Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-09-02
TAFT ASKS FOR BIGGER ARMY
Secretary Of War Urges Need Of More
Enlisted Men.
TEN THOUSAND CALLED TO ARMS
Omcers better Equipped and Superior
in Military skill and Ability,
but Army IL Too
Small.
tFrom a stan correspondentO

country. In military skill and ability they
are superior TO any officers of the armies
of the world"
Secretary Taft before starting on his tour
of the world took pardonable pride in
making this statement. 1t was made In no
boastful way, but was uttered merely as a
statement Of fact which careful inquiry and
comparison have made evident.
The secretary went on to say that Ameri-
can army officers now know more about
their business than they ever knew before;
that they are more thoroughly trained than
any officers have heretofore been; and ven
tured the assertion that American officers
'are better equipped in intelligence and
efficiency than the officers of any other
army in the world"
| Secretary Taft made It clear that the
real embarrassment under which the Ameri-
can army labors at present is a lack of
experienced enlisted men. AT present"
he said. I'VE have an army of only fifty
five thousand men. We ought to have
sixty-fve thousand as provided by law. OF
course understand the argument that is
used in support of a small army. We have
no need at the moment for a large army
and It is urged that. II war should break
out. we could raise quickly an immense
volunteer force. The civil war is indicated
| as example of what we may do with a
volunteer army.
T. Preparing for EventuaIities.
Mind you. I am not looking for war. 1t
may be a long time before this country
again becomes involved in war; but we
ought to be prepared for eventualities. We
cannot raise, equip and discipline army
| in a few hours or a few weeks. The
armies which comprised the union forces
during the civil war constituted the best
volunteer fighting force ever assembled
on earth; but 1t required months, even
years for them to become Injured to the
trials and hapdships and the fire of real
war. OF course, we could raise a volun-
teer army in an emergency, but that would
take time. Meanwhile we ought to keep
the regular army up to its maximum
strength, under the law. To do this, 1t will
be necessary to make the service attractive.
Conditions must be made such in the SER
vice as to bring into the military service
the highest standard of any army. In
order to bring about this result perhaps
some changes will have to be made in the
laws providing for more pay for enlisted
men and other changes in conditions"
No secret is made of the fact that
vigorous effort is to be made in the near
|
. re-establishment of the canteen in the
army. It Is maintained by army officers
who. have studied the situation that the
abolition of the canteen has done more to
render army life unattractive to the en-
listed man than any other one thing. From
Secretary Taft down, practically every
official of the War department favors the
| restoration of the canteen. They know
from practical everyday experience what
the situation is and there is not depart
ment or post commander in the service who
has not declared that the present condition
in the vicinity of army posts is demoraliz-
| ing and intolerable. BY the re-establish-
ment of the canteen. those conditions sub
stantially would be eliminated; discipline
in the service would be improved; and the
service itself made more attractive.
Quartermaster's Report.
The first report of the new quartermas-
ter general of the army, James b. Ale
shire, shows in every subject considered.
not only a comprehensive knowledge of
, the needs Of the great department of the
army, but a sympathetic interest in the
broadening and developing Of the depart
ment over which he has been called upon
to preside. vice Major General Charles
F. Humphrey, retired.
I
believes in giving credit to whom credit
is due, and in the first paragraph of his
report TO the secretary of war he shows
the stuff he is made of by paying a most
deserved compliment to General Hum
phrey, who, he says, had planned and
outlined in memoranda the scope of the
report and his ideas have been followed
as closely as possible. 1t is desired and
deemed proper that General Humphrey
sign this report, but his absence from
the city and the impossiblity of delay
ing it's submission prohibited"
The report is an exceedingly interest
ing document, following closely in the
footsteps of the reports made by General
Aleshire's immediate predecessor, who Is
deservedly classed in army circles the
best quartermaster general the depart
ment has ever had. Having served with
General Humphrey during the campaigns
in China and the Philippines, the younger
man has imbibed the enthusiasm and
the fearlessness OF the older and 1t is
very generally predicted that General
Aleshire will more than meet the re-
quirements of the position which is
growing harder to I'LL every year by
reason of the work required in the quar-
termaster generals department.
supply System in Philippines.
It is TO General Aleshire that the larg-
est measure of credit for having estab-
lished, while chief quartermaster in the
Philippines, a system of supplies for mil
itary posts on the coast through water
transportation. General Aleshire took up
and perfected by means OF transports a
thoroughly equipped system whereby all
coast stations In the islands were visited
regularly by transports. thereby afford
ing the troops an opportunity TO ger
fresh meats and vegetables, besides mail I
clothing and other supplies. Before he
became chief quartermaster of the
Philippines the troops In the far east
were compelled TO depend upon irregular
boats, and sometimes for weeks at a time /
our soldiers were compelled 20 go without
fresh meats or vegetables, depending |
upon the natives for subsistence. All [
this General Aleshire changed. After I
General Humphrey left the Philippines F.
he was placed in charge Of the water
and land transportation In Manila, and .
he performed the duties In so splendid I
a manner that he won the heartiest OF
congratulations from his superiors. When I
General Humphrey became quartermas- !
ter general his assistant was Colonel I
Pond. now on the retired list. and upon |