Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-08-29
Annual Report Of Brigadier Gen.
eral Carter Stirs Up
Officers.
CONGRESS WAS CRITICISED.
Also Took Fall" Ont Of the Quarter.
masters Department OF Which
He Had Little knowledge.
Special Correspondence.

Ttpolt u bIlEdllrl ten. W, II. tdI-
Ter. commanding the department OF the
lakes, IN which he not only severely
criticises the acts of Congress and
general regulations. but takes "a "fll'
out az the Quartermaster's department.
concerning which he can have at
beat but n superficial knoWloIge. As
opposing these immature ideas is me
experience Of a stable department that
has vithstood. for over a century the
assaults Of rs detractors aud after
passing through, 500 practically it's
present form. i've great wars. iu which
the reserve forces OF the United States
we're called into action The quarter
masters department can safely stand
on the record 1t has made IN this time.
The earliest legislation relating %
the quariermasiers department dates
from June rs. 49, when Congress.
resolved that there be one uuart,I-
master general for the grand army and
one deputy under him Tor the separate
army ana iu MAY. ltlI Congress
adopted regulations for the guidance
NJ the quartermtster general and hts
assistants The resignation of Gen
Thomas Minlin. the first quartermas-
ter general in November l117. made Il
necessary that something dihnite
should be done to provide Tor his sue
cessor and iu February OF the year
following Congress adopted plan FOR
carrying into execution the business OF
the quartermasterS department That
was the real beginning of the depart
ment which today handles more money
attends 10 more intricate details OF
distribution and supply OF the various
articles which 20 90 make up the
necessary impedimruta OF troops I'M
peace and war. than all other supply
departments Of the army put together
SYSTEM or SUPPLY.
Prodtng by the actual experience Of
ils officers and controlled by success
sye legislation acts. iu conformity
herewith there had been produced a
system Of supply. which al the out
break ~ the Ciyi war permitted ready
expansion To meet the enormous de-
mands made upon H. Concerning the
efficiency OF the quartermasters de-
psrtment at this time Gen. Garter
SAYS. with the lessons OF the civil
war open TO all who cared TO study
them and the grave defects IN our
system during that conflict. pointed
out. while the scenes were yet fresh in
Tho minds OF the many distinguished
officers who have written upon the
subject We embarked into the war with
Spain without needing their warnings.
The country az large recognized that
there was laundering IN 1895. but had
no means OF definitely locating the
source OF causes of Trouble, except
that they did not lic with the fighting
unit Of the army, but in its administra-
ton and supply
In the face OF actual experiences en-
countered during the Civil war and ot
the opinions expressed by distinguished
officers Il Is inconCeiyablc that one,
who. presumably attempts 10 present
matters IN a fair light should have
found occasion 10 express the views
above quoted. In support Of the eff
cient manner IN which the quarter
masters department met the demands
made upon n. it 81 interesting 10 note
the contradiction between the views of
distinguished officers OF ripencd cN-
perience aud those held by Gen. Car
tor. whose career IN the army W TO
the present time is not comparable
with tho careers Of those whose views
are herein quoted.
Al the close of the Civil war when
reduction iu national expenses became
imperative one Of the first things to
demand the attention of Congress was
the reduction and reorganization Of
the army IN this Congress was wisely
guided by the experiences 81 general
officers whose achievements IN the four
years struggle made their views OF
exceptional value.
PUBLISHED REPORTS.
IN the published reports Of the con-
gressional committee dealing with this
subject are found the following as
bearing upon the quartermasters de-
partment:
Gen ". T. Sherman. a staff sys-
TEN that has admitted OF AN I'M
crease Of the line OF the army from
tho mere nucleus OF 1860 60 a million
OF men, ana It's reduction back TO the
mertst standard without confusion.
and With the most perfect account
ability as 10 property and money at
an times providing for the army album
dainty. Is entitled 60 our respect" on
The same subject Gen. Z. II. Sheridan
says The present system has work.
Oh very satisfactorily ] think. Il has
carried ms through a long war and /
believe that properly managed It is
about as good as anything We can get.
As other nations have different sys-
TENS some officers want 90 make
changes. but they forget that other
nations are subjected to different cone
6ltlons. 50 that what might be good
for Germany or France In the STAFF ore
ganizstlon. would not be suitable for
Tho United States"
Gen. George C. Meade. 4 have
Rad a fair opportunity 20 observe the
workings OF the present system both
iu time Of war ana peace. II has al
ways worked WELL
Gen. vs.. $. Hancock Those de-
psrtmcnts tQuariermasters commits !
sary aud paw as they conducted their /
work during the war gave great suus- |
faction" IN another place Gen. Han 1
cock SAYS. Prom recent experiences |
Of our great war We have an assurance |
that those (stanD departments can be /
relied upon under the present system |
20 perform their respective duties M /
the most successful manner under an 1
hNi hlilrAdAAfrf
In what is known as the Garfield /
report made 90 the house 81 rcpresen- I
iatlyes IN 1869 the committee on army /
organization made the following state
ment. Much can be said In praise
of these departments (stan depart
meuts FOR their efficient services dur
ing the late war No large army was
ever 80 well clothed and fed so
promptly transported. or had 30 eff
Client medical attendance or comfort
able provision made for the SICK and
wounded az ours"
RECORD A GOOD ONE.
This record 10 which the quarter
masters department can point With
pride Il was prepared 20 reproduce
IN the var with Spain and had not its
action been hsmpered hy unwise pol
iciss there would have been even less