Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-06
Army eossrP ~ wAsHINerOS.
Curreht Evssts cleaned fron the
Army and navy Register.

| Current Eventa cleaned from th,
Army snd navy Register.
TIE experiments conducted b. tha on
GERS q tks signal corps % The army Will
different types q motor cycles have no
| proved successful - far a. Offering AM
! unq1sstionsd Denominations of the vaiu,
I % those machines IN ths military way
/ Perhaps this is dus % the fact that thsy
/ have been used over rough. riountainoul
and sandy roads % Colorado. Utah and
/ Arizona. They may be Of Use IN level and
! more populated districts. especially In the
| sportation of individuals and tool,
| needed in the repair % telegraph lines
The bicycle AMI l's more intricate compan.
/ ION. the motor cycle. 90 not appear q
have established themselves very hrmly
in oficial esteem as 4 means Of military
| transportation. II has been found that for
most uses the larger self-propellinE vehicle
Of which the army signal corps now haa
two admirable types-one Of which IL 70 be
cent % Fort Leavenworth. Kan, and tha
other TO tho new signal corps depot at
Ornahs-is of more service.
II has been decided by the chief Of stan
of the army 70 have. for The present at
least. no extended movements OF troops. as
recommended by some of the department
and division commanders. Under ordinary
circumstances there would be transfers Of
commands In the Department OF Texas TO
which command II has been suggested
that a. full regiment Of infantry be sent
with tho intention Of occupying Fort Sam
Houston. There are accommodations at
that post for such a regiment and the as
signment Of troops has been the subject
of recent correspondence between General
J NJ. Leo and the War department There
r. not a. present a full regiment OF In
fantry available for the station recon-
mcnded by General Lee, in addition to
which fact there is a scarcity Of funds
which may be used to defray the cost OF
the transportation Of these troops.
The army quartermasters who have
charge ~ post exchanges estimate that at
least $4,000 should be held In reserve each
year for tho renewal Of worn-out equip
ment, repairs, etc. At the exchanges which
have already been established. It is estl-
mated that this should he deducted from
the annual allotment for exchanges and In
time. when additional exchange buildings
are in operation, It viii be necessary 10 in
crease this. II is possible when all OF the
posts have been equipped with exchanges
II will be necessary to have a fund OF $50,
OOl each year TO maintain these institutions.
The fact that tho army quartermaster's 3
manual gives some very valuable instruc-
tions In regard 60 the care Of steam and hot
water heating plants with which quarters
and barracks arc now equipped has led
10 the suggestion that the quartermaster
general might to great advantage publish
for the information Of all concerned a full
set OF instructions detailing the proper
methods, materials and apparatus for pre-
serving all parts of barracks in good condi-
tion. Floors should be absolutely clean at
inspections; plastered wallis should be at all
times free from smutches and indentatlons,
baseboards clean and unscarred, corners
and crevices free from dust, polished Ak
lures OF plumbing bright and tubs and
closets white and odorless. These condi-
tions and others In the matter OF cleanliness
are desirable. Although faulty conditions
may often be attributed to carelessness and
indifference on the part of the enlisted
men and lack OF discipline among them.
General T. ]. Whit is inclined to believe
from his observations that lack OF know
ledge on the part of company commanders
as TO how 20 proceed what materials to
use and what apparatus is best adapted TO
the purpose Is frequently the reason for the
unsatisfactory conditions.
The order reducing the period OF service
I'm the Philippines Of stan officers has its
immediate embarrassments. whatever ad-
vantages II will have later This is espe-
cially so In the army medical department,
the officers OF which corps now on duty I'm
the islands will have 10 be brought back
earlier than was expected This applies to
the junior oficers OF the department who
were detailed for duty In the Philippines in
1908, with the expectation that they would
remain on duty there until there were avail
able for duty In the islands other Junior
officers who will have graduated from the
army medical school next year, Now,
these officers must be brought home before
the graduates are available for duty and
their places must be taken by other medi-
cal officers who are attached TO various
stations in this country. or course, this is
simple matter Of adjustment and can be
easily controlled, so long as II is known
Just when the oficers are TO be recalled.
This is a provision, OF course, which can be
easily made. The embarrassment is only
temporary one and is fully offset by the
advantages gained by the reduction in the
period Of duty.
There Is revival OF the story that the
headquarters Of the northern military d.
vision win be transferred from St, Louis
20 Chicago. and the local papers OF the
latter city are holding a mild celebra alton
over the change, which is described as being
ot great bereft commercially 20 that place
There is no intention OF making the trans
fer, and is not likely to be so long as Lieu
| tenant General Chaftee has anything 70
say On the subject.