The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08
PRESIDENT PLANS
GREAT Change
IN Army.
Seven Large Brigade Posts
to Be Established, With
Generals in Command
NONE ON THIS COAST
NONE ON THIS COAST
Appropriation Not Sufficient
to Equip One Here During
the Present Fiscal Year

OYSTER BAY. July Important
steps calculated to materially develop
the efficiency Of the army were taken
today by President Roosevelt and Sec
retary Taft at Sycamore Hill. In his
last message to Congress the Presi-
dent said the number of posts at which
the army was stationed in times of
peace should be materially diminished
and the posts that were left made cor
respondingly larger.
This recommendation is to be carried
out at once Seven brigade posts, to
be commanded by brigadier generals,
are to be established. Two others are
desired but the funds at the disposal
of the Secretary may not be sufficient
to allow of their equipment during the
present fiscal year.
! The posts. which the President and
Secretary Taft tentatively decided to-
day to enlarge to brigade posts are
those at Fort Riley, Kas.; Fort Leaven-
worth. Kas.; Fort Sam Houston, Texas;
Fort Robinson. Neb.; Fort D. A Rus
sell, Wyo.;. Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. 1t is de-
sired to have one in Pennsylvania and
one on the Pacific Coast, but these will
have to be taken care of later. Final
action regarding these posts, will be
taken a week from next Monday, when
Secretary Taft will make a second visit
to Oyster Bay.
PLANS MUST BE HURRIED.
The necessity for the formulation of
a complete plan. at this time in the
development of the new scheme is oc-
casioned by the. requirement in the
urgent deficiency appropriation act OF
the last session, which is that all ap-
propriations shall be apportioned so as
to last throughout the year for the pur-
pose for which they were made with
out causing deficiency. The army
appropriation act carries 100000 for
the creation of army posts. It also
carries S3,000,000 for barracks and
quarters and $12,0Oo,O00 for transpor-
tation of the army. Before this money
can be expended a complete plan as to
what it shall be used for must be made
and the lump sum appropriations so
! apportioned that no deficiency will be
created
In attempting to carry out his plan
! the President is simply following the
line he indicated to Congress in his
army should be trained above all else
to act in mass. To this end he sug-
gested that provision be made for man
euvers of practical kind In this plan,
he says, the generals and colonels
would have opportunity to handle regi-
ments, brigades and divisions and the
commissary and medical departments
would be tested in the field. What he
added regarding the establishment of
larger army posts was that no local in
terests should be allowed to stand in
the way of assembling the greater part
of the troops, which would at need
form our field armies in stations of
such size as will permit the best train
ing to be given to the personnel of all
grades, including the high officers and
staff officers.
WEDDING OUT PROCESS.
ITO accomplish this end" he said
I'VE must have not company and regi-
mental garrisons, but brigade and di-
vision garrisons."
The President follows this with com
ment on the wedding out process the
West Point military academy does on
prospective army officers, and says
there SHOULD be some process in the
army that would achieve the same end
after a certain age has been
reached" he says, the average officer
is unfit to do good work below a GER
tain grade"
Provision. he maintains should be
made for the promotion of exception
ally meritorious men over the heads of
their comrades and for retirement of
all men who have reached a given aye
without going beyond a given rank
The plan now being worked out bv
the President and Secretary of War. II
is intended. will accomplish much that
the President has expressed a desire
for in the foregoing recommended tions
to Congress
Relic of the Zeiglcr Expedition.