The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-10-24

auguration of the general staff of the army. as hauup day in our military history.
 This is a time of organization. Great results are produced only by that. Industrial effort, individual brilliancy, individaau heroism, accomplishes but little, except as it has an effect upon masses of men. Effective and harrno- nious organization is the moving power of the world to-day. We have Jagged behind in the army until now; and now I believe and trust we take our place in the front rank of the organizations which are to control the effective action of the future. look back to the cabals and dissentions which came so near wrecking the effort for Independence in Washington's time; the bitterness of heart under which he Iabored in his long and painful effort to control the discordant clements that were working or pretending to work for the indepen- denee of the colonies. I look back at the political ambitions which dictated the movements under differing and an tagonistic officers during the Mexican war. I recall the bitter controversies which left theor echoes sounding through a generation after the civil war; and remembering that the most vital defect of a military service is lack of harmony among the officers in com mand, look at the unselfish devotion of the last few years, and the last year especially, in the American army with a feeling of pride and satisfaction.
 When I think of the present lieuten- ant-general thursting aside the leisure and the quiet dignity which he had so well earned, and take upon himself in the last year of his active service the arduous and the perplexing and annoy ing duties involved in the presidency of the war college board and the work of the chief-of-staff; when reflect upon the disinterested and unselfsh course of Major General Corbin, the adjutant- general of the army, who practically oc- cupied the position of chief-of-staf to the president throughout the war with Spain, who wielded greater power in the control of the American army than any other soldier of his day, and who put the whole force and weight of his great influence and his intimate knowl- edge of the army and of the legislative branch of our government at the service of this new movement which was to put over him chief to exercise the power that he had exercised, and to cheerfully and with self-devotion take the position as assistant to the chief-of-staff where he had been practically chief; when look at the heads of the great adminis- trative departments who have been practically independent for so many years. responsible only to the secretary of war, and acting upon his direction given in reliance upon their advice, and see them voluntarily and cheerfully and with no thought but of the country's good and the efficiency of the army as a whole, binding their departments under l the direction of military officer who would stand between them and the sec I retary of war; when see such spirit and patriotism in all the departments and such esprit de corps of the army as l a whole, 1t seems to me that I am justi- fled in the most brilliant anticipations and In the, most confidential expecta- tions for the future of the American army.
 Other wars are to come; when, we know not, or with whom we know not but we know they are to come. Days Of | trial for our country are to come, and conffdentially believe that when these days are upon us the American people will look back to the inauguration of the general staff, and will look back to the inauguration of a good spirit of brotherhood in arms pervading all branches of the American army, as the beginning of a new day and the origin of an efficiency never known before in the defenders of our government and ot our nation. I know that I shall not only look upon your work with confi- dence and trust, but shall look back with gratitude and affection to all of ] you who have with such faith and zeal and loyalty wrought in the cause which has been so dear to me; for knowing | little of military affairs, I believe that I can claim whatever connmendation is due for having been myself loyal to the