New-York tribune., 1909-05-16
ASSAJL GENERAL STAFF
uF4DS OF DEPARTMENTS
WAKE COMPLAINTS.
Neddling scith Affairs in Their Ju-
risdiction Charged-Some fiction
hi .Ur. Dickinson Expected.
rFron The Tribune Bureau J

-r-asbirz1on Nav 15-The antagonism of
-, officers to the General Staff has extended
hsvnnd the bureau chiefs in Washington. When
=, -s-rrns TO Washington from his trip to the
T...r,us Of Panama Secretary Dickinson may
- II necessary to take some action which
.hsu restrict the opera tons Of the staff. His
.+sn,ion will be called TO certain representa-
.io,s which have reached the War Department
4-o-, officers Of the rank Of major general and
A-;v.der general in command OF the military
s.nsrtments Some of these officers have been
,,ressing great dissatisfaction, asserting that
tLsir proper functions il the command OF troops
within their geographical jurisdiction have been
rsurped by the General staff
This appropriation Of the duties Of depart
-,sn+ commanders has. for the most part, taken
+bs form Of issuing orders in detail concerning
,,e movements Of troops. Hitherto. when it has
t.s, necessary to detail regiments or parts OF
rsei-,euts for temporary duty at some particu-
isr Mace within the limits Of military depart
-,srt The selection Of the troops and the details
~ fhe movements have been left TO the depart
r,s7t commander Il has always been held that
,bis oncer. being Of high rank and presumably
- Iong experience knew all there was 10 know
concerning the methods Of transfer Lately
however. the General Staff has undertaken to
give instructions in detail. even 10 the articles
10 Be carried BY the individual troops
This state Of affairs has produced an unfriend-
iness on the part Of the department command
ers ana some of them have made known TINS
sentiment 70 the military authorities in Wash
.ng.on in tbs hope that the situation may oe
improved.
The objection IS based mainly on the fact that
such orders coming from the General stan
necessarily originate with subordinate members
Of that body, mostly officers Of the rank OF cap
-sin, Who cannot be expected to have had u
experience OF department commander VINO Is
= brigadier general or major general Aslo7
from that feature, however. the high 7anAl1s
army officers in command Of military depart
rnerts believe their duties should not be usurped'
and they think that unless they make known
their objections the General Stan VIII take al
dirionaI functions 70 Itself
CONTEST NAY Go 70 CONGRESS.
The feeling against the General Staf may lead
70 some interesting questions in the House and
Senate Military committees al the next regular
sessions OF Congress. especially when those
committees reach the items for the support and
maintenance Of the staff and the Army War
College As has been pointed out IN these dis
matches tbs House Military Committee at the
,ss- session served norice or the General StaE OF
7ts diszprrcvsl @ some Of its actions. by inco-
nerztins i. the srray appropriation bill. as re-
ported 70 the House. g clause which practically
took away from the General STAFF al IT'S junior
WORKING Members Nothing was expected 20
cone Of the legislation, which went out on
point ot order, except that the committee ec-
ZION would have Z beneficial effect on the Cen
eral staff L has evidently. the critics says
produced no such effect
There Is 10 intimation that the General STAFF
IS 70 suffer any reduction IN numbers although
that nay easily happen through special legis-
lation hut II IS evident that some action will
bs taken either by the President or by Con
Fress restricting the staff TO the duties for
which Secretary Root designed it those Of a
purely advisory body. Certain members Of
Congress feel that the General Staff has under
taken TOO much when it frames legislation in
any such volume Is has characterized its pro
ductions IN the last quarter. and there will
probably Be objection II the project now under
discussion. which seeks 70 increase the army
froEn eighIy-fve thousand, the present enlisted
strength, 10 one hundred and thirty-fye thou
sand men This would mean an additional an
uusl expense for the military establishment Of
$50 600 and in view Of the state of the
national finances and the suggestion which has
been attributed 10 some OF the leaders in Con-
grsss that the army should be reduced TO fifty
thousand men, Il is foreseen that the advocacy
by the General Staff of a military force Of
one hundred and thirty-hve thousand men will
% received with disfavor.
Colon May 15.-Janob N. Dickinson, the Sec
rstsry OF War. left here to-day on board the
NsyfoEer. He will go direct TO Washington
The Secretary arrived here on April 2S and in