Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-04
Increase in the Armv.


The standing army Will be increased by
1000 men result Of two general Or
ders recently issued by the Secretary of
War. One of these adds 500 men for
duty with army recruiting parties at the
general recruiting depots and in the re-
cruiting branch generally, making 5000
instead of 1900 with that service. The
other order establishes the new branch
to be known as the service schools de-
tachment 1t is made up mostly of staff
non commissioned officers attached to the
Army War College In Washington, the
artillery school at Fort Monroe. the cav
airy and infantry and staff schools al
Forts Riley and Leavenworth, the nos
pital corps schools and the schools for
bakers and cooks. This detachment Will
be separated from the rest of the army,
but similar in organization. In the new
detachment there will be $50 members
This brings the total authorized strength
of the regular army up to 1855, not in
Guiding the Philippine Scouts. of which
the aggregate strength is 5,131, and the
Army Hospital Corps, of which the total
strength is $500.
1t is estimated roughly that every new
soldier adds to the cost of maintaining
the military establishment about $1,000
year, which includes pay. rations, cloth
ing and other allowances and expenses
Counting in the Philippine Scouts, the
ARMY Medical Corps and the two addi-
tions made to the regular establishment,
the aggregate enlisted strength VIII no"
be 49, aSa, which will be the basis of the
estimates submitted to Congress at the
next regular session in December for
the various items required to support the
enlisted branch. The law permits fuc-
tuation of the enlisted strength by execu-
tive order, the maximum limit being, un-
der existing statutes, 10000 men,
Economy in Army Remounts.
All officers responsible for public mounts
have been enjoined by Gen. Bell. chief Of
staff. in a general order, to take special
care and keep the expenditure of horses
within reasonable limits. To that end the
number of horses to be supplied hereafter
under normal peace conditions for the
cavalry and artillery, riding horses for
the Signal Corps, engineers, service
schools and staff colleges, the Indian
scouts, mounted messengers for the in
fantry and members of the Hospital
Corps required to be mounted are not
to exceed in any one fiscal year 10 per
cent of the maximum authorized allow
ance OF horses for the organizations for
which they are intended. except when
specially authorized by the Secretary of
War Horses furnished from the re-
mount depots will be young and will
have been handled only with a view to
breaking them to harness and saddle.
gentling and accustomfng them to weight
carrying and generally preparing them to
receive their military training. Such
horses when issued To the cavalry and
artillery should receive careful handling
and training under the supervision of
competent officer before being placed III
the ranks OF the regular military duties
as troop and battery horses. 1t is pre-
scribed that advantage must be taken OF
tho opportunity afforded by the closed
season TO give the remounts the sys-
tematic training necessary TO prepare
them thoroughly for the full field duty re-
auired by orders of all organizations our
ing the open season.
Command of Hospital Ship.
| Repairs and reconstruction of the naval
hospital ship Soiace are nearly completed
When that vessel is ready To be placed In
commission the veXed question OF COM
mand will again be brought to the front
and become disturbing part In naval
politics No one interested in the navy
in every department has forgotten the
| trouble enyendered by the action of the
| late executive insisting upon surgeon
commanding the hospital ship Relief.
Naval Ram as a Target.
| Tho ram IIatahdin, the only vessel of
her TYNE in the navy. built in 1891 by the
Gath Iron Works. Bath. Me-. is to be
used as a target for gun practice on the
summer cruise of the Atlantic squadron,
which begins the middle of this month
Her designer believed that her low free
board ana small superstructure would
| make il very difficult TO hit her, and an
opportunity will now be given for Il DEM
/ onstration of tina. belief. The katahdin
was an idea of Admiral Ammen, L. S. N,
| and never did any service worthy of
mention since her creation.
New-Pattern Dress Coats.
| The supply of old-pattern dress coats,
artillery. having become practically ex-
hausted, such coats will not be issued
hereafter. From this date dress coats.
new pattern, will be issued TO enlisted
mer of the Coast Artillery Corps Sol
diers will be given credit of S.73 for
each dress coat OF the old pattern re-
| turned.
Soldiers. Guard Manual.
From the division of militia affairs in
the War Department there has been
issued in handy pamphlet form series
of instructions and problems In guard