The independent., 1903-09-03
ANOTHER Report surrsEs.En


OF modern times, is something 10 be
looked at from a different standpoint
than that of personal difficulty be-
tween two public men. II has been
the constant attempt of the president
to suppress the reports Of the general
commanding the army of the United
States and to contemptuously ignore
all his suggestions. That has re-
suited in depriying senators and rep
resentatives of the suggestions and
advice Of man upon whom they had
right to rely in regard to all matters
concerning the army and the defense
Of the country to the great loss Of the
nttion.
Information has come to the office Of
The Independent to the effect that
most valuable report of General Miles
has been suppressed. In tLat report
he called attention to the fact that in
the best organized and most efficient
armies the proportion of cavalry to in
fantry is from one-fourth to one-fifth,
while in the United States it was one
talf. AS the maintenance of cav
airy regiment costs immensely more
than that Of an infantry regiment the
expense of maintaining the army was
greatly and unnecessarily increased.
The modern long range, magazine rifle
has made cavalry charge impossible
With rapid firing rifle in the hands
of the infantry that will kill at a
mile, the use of cavalry in the old way
must be abandoned Every horse and
man would go down long before it
could reach line of infantry. For
that reason the European tacticians
have greatly reduced that arm of the
service
General Miles therefore recommends
the reduction of the cavalry one-halt
and that a new corps be organized.
His words on this subject were as fol-
lows:
! There is, however a corps or
| force required in our army that
could be rendered of great utility
not only to the military, but to
the people of this country. This
power is being recognized by Eu-
ropean governments, and | have
several times recommended it's use
by ours. 1t will be utilized in the
next war, and preparation for its
use by our army should nc longer
be neglected. l have reference to
the bicycle, motorcycle and the
automobile, which have been de-
veloped to that extent that they
have become most valuable
means of communication and
transportation. Five regiments of
cavalry should be discontinued,
and q corps of five regiments
should be organized, thoroughly
trained and constantly employed
in the use of these modern appli-
arces. 1t should be regarded as
flying corps or corps of observa-
ton, to open the way for the ad-
vance of an army, to obtain infor-
nation, to reconnoiter the country
and to repair or build roads and
bridges"
Then follows a recommendation for
use of the army in time of peace
lcng advocated by the populists, that
is, using the army to build roads in
stead of keeping the soldiers in bar
racks in idleness to die of rottenness
and degeneration. He says:
"The modern appliances of road
building are vastly superior to
those formerly used-in fact, the
work is now done principally by
machinery-and this corps should
be supplied with all the recent in
/. ventions and improvements for
that purpose. 1t should be con-
stantly moved about through diff
ferent parts of the country where
1t would have every opportunity
for experience in improving the
roads suitable for the movement
of an army, making careful study
of the topography, surveying and
manning the different sections aS