Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-01-19
ARMY GOSSIP At WASHINGTON.
Matters Of Interest Cleaned from tne
Army and Navy Register.

The War Department is Ill rectip' VI
replies from retired officers of the army
who nave been asked whether they de-
sire assignment to duty with the luii
pav of their respective grades. Geher-
al Chalfee went carefully over the lSl
and selected those officers VINO were
deemed able to perform the duty con-
tcmplated. The officers were informed
that they would be expected to accep'
the assignment without condition as 10
the locality where they might be or
dered The letter also stated lhat
while recruiting duty was that 10
which most of them might be assigned
it was possible that the retired officers
might be assigned to other duties men
toned in the law authorizing the detail
of retired officers to active duty. Ldter
On the replies will be tabulated, ana
from the list will be selected those
officers who will be assigned to duty.
The need of good cooking III the army
has been the subject of numerous re-
ports from officers who have seen ser
vice i'm the field and who realize that
dicteticS have Il direct and litiniitt"
influence upon military efficiency. A
general order issued from the war Dc
uartment establishes a training School
for bakers at Fort Riley, Kan:, at which
Aucct sSivc classes will be instructed Tor
periods Of four months. Each class Wili
be composed of eighteen recruits Sc
lee ted so as 10 have four from the cav
airy. four from the artillery and ten
from the infantry, the men selected I"
ne OF good character and willing to
learn tie bakers trade.
No decision has been reached by the
general stan OF the question of re-ar-
ranging the proportions Of cavalry, IN
fantry and artillery of the army. in ac-
tordance with the theory of Secretary
Taft. that the artillery corps should be
Increased by the transfer to that
branch of some of the cavalry. 1t is
thought that no specific recommends
ton along that or any other line OF
read juStmcnt will be made by the gen.
aral staff. Ii is known that General
Chaitee does not favor the plan, mainly
on account of the numerous difficulties
which would attend the transfer. In
the irst place there would be some
trouble about converting c;tvilrymen
INTO dItiilefNllcll under tnp cSlSlil5
eXactions Of qualification governing
appointments and transfers to the ar
tillaiy and promotions within ti:dt
corps. y more important cOnSidera-
ton is the effect upon congress: the
impression IS likely to be impaired to
that body by the admission from the
War department that there is super
fluffy of cavalry. There is very AIT. in
the present temperament OF congress.
to have such Il proposition met with
the reply that if the cavalry is too large
il may better be reduced and tho
niistrd force OF artillery accomplished
simply by the increase III authorized
enlisted strength. Conservative OBJ
servers do lot let that possibility eS-
cap" them III their estimate Of the si;u-
alton and il is a factor which may III
the "ad prevail 10 gain nothing on tho
subject from the general staff III the
Way Of radical reaijustment. Every
one admits that the question is one
which requires much thought ana an
appreciation of the clements, political
rs well a5 military.