Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-23
ARMY OFFICERS ARE BUSY
Juniors at Posts in Department Of Missouri
Attending School.
MONTHS OF HARD WORK FOR STUDENTS
Increase in lumber OF Omcers During
Philippine war Makes Instruc-
tiOn While on Duty
Imperative.

The officers Of the United States army
In the Department Of the Missouri. and
probably In the other departments, are
about as busy now as they were when they
were leading their men through the swamps
and over the mountains in pursuit Of un-
reconciled FIlipinos, and the work is Of
such a nature as to make II almost impos-
sible for an officer to attend to all Of his
duties. In the first place there are fewer
officers In the United States army than in
any establishment OF like numbers in the
world. With the number which are neces-
sarily on sick leave. there are times when
there is but one oficer to a company. and
at the posts 1t frequently happens that one
man will I'LL positions designed to be filled
by three or more men. and one of1cer will
be duartermaster, commissary o%fcer. sig
nal oficer and engineer %oficer. while on
top OF It all be may have to take command
of the post or Of some regiment or company
stationed therein in the absence of superior
officers. Even at the headquarters Of the
departments 1t is dificult to secure officers
to I'LL stan positions, and at Omaha one OF
the personal aides OF General Bates is act
ing as inspector general Of the department,
while another is serving as Judge advocate.
Orders for Instruction.
With hisNscarcity Of men came an order
from the War department last September,
known as General order No. 1902, which was
issued for the purpose Of carrying out the
provisions Of General Order No. 1856, issued
last year, which order had for its purpose
the establishing Of schools for officers in
the posts of the army in the United States,
BY the terms of the general order of cur
rent series the commanders OF posts, subject
to the supervision OF department command
ers, are in immediate charge of instructions
and are required to keep detailed records
Of the operation Of the schools.
It is provided that field officers and cap
tains of over ten years service as COM
missioned officers shall be utilized as In
structors, but where a sufficient number OF
them cannot be obtained the post COM
mander shall designate some other oficer
to act as instructor. With this exception
and some to be noted later all OF the
officers OF the posts are to receive instruc-
lions and to make daily recitations to the
instructors from November 1 to April 80
The course Of study includes administra-
ton, theoretical and practical. drill regu-
~lations, theoretical and practical manual
of guard duty, small arms firing regu-
l%ations, troops on campaign, minor tactics
military law, field engineering, military
topography and sketching. internationa
law, hippology and coast defense. Gradu-
ates of the military academy at West Point
the Infantry and Cavalry school at Fort
Leavenworth, the Artillery school at Fort
Monroe and the Engineering School Of
Application at Washington barracks are
excused from instruction in military law
international law and field engineering. but
with these excepted studies they mus
follow the course as, do the others and 1t Il
especially hoted that all officers must take
instruction in hippology. while only on
GERS Of the coast artillery are to be in
structed In coast defense,
General Bates order.
1t was by General Order No. 80, issuet
by General Bates October 20, that tn,
provisions Of the War department orde
we're put into effect In the department
After citing the order OF the War depart
ment. he instructs all post commanders t.
report the names OF those officers in tn
excepted classes who need instructions, an,
also asks them to report where they hav,
not sufficient officers at the post to con
duct the examinations. He also provide
for the establishment OF noncommissione,
~pficers' schools from December 1 to Marcl
II, two sessions a week OF at least on,
hours duration, and post schools for en-
listed men during the same period.
When this order reached the posts of tn
department 1t was followed by a post orde
by the commander forming the post school
At Fort Crook Major ]. ]. Crittenden an,
Captain r. L. Houston were appointed a
Instructors in administration and MaJo
Abner Pickering and Captain w. H. Was
sell as instructors In drill regulations
The books to be used by the student
were specified and each student ordere
to provide them for his own use. Recita
tions are from IL to ~ in the forenoo
and from 2 to 8 In the afternoon.
With these duties the students and tn
instructors are required TO keep up thei
regular work, to serve as officers of tn
day and officers Of the guard, to drill thei
troops at the usual times and in additio
act as instructors Of the noncommissione
officers school and the school for the en-
listed men.
The result of this condition is that ever
man not necessarily on leave, because {
his health, must be on duty all tn
time. The extent Of this was shown re
aanfIv uhan AZ hacamo naoagearv fnr IN