Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-08
REDUCTION
OF THE ARMY.
On Dec, | It viii be Sixty Thou
sand and Twenty Men.
80 SAYS GENERAL C0RBlN.
uaneuvers Were Good Thing m iii-
tin Has Heterogeneous Collection
or Obsolete Arms.

Washington, Nov THE annual re-
port of Adjt,- Gen. Corbin Of the army
deals with every feature of the army
and begins with a statement showing
that the army is to be reduced by Dec.
! to 5000 men, of which about 2,S77 be-
long to the STAFF departments,
The report shows that during the
fiscal year IS officers were killed in ac-
ton or died OF wounds and disease. q
resigned and IS retired, OF the enlist
ed men l,2I1 were killed or died Of
wounds and disease, S5S06 were dis
charged on the expiration of service, o.
4SS were discharged for disability or
dismissed by order Of court.martlal,
1867 deserted. two were missing and 203
retired.
Gen. Corbin, In calling attention to
his former recommendation that the
rank and pay for military attaches
abroad should be increased suggests
that retired officers Of high rank might
be selected for this service. While the
number of attaches has been de-
creased. the service has improved be-
cause Of the reciprocal relations that
have been established with the war de-
partments of several governments
where officers are stationed.
Gen. CorbIn discusses the various
schools OF the army and points out the
advantages which will accrue through
them
In reviewing the reports Of officers
who participated In the army and navy
maneuvers last September Gen. Corbin
says that much valuable information
was acquired He says
The maneuvers have proved that the
rank and file OF our army can be de-
pended upon In every emergency; that
apparently impossible tasks can be ac-
complshed under the spur Of necessity
and that there Is an unreasonable
gulf between practice and theory The
lessons learned by both officers and
men were of more practical value than
years Of ordinary garrison routine mad
Instructions"
lie strongly recommends that similar
exercises be conducted annually and be
made to embrace each year new thea
ire or operations. so that the benefit
may be shared by the different garri-
sons in the several fields Of defense.
Gen. Corbin adds:
THE conviction expressed by the
commanding general in charge of the
land defenses that every officer and en-
listed man of the army and official of
the national guard, who took part In
the maneuvers, entertains a feeling Of
admiration for the splendid manner in
which the naval part of the program
has been conducted, whereby the conf
dence in the affection for the sister SER
vice, ever constant, has been renewed
and emphasized by this exceedingly
agreeable association In prosecuting
professional work Of great Importance
to the nation voices sentiment
heartily concurred IN by the army"
The adjutant general has obtained
tie number and kind of arms I'm the
hands Of the national guard in the sew.
eral states, and finds less than 1000
United States magazine rifles in their
possession. OF the multitude of other
tyres he says.
This heterogeneous collection of
obsolete arms is a very serious detrl.
ment TO the efficiency of the entire ma
tional guard, which in organization,
drill, instruction, ETC.. assimilates close
- ~ NV iNSulbi al my anu SnOulQ DS
armed with the same arms as the lat
ter"
Gen. Corbin recommends legislation
providing that Maj Gems Merritt
frooke and Otis, now on the retired
list be given the rank Of Lieutenant
eeneral, and that Coils. Gilmore and
Williston be given the rank OF brigadler
generals on the retired list.
He has the following 10 say concern
Ing early marriages In the army:
THE early marriage Of the younger
officers Of the army, many Of whom are
entirely dependent upon their pay and
allowances for support, is greatly TO be
dcplored and should be discouraged. A
young officer should have but one al
legiance, and that should be to the
service. Those without private means
must necessarily divide their pay be-
tween the demands Of their office and
family A considerable number are re-.
quired for service In the Philippines,
where living IL expensive, and the ac-
complshment Of this tour Of duty re-
cults in actual hardship TO officers with
families"
Gen, Corbin says the detail staff sys-