The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-07
ARMY STAFF BILL
Passed the House by a Majority Of
l55 10 81.
DEBATE WAS CUT OFF
By Special Order from Committee Ouly
Oue Hour for Discussion.
THE GENERAL COMMANDING
Is Relieved by the Bill of Many In.
portant Duties.
THE GENERAL STAFF WILL CONSIST
OF One Chief Of Staff and Two General
Officers to Be Detailed by the
President.
Is Relieved by the Bill of Many I'm.
pOrtant Duties.
HE GENERAL STAFF WILL CONSIST
OF One Chief Of Staff and Two General
Officers to Be Detailed by the
President.

Washington January & The house today
passed the bin FOR the crention Of general
stan for the army 10y q vote Of l53 to ~.
by tue terms Of the hin. "a becomes the
duty OF the general stan 10 prepare nlans
FOR the National defense. and for the nobl
lzatlon of the army IN time Of war; 10 IN
NeStigate aud report on all uucs lions az.
fecting the efficiency OF the service and to
render professional ail to the secretary OF
war md to general Officers and other
superior commanders The general stan
corps Is TO consist N ono chief Of stan aud
two general officers. an to lac detailed by
the president from Officers OF tue army at
iargc not below tho grade of brlgudier
general. four coouca. sis licutcunnt col
oucls and twelve majors twenty captains
to he detailed from Officers of tho grade OF
captain or first lieutenant who. when serv-
Ing, shall have the rank. pay ANA allow
Gncc of captains, mounted 81 Officers In
The general stan Shall he detailed therein
for periods Of four years While serving on
the general stan corps officers may be as
signed temporarily TO duty with my branch
Of the army. Upon heing relieved they
shall return to the branch Of tue army in
which they hold permanent commissions,
and 10 officer, except general one, shsll
bc eligible to a further detail IN tho gen.
cral stan corps untIl he shall have served
two years with tho branch NJ the army
in which commissioned, except in case Of
emergency In tho time of war The bill
also provides that the chief Of stan. under
the direction Of the president. shall have
supervision Of all troops Of the Inc, and
ot the adjutant generals Inspector gem
|
subsistence, medical pay and ordnance de-
pert,nepts. the corps Of engineers and the
/ signal Corps; shall perform such other
duties as mny be assigned 20 him BY tns
| president Duties nov prescribed by statute
| FOR tho commanding general Of the army as
| member Of tho bonrd of ordnance and
fortecatior and Of tho board Of commits
tloncN ~ the soldiers home. shall he per-
formed by the chief 81 staT or other Of
Gocro designated by the president
number Of bils Of minor character
were passed among them one to Increase
tbc pcnslon Of soldiers totally deaf from $50
to $40 per moath: another to provide add
tionnl punishment for persons twice con
yicted Of couuterfcitng, and n third to
change the boundaries Of the Southern and
Central judicial divisions Of the Indian Ter
ritory.
The vote IN the house yesterday having
shown that the bin to create n general stan
In the army did not command the support
OF the necessary two thirds TO pass II under
suspension Of the rules. special order
was brought in from the committee ON
rules at the opening Of the session OF the
house today, which provided for it's CON
slderation. The rulc allowed one hour for
general debate. 1t was not antagonized,
and upon It's adoption the house proceeded
10 the discussion Of the BILL
Mr.. Mcclellan q. ", the first speaker.
supported the bill although expressing
doubt whether the best results could be OBJ
tanned from general STAFF composed o.
officers detailed for short terms, without
previous technical training. lie remarked
ironically that perhaps this could not be
helped as long as senators had sons aud
representatives bad relatives willing 70
serve their country.
Mr.. Adams pa warmly commended the
bill
Mr. Klutz ~ O. criticised the bill. Ho
believed that general in the field was
better able to command the army than a
hoard Of strategy, sitting around a table IN
Washington lie said that the strategy
board during the Spanish war was ridiculed
and that n was only after Dewey he'd cut
the cable that he had the free hand which
gave him an opportunity to win the great
victory in Manila hay
Mr.. Hay Wn), Mr.. Parker e. J.), Mr..
Hull Gowsl and Mr. Hepburn qoya) also
discussed the bill General debate then
closed.
Mr.. Warner dl) offered an amendment
TO strike out the secretary Of war,
wherever occurred 10 the bin coupled with
president He thought the supreme coln-
mand OF the army should rest where N
was with the president In the course OF
his remarks, he declared, sarcaStically that
he favored the bill, because II would do go
little harm. In Time OF peace. he said. Il
would provide few officers with harmless
amusement and not interfere With the con
duct Of the army In the hed when actual
war came
rhe amendment was adopted. as wers
several minor verbal amendments