New-York tribune., 1902-02-15
GREAT ARMY REFORM.
cFCRET4PI ROOTS PLAN FOR
1 GENERAL STAFF.
SYSTEMS ABROAD-ONE HEAD FOR
THE FORCE CONSOLIDATION
OF SUPPLY DEPARTMENTS.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE.I

OF SUPPLY DEPARTMENTS.
IBv TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBU1El
Washington. Feb. 14-Secretary Root sent to
Congress to-day his plans for vastly increasing
,be efficiency # the army by the creation of a
general staff. after the manner Of the best mod
ern military systems abroad. The measure also
contains a number Of corrections of existing law
and erhodies a number Of important changes
which the experience Of the last four years
has shown TO be desirable. The merits of the
measure and the considerations which have gov
erned the War Department in presenting the
nlan and urging its adoption by Congress are
shown IN the following memorandum:
The main feature Of the proposed bill is the
proposed consolidation of the quartermaster'
subsistence and pay departments and the crea-
tjOn of a transportation division. all TO be under
chief of a supply corps. This viii enable tha
Secretary OI War TO administer the affairs OF
these great departments through one officer. who
viii BE- required 10 bring together the various
rattfcat1rs of the business of army supply and
finance. ana produce more coherent action than
has been possible under the present system
where each bureau has its own chief. who con
ducts the business Of his department along his
oVn lines. without being always in possession
Of rha knowledge Of what the other bureaus
have under consideration. The bill is not a gen
eral c0n5euna rion of the present system be-
cause Il is fully recognized that the work per-
formed by the various staff departments has
COull
not have been wholly wrong where so much
good has been accomplished. It is believed.
however. that the bill now proposed viii develop
during its discussion in Congress sufficient evil
dence 70 Justify action looking to a concentra-
ton Of the work Of these bureaus under one
chief CT course, there viii be many items con-
necteG with the equity rights Of officers who
nov hold commissions in these departments.
but II is intended 10 guard their interests so
as not TO leave any more cause for grievance
than Is absolutely necessary.
The second proposition in the bill is the cred
tion Of a general staff corps II has been ap-
parent 10 all students Of the situation that ii
has become absolutely necessary TO have. both
in the army and navy. a body of officers trained
10 their business TO consider the military policy
Of the country and prepare comprehensive plans
for defence. The mobilization Of troops and sim
far operations require more time and Considera-
ton than Il IS possible for officers TO give who
are burdened with the current official work of
the War and Navy departments. This portion
Of the bill does not give any increase Of officers
n the army, as the officers for general staff du-
ties are 10 be detailed from the army at large. In
connection, however. with the organization Of
the general staff, the business system Of the de-
parment, which now operates through two
channels, with the Secretary of War and the
General Of the Army, Will be brought together
be conducted through the Secretary of War. and
the General Of the Army viii be assigned to
duty as chief Of the general staff. The effort
to conduct the business Of the army with the
Two heads-the Secretary Of War and the COM
manding General Of the Army-has always
proved a very serious embarrassment. Every
commanding general has encountered similar
obstacles. for they are inseparable from so un-
busnessIike an arrangement. 10 those which
have operated during and since the war with
Spain.
Although General Washington was appointed
as commander in chief Of the army in 1899, he
did not have an Office in the War Department
nor attempt TO conduct affairs according 10
the later practice In 1925, General AIacomb
was assigned to command the army by the
President without any specific authority of law.
he being the senior general officer Of the army.
From that time forth each Of the senior officers
has been assigned to duty as commanding
general Of the army. but difficulties Of an ad-
ministrative character have been encountered
by all Prior to the outbreak Of the War Of
the Rebellion. General Scott's headquarters mad
been removed to New-York city by reason Of his
long continued difficulties with the Secretary Of
War. Jefferson Davis, and others. Troubles be-
tween the Secretary of War and General Scott
were so acute that reports in the same case
were finally transmitted by the President to
Congress. and the publications made a large
volume.
General Sherman became so discontented in
the Office that he requested that his headquar-
ters be removed to ST. Louis. General Sheri-
dan had considerable difficulty, which was final
ly adjusted by the Secretary OF War, Robert
T. Lincoln. who took issue with General Sher-
idan and specifically prescribed the duties Of the
Office as Ear as Il was possible TO do so. There
has never been a commanding general who has
been able 70 occupy the narrow limits prescribed
for the duties OF that Office in the War De-
partment without encountering much serious
difficulty. A great deal Of this arises from the
fact that the finances Of the army, which are
distributed by the various staff departments,
are wholly within the control Of the Secretary
the general Of the army, whose duties are con-
hned 10 those Of administration and discipline
TO SOLVE GREAT DIFFICULTIES.
There are always great difficulties in fixing re-
sDonsi5illty when so many different chiefs and
generals are concerned in the business affairs
OF the army. and the army itself has continu-
ally turned toward the general staff scheme as
furnishing the most probable solution to the
difficulties which have heretofore existed. These
difficulties are much greater than the average
layman would imagine. II the expenses Of
he War Of the Rebellion as IL was carried on
and the expenses as they would have been had
the military affairs Of the nation been in the
hands Of trained general staff corps are con-
rasted. the value Of this change in our system