The Washington times., 1902-07-05
General Davis Reports in
Favor Of Army Staff
Project.
FOREIGN MILITARY METHOD
Objects to the Selection of the Senior
General Officer as Chief of the Army
Staff-Reasons Submitted in Detail
Selections fox Efficiency.

W III bt 10 tlldllEt III INT SNdAL AbAo
year. The bill will be urged upon Con-
gress Immediately at the opening of the
next session and every effort will be
made to secure its passage.
Additional testimony supporting the
contention as to the necessity for such
a law, which abolishes the office now
held by Lieutenant General Miles. and
creates the Office of chief of staff. has
been received by Secretary Roo. from
officers now in the field. i remarkable
report on this subject has been received
from Gen. George W. Davis, now in the
Philippines.
General Davis frankly says that in his
opinion There is no more 4 necessity or
appropriate place for a general-in-chief
over and ir the army in war or peace
than there is for an ia-chief in
the navy; no more reason for gensralin
chief than there is in Germany. France
or Russia; and if we are justified in
forming an opinion from The criticisms
freely offered by the English military
critics. the empty title OF commander
in-clief in England will expire with the
present incumbent"
Opposes General Niles Selections.
It has been the intention OF the War
Department that whila the bill abolishes
the Office held 10y General Miles TO make
that officer the chief of staff. but this
meets With the disapproval Of General
Davis. who says:
History records one attempt to do
this. 1t was the very beginning of Gen
eral Grants Presidency. and General
shernan's assumption of army COM
mand. To have carried the Generals
plans into effect involved practically the
REIMBURSEMENT to him Of complete con-
troll over Congressional appropriations
for the supper; of the army.
The Secretary of War protested and
General Grant was not willing to assign
TO his most trusted general the control
over department Of the Government
which the laws required his secretary to
exercise. General Sherman's order was
disapproved and Immediately counter
manGed. Ii is almost certain that II ey-
ecutise disapproval had been withheld
Congressional revocation would have i'm
meciately resulted
TO expect to find Congress now will
ing TO intrust the active, substantial
chief command over the army and its
finances to q purely militia man. re-
srorsibility many times greater than
that sought by General Sherman in 1868,
seems TO me TO be wholly out of the
question, even if such an adjustment
were favorably regarded by the Presi-
dent.
ITO enlarge the functions and respcn-
sibilities of the general-in chief by de-
volving upon him the duties of chief of
the general staff would not mend mat
ters, for besides the absurdity of max
ing the general chief CT his own staff
he would still be the commanding gem
eral. and as such would dominate in the
council CT his colleagues
General Iavis adds:
There is another reason why the
senior general officer should not be the
chief OF the general stafT. II is hardly
necessary to state the reason, so pal
pable to all. The senior officer might
rot be fitted for the post. or his term
OF service might be so short as to make 1
his assignment inezDedient.
Selected for Efficiency.
IN the army as now organized there |
are of general oGioors and coloneis about
hundred in al. counting only the gen- |
erals exercising command. engineers. |
cavalry. artillery, infantry. adiutant
generals. and inspectors general From
this list chief OF general stan could be
detailed and given temporary rank OF
major general. IL detailed from grade
below. The officer must be a man OF
r. H. nd r.'a in he ,r.
life. and he Would serve as chief of staff
only during the pleasure of the Presl-
dent"
In summing up his reasons for oppos-
Ing Tie selection OF the senior genera!
officer CT the army for chief Of stan,
General DAVIS says:
First 4 military officer would. In ef-
feet, control and direct all a-Iny opera
tons and administration, a state OF af-
fairs that would not be tolerated by
Congress and the people q moment.
Second. A newly-elected President !
entering upon his duties wculd find n |
Office a general whose legal tenure OF /
Office might expire the next day. or 1
might not terminate for years. General |
Sherman vas general in chief for four !
teen years.
Third. The general. while deserving
all the dignity which the nation had con-
ferred upon him. might not have the
mental and physical endowmeut. for the /
staff duties.
Reasons for General staff.
THE general staff is preferred for
many reasons:
First. 1t would be impersonal.
Second. II would be composed of the
ablest men in the army those who had
demonstrated their fitness and had
shown special abilities in their several
specialties.
Third. The chief would be selected
from the whole army. a man IN the
prime of life, with all around abilities
md endurance for unremitting nd very
burdensome work.
"Those who DO not favor the creation
OF such an organization, If any there be,
may urge that The destiny OF every off,
Ger in the army will be in the hands OF
these men-a Kitchen cabinet they NAV
call it-who would run things IN their
own and their friends interests; but
reply that such has not been the ex-
periencc in foreign armies On the other
hand il is alleged by great many Brit
lsh officers and public men that tha
Horse Guards Ring serving with the
rasF two field marshals commanding
save notoTiously run the army as o
close corporation, securing promotion ,
.or themselves and their partisans and
preventing 1t fer others"