Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-30
THE ABMY,s WEAKNESS.

aAAL 10 -
General J. Franklin Bell, chief of stah
OF the army, draws a rather discour-
aging picture in his annual report of
the needs OF the army and of the APP
parent lack Of interest in military at
fairs both in congress and in the pub
lie mind. He declares that the army
cannot adequately cope with condi-
lions incidental to actual warfare ow-
ing to It's lack Of both men and Off
GERS; that few citizens know how to
handle and shoot modern rifles; that
the cavalry, infantry and artillery
branches of the service are lamentably
weak, while the engineer corps is not
able to discharge the duties devolving
upon it even in time of peace.
These conditions would cause alarm
IL a war were pending Or imminent,
but to arouse the country so long as
profound peace obtains and there is
no war cloud on the horizon is very
difficult. Yet General Bell contends that
this very confidence is a source of
peril, because conditions which make
1t possible to whip an effective army
into shape out of volunteer raw ma
terial, as has been done in former
wars, no longer exist. Simply by put
ting a man in a uniform and placing
a rife in his hands does not make a
modern soldier. The contrary idea, he
insists, is dangerous to the nation and
one hat cannot be too strongly OPP
posed. The improvements in firearms
and the entire science of warfare have
SO altered conditions that the soldier
Of today, to be. at all efficient, must
have thorough training and education
in the art Of fighting.
Although heretofore the cavalry has
been the popular arm of the service,
General Bell now declares that the
American cavalry is an Anticipated
organization" unified for it's natural
part in mobilizing a fighting force and
moving 1t rapidly in times of trouble.
He asserts hat this is, due to a lack of
a sufficient number of experienced Off
GERS, inability of the government to
secure proper mounts and a general
failure to keep the cavalry branch of
the service up to the high standard
which formerly made the American
cavalryman the model for the world.
AS the headquarters of the signal
corps for the west, Omaha will be par
t~icularly interested in General Bells
recommendations on that score. He
says:
The duty devolvlng upon the signal corps
is so technical in it's nature as to preclude
a great increase in the corps after a dec
~laration of hostilities, with any expectation
that the increase would be efficient and
capable of performing the intricate and
technical duty required of At. Mannbers of
the signal corps are on duty at all stations
with organizations of the regular service
which have cable or telegraph lines. They
are also distributed at many ungarrisoned
places along telegraph and cable stations
for the purpose of keeping open the lines
of communication. ~ RcrI'g.% '2aa T,
Our signal corps has proved its ability to
meet all services required of IL I'M the past,
in peace as well as.in hostile operations &C
curing since the war with Spain. Great de-
velopments in scientific warfare are being
made at present along lines pertaining to
duties OF the signal corps. Our signal corps
has made satisfactory progress in develop
ing methods of performing It's technical du-
ties efficiently and satisfactorily and in
matters relating to aerial navigation. 1t is
hoped that the corps ma receive a suffi-
Client increase to give It the necessary
strength to provide it's proper proportion
for the army at the outbreak OF hostilities,
It should also receive a liberal appropria-
tion to enable 1t to continue its experiments
in aerial navigation.
While the public would resent ex-
~travagance in appropriations for the
development and extension of the
army in times Of peace. congress will
be justified, and it's conduct approved,
in making whatever provision is actu-
ally necessary to place every branch
of the service upon it's most effective
peace footing.