Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-29
Lieutenant Generals Last Off
cial Utterance Made Public
Pacific Coast Defense
RESULT OF MILES INSPECTION
Concerning the Organization of the
Army, He Has Found the Cavalry
Force to Be Entirely Out of Proper
ton, Useless and Enormously Expen-
sive-For Good Roads.

i"S 'S" i'iiHe pup'ic .ii uH-
making many recommendations for
official sources in the war departments
n &c . Iette, - so,,,.o.,. 90 w. Pc,
" 't'e ''t'''s So S'eN
Inc communication has been held up
in Secretary Roots office on the
ground thar the recommendations
shor,a ~ - - 49,,
ulo'' 'is
made pubic.
General Miles letter written the day
before he Left the office, is as follows:
Within the past year | have seen the
principal part of the army where 1t
has been serving. have carefully in
spected the defenses of the Pacific
coast, and within the last few months
have inspected some of the principal
Qualifications on the Atlantic and gull
coasts.
There are some features concerning
the army that deem it my duty to lay
before the authorities.
My views concerning the organiza-
ton of the army have been presented
in official communications and In tes-
timony wherever required by the COM
mittees of congress.
My recommendation as to the
strength of the mounted force IN pro-
portion to the infantry, was, at the tune
the extreme limit that | felt justified IN
recommending. and was n much larger
percentage than | would have advocat-
ed but for certain circumstances exist
ing at that time, yet even on that rec
o,,, dat n
We're cut down and the cavalry force
increased until now the latter is entire
ly out of proportion, useless and enor-
mously expensive.
Well Trained Cavalry.
AT the commencement of the Snan-
ish war. when we had we'll trained,
thoroughly confined hardened and ex-
uerienced cavalry n norton of IL was
abolished to remain at Tampa, and in
lis place newly organized troops were
san; IN the front Now that was either
all wrong or The present organization
OF tbe army. with the great expense
incident thereto is unwise and iniu-
Iicious and this subject requires, IN
my indictment the serious attention of
tho government.
"There is no country with the pos
sible execution of Russia that has SO
large a number of men who are accus-
toned to live in the saddle, and are
experienced and expert horsemen, as
the United States. 1t Is safe to say
that there are tens of thousands of men
in our country who are in the saddle
every day. who are skilled in landcraft,
and the use of arms, and who can be
easily converted into a most formidable
corps of mounted rifemen. In fac
there could easily be moniilZed IN our
country, at least ten times as many
mounted men, many of whom nave haa
military service. as could be landed on
our shores by any government or gov
ernments within any reasonable ufne.
We have 100000 men accustomed TO the
saddle and rifle, that could be used 10
quickly overrun either Canada or Mex
leo: hence the disproportion OF our
mounted forces to that OF the mar.
body of the army, is unnecessary ana
njudicious. In European armies the
proportion of mounted troops TO infan-
try, is from one-fourth to one-hlth'
in the English army it Is one-seSenth.
While in our army there are ohe-nail
as many cavalry as infantry regiments.
The marvellous development IN mod
ern arms. rifles, machine guns, and
quick firing field artillery--render the
cavalry as formerly used on the battle
field obsolete, while the wonderful de-
valonment in the use of motor power
and electrical appliances has rendered
the horse far less important than for
merly These facts are doubly signi-
6cant and should be recognized by the
military authorities and the govern
mont
There Is. however corps or force
required in our army that could be
rendered. Of great utility not only to
the military. but to the peo-
nIa of this country This
no,yar is being recognized by
Euronean governments. and l have sew
eral times recommended it's use by ours
II win no used in the next war, and pre-
norations for its use by our army should
no 1onear he neglected. / have refer
once 10 tha bicycle. motorcycle and the
automobile. which have been developed
Ia MAT extent that they have become
a most valuable means of communica-
,io ard RECONSIDERATION. Five regi-
,.nts of cavalry should be discontin-
,,aa a,7 corns of five regiments should
no oroanizea thoroughly trained and
constantly emnloyed in the use of these
n,odarn annliancas. IT should be re-
corded az , living corps of observation,
- omen the way for the advance of an
,rn,v to Obtain information, TO recon