-They are not on spea aking terms.
 Senator Burrows-Not on speaking terms?
 General Schofeld-No. sr. I ou will have to get rid of that intolerable condition by which this man close to the President, the only man who is available to do these things. Is a nAn whom the President does not talk to, except to criticize him. The result is bad; very bad. The President feels the need of such as did the Presi- dents whom l have known. They would say, ''I cannot do these things; I must have a military man to help me-" Then in that situation he perhaps sends for Colonel or Major So and So. and he finds that he is a bright young fellow and he knows about these things and in a few days 1t gets to be known that rom So and So'' is commanding the army.
 In reply to a question by Senator Scott calling attention to General Miles's state ment that the effect of the proposed leg islation would be to Germanize and Rus sianize the American army, General Scho- field said "I am not afraid of that think we might Germanze other things little with advantage, possibly"
 Remarking upon the provisions of the bill for a four years term as chief Of staff General Schofield opposed it as coming from that fountain of error. the Congress of the United States. which provides for the retirement of the very best men inst when they come to be of the age when Von Moltke won his great est triumph. 'I am not superannuated vet" he continued. and still have been retired for a long timc.'
 General Schcfield expressed the opinion that during the civil war the Southern system of selecting high officers was far better than that of the North.
 Speaking of the rank of Lieutenant- Cieneral he said he would give the pro- posed chief of staff even higher rank. ad- ding: "l would make one general at the head of the army and l would have three lieutenant-generals. and then the proper number of officers in the grades under that. Confederates during the civil war were a great deal wiser than we were in that respect. They were better soldiers and better educated, and knew more about it. They carried off the greater Dortlon of the best blood that We had. to tell the truth. and they organized their army scientifically"
 . He also expressed the opinion that un- der the Secretary of War. the chief of staff should have charge of the depart ments of supply and transportation and inc sighaI corps which the commanding general does not now control. He also urged that under the existing law. the comma nding general has no real author itv and except that he is President of the Board of Ordnance and Fortfflcations. his position is
 He held that the United States ana Great Britain are the only important countries which have not a general stan. Of the British. he said;
 ."They have not any system. What we have is what they had hundred years ago. and we have not improved on II and thev hay. not either. They have had the same conflict between the Horse Guards and inc War office in Great Britain as we have had here, and that VIII continue urttl hv some change d king happens to be 3 soldier and then he O1ll straighten 1t all out quicker than llghtnlnE'