Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-12-16
ARMY IN GOOD SHAPE.
Secretary Roots Annual Report Com
mends General staff.

Secretary Roots Annual Report Conn
mends General staff.
Secretary Root deyotes a large por-
ton of his annual report of the opera
1 ms Of the War Department to the or
lnization and work of the general staff.
He quotes the statute snd regulations by
which the general staff is authorized, and
continues:
ut will be perceived that we are here
providing for civilian control over the
military arm, but for civilian control to
be exercised through a single military
expert of high rank, who is provided with
an adequate corps of professional as
sistants to aid aim in the performance
of his duties In this way it Is hoped
that the problem of reconciling civ liam
control with military efficiency with
which we have been struggling for so
many years win be solved.
1T is gratifying to report that the new
system Of control has been accompanied
by most harmonious effort and cheerful
good will Oh the part Of the members of
the general staff, the chiefs of all the
War Department bureaus and the officers
of the army at large"
Following the same Gne OF policy the
report says the Secretaries of War and
the Navy entered into an agreement for
a joint army and navy board to secure
joint action and cooperation OF the two
br inches of the service. or the results
expected, the Secretary says:
THE common understanding and mu-
tual assistance between the two services.
which it is within the power of this
board to bring ABOUT, may be made to
cover a wide range. II the two forces
are ever to be called upon to cooperate,
the time to determine what each shall do
and the time for each TO learn what the
other can do, is before the exigency
arises
The full strength of the regular army
Oct. 10. 1908, was 3.6S1 officers and 55,-
200 enlisted men, OF whom S43 officers
ami 1867 men were on duty in the
Philippines. There were also in the ser
vice 20 officers and 500 enlisted men In
the Porto Rico regiment, 80 officers and
4,S05 enlisted Philippine scouts, and
2,S07 hospital corps men. These figures
show a net decrease during the year Of
1878.
The Secretary commends the act to
promote the efficiency OF the militia and
providing for calling it into the service
of the national government In time Of
war The total number OF organized mill
tia available for this purpose is 8. 120
commissioned officers and S1,007 men.
New York leads with 1889 men, Penn
sylvania comes second with b,06S and
Illinois third with 6,G69.
The Secretary fayors a further reduc-
ton Of the troops IN the Philippines, but
does not think 1t desirable until the CON
struction of barracks and quarters in the
United States has made further progress.
The total expenditures Of the depart
ment for the year ended June 80. 1909
were S10S,5T ,762, of which the military
establishment took $40. 141, 500. the civil
establishment S2,02s.372 and public
works, including Notifications and ma
tional defenses, $30341.947. The esd-
mates for the present fiscal year aggre-
gate $125, aS9 .435, Of which s77,9S6,515
is for the army and S40,175.613 for pub
lie works.
Aside from such action as may be
needed for coast defense, the Secretary
says he does not thiuk any important leg
islation regarding the army will be adj
visable for some time TO come, and not
until the army shall have time 70 work
OF. the new methods under the direction
Of the general staff.