The Washington bee., 1902-03-08
WAR COLLEGE PLAN.
Secretary Roots Pet Idea to Be
Carried Into Effect.
Training school at Washington, u.
c., to Educate Officers In the
Practical Handling Of Troops
During IA Campaign.

One of the best fruits of the Span
ish-American war is the foundation OF
the great war college at Washington
barracks. A decisive step toward the
consummation of the plans of Secre~
tary Root was taken recently when
Representative Hull, chairman of tho
house committee on military affairs.
introduced a bill providing for the
establishment of such an institution
and the reorganization of the general
statf along modern lines.
The secretary of war, Hon. Elihu
Root, in his plans for the proposed
war college has taken a comprehensive
grasp of the situation. At the launch
ing of his idea he says: 1T should be
kept constantly in mind that the OBJ
ject and ultimate aim of all this pre@
paratory work is to train officers to
command men in war. Theory must
not, therefore, be allowed to dispIace
practical application" 4,
The principal advantages which it is
designed to secure are:
l. The bringing of all the different
branches of military education into
one system under the direct superyi-
sion of body of officers whose busi-
ness it will be to make every part OF
the system effective.
2. The establishment of definite re-
quired courses of instruction in the Of
ficers' schools which will be the founda-
tiOn of the whole system.
3. The establishment of the general
service and staff college upon the
foundation of the infantry and cav
airy school at Fort Leavenworth, SD
that every officer who displays superb
or qualities in the lower schools may
be instructed there in every branch
of military service.
4. The completion of the series of in
structions by the war college. which
will ultimately be in effect post
graduate course for the study of the
greater problems of military science
and national defense.
5. The establishment of u record in
the war department upon which shall
appear the names of officers who have
exhibited special capacity, in Order
that they may be known by the COM
mander in chief and by the country
whenever special service is required
6. The throwing open of the schools
to the officers of the national guard
of the former volunteers and the grad
yates of military colleges and schools
for instruction by and with the officers
of the regular army.
To accomplish this purpose Secres
tary Root has ordered the foundation
at every military post of officers
schools for elementary instruction iH
theory and practice and special serDa
ice schools. These latter will be io>
Gated at the artillery school at Fort
ress Monroe, Va. the engineers school
of application, which is located at the
Washington barracks, where the new
war college will also be housed; the
schools of submarine defense at Fort
Totten, Y. Y, the school Of application
for cavalry and field artillery at Fort
Riley, Kan, and the army medica1
Washington. A general service and
staff college is recommended at Fort
Leayenworth, Kan, and the war coll
lege for the most advanced instruction
will be located at the Washington bar
racks.
1t is estimated that the additional
expense for the fitting of these schools
with buildings and apparatus will be
about 100000 year.
Gen. 6. NJ r. Young has been select
ed as the president Of the war college,
His assistants or advisory board have
been tentatively selected as follows:
Gen. ]. F. Bell. now on service in the
Philippines. as commander Of the
school at Fort Leavenworth. Kan. i
Gen. G. L. Gillespie, chief Of engineers
Gen. w. F. Randolph, chief of artillery,
bnd Col. A. L. Mills, superintendent OF
the military academy at West Point. .