Evening star., 1902-03-22
Criticise Report Of Mr.. Roots
Testimony.
STAFF REORGANIZATION
OPINIONS OF COL. CARTER SUB
STITUTED.
Effect on Some Members of the Senate
Military Affairs Com
mittee.

There Is a very apparent disposition on
the part of several members of the Senate
committee on military affairs to defer In
definitely further consideration Of the army
reorganization bill. submitted to it by the
War Department.
Some senators declare that unless the
Secretary of War presses the bill it will die
from being relegated to severe condition
of ''innocuous desuetude.' If it is pressed,
they assert it viii have a very hard road
to travel.
Those who take this view of the bill and
its future treatment say they have been
greatly surprised by the testimony given
by the Secretary Of War on the bill when
he was before the committee and declare
that the printed report of that testimony is
very deceptive in that 1t shows that the
Secretary replied TO questions when in fact
he did not reply to them at all. but excus-
ing himself on the ground that he not
familiar with the details of the bill called
upon Colonel Carter. assistant ad1utant
general who was with him throughout the
hearing, to give the desired information.
Members of the committee declare that
in the printed report of this testimony the
Secretary of War is placed, in a number
Of instances. In the position of having said
what, in fact, stated by Colonel Car
ter and adopted by the Secretary.
Credited to Col Carter
The printed report of the testimony shows
that Senator Foraker asked the Secretary
to call to the attention of the committee
any special features of the bill that had
impressed him. Senator Scott also referred
to the formation of the proposed pay de-
partment quartermaster's department,
subsistence department. etc, and asked in
regard to the change. Then came the fol-
lowing testimony according to the printed
report
Senator Foraker-And in what respects
different from this bill?
Secretary ROot-This Is the main differ
ence: The commissary general thinks that
there ought to be absolutely hard and
fast line between the members of the diff
ferent divisions of the new department.
Just as there Is now between the different
departments. The quartermaster's depart
ment does not think that. They differ on
that point.
Il agree with the view Of the quarter
masters department that 1t should be pos
sfble to impose upon one man the duties or
all three. although / think it is quite right
that they should be assigned to the sepa-
rate divisions; that IS, that one man should
be assigned to the subsistence division, an
other to the finance division. and so on
But 1 think that the War Department
should be at liberty to impose upon one
man the various duties of all three; that is.
TO require the man, even though he is as
signed to the subsistence division, to DO
quartermaster's duty. or finance duty, or
wherever it is possible for one man to do
all the work: that is, there ought to be
some elasticity"
The above answer. shown TO be given by
the Secretary of War. it is said, was in
fact given by Col. Carter when called upon
by the Secretary to reply to it.
Comment of Senators.
Members of the committee say that they
supposed information of this nature would
be in the possession Of the Secretary if he
understood the bill he approved.
For those reasons some members Of the
committee do not place that same degree
of confidence in the approval of the Secre
tary that they would accord him If 1t were
evident that he fully appreciated the scope
and effect of the measure.
1t is said that the instance cited Is but
one of numerous cases in the printed testi-
mony in which Col. Carter's answers are
credited to the Secretary.
In some instances the printed report Of
the testimony credits answers to Col. Car
ter, but the printed report, 1t is claimed, Is
no guide to show whether the answers to
questions were made by the Secretary or
by the assistant adjutant general.
This statement 1t Is believed by some
senator's, will have great bearing on the
bill II it gets before the Senate, as senators
In studying the testimony In effort to
decide how they will vote on the bill will
want to know just what the Secretary said
and what Colonel Carter said.