The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25


both in the cavalry and the engineer corps
during the Spanish war. The supporters of
the Indianapolis Horse Show Association
and the Coliseum Association are taking
great interest in the new organization. The
next meeting will be held at the CONNER
cial Club Jan. 3d. when the committee on
rules and regulations will report.
The situation Of the lieutenants in the
United States army is somewhat of an
anomalous as well as a serious and criti-
cal condition for them. There is a bitter
controversy over the arrangement of these
officers as to their lineal rank by the War
Department. Many claim the arrangement
is Illegal. Two lieutenants have inundated
the secretary of war, hoping to upset the
whole assignment. Powerful influences are
behind these two officers. These appoint
ments must be confirmed by the Senate,
and the Senate military committee refuses
to act until this matter is passed on by the
court. a suit has been brought. 1t is
pointed out that all unconfrmed nominal
tons expire with the end of the Congress.
This term Of Congress expires March 4,
hence all lieutenants whose appointments
are not confirmed by the Senate at that
time will be out of office. Several Indiana
men are among them.
The sword voted by the Indiana Legisla-
| ture to Rear Admiral III. c. Taylor, COM
! handing the battleship Indiana, was or
dered through julius C.. Walk & Son, of this
city. They are assured it will be delivered
| Feb. IL. 1t will be on exhibition in their
show window from the time it is received
| till the date of its presentation. 1t will be
| presented to Admiral Taylor Feb. %
| in the corridors of the Statehouse. The
ceremonies were planned for Washington's
birthday. but that falls on Sunday, so
| they will occur on the 3d. Word has been
| rsce'vac from Admiral Taylor indicating his
| high appreciation of the honor conferred
| upon him, and that he will be present.
Admiral Brown has immediate charge of
the ceremonial arrangements. Among his
| assistants Senator ]. T. Layman and
! Judge John ". Hadley, Indianapolis; John
c. Nelson. Logansport: Gen. John 3.
| Reeves, Rushville.
| Lieut.. r. p. Hobson who has been on
sick leave Of absence for a long time, has
been ordered to duty. He has been on the
lecture platform during the past year adj
\
he will resign and remain on the lecture
platform. Some time ago he was ordered
| before a retiring board on account of de-
| fective eyesight, but the board refused to
recommend his retirement. A bill was then
| introduced in the Senate to place him on
| the retired list. The Senate military COM
mittee has failed to make a report favor
able thereon. Captain Hobson's case APP
A
| physically able to perform duty in the
| line. but he belongs to the Bureau of Con-
struction. where the incest possible eyesight
| is necessary for his work The trouble
| with his eyes commenced after the battle
of Santiago. and his duties in the Philip
pines and on the coast of China during the
| Philippine war.
| A system of schools is being established
| by the secretary of war at the different
! army posts throughout the United States
| and her colonies. Their necessity is appar-
| ent from an examination of the roster of
| officers in the adjutant generals office at
| Washington. 1t shows that there are $500
line officers in the United States army;
| that 1878 of them have been appointed
since the Spanish-American war; that of
| these ISIS only 276 are West Point gradu-
| ates: that the remaining 1,542 have come
Ala from the ranks of the United States
| army, 512 from civil life, and GIG from the
| volunteers of the war with Spain and the
Philippines: that nearly the entire body of
first and second leutenants in the United
States army to-day are appointees from
| civil life and the ranks. 1t is self-evident
that the general average of education
among these young officers is much lower
than before the war with Spain, when the
bulk of the young officers were West Point
graduates. To remedy this defect as much
as possible the department has established
these post schools, and will require all
officers to attend whose education is de-
fective.
For some time a heated discussion has
| waged among military and naval men as
| to the relative value of guns of extremely
large and those of medium caiber for sea-
| coast defense, also of heavy armored or
| speedy unarmored battleships for the flu