The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-02
SECRETARY DICKINSON URGES
RADICAL CHANGES IN ARMY
ESTABLISHMENT.
TOO MANY AbSENTEES
Increase in Number of Officers Suo-
sested, and Enlarged Power for
Head Of Oepartment-Goes Roose-
Welt Several Better in Matter of
Physical Tests.

Washington. Dec. IA comprehen-
sive reorganization nf the army estab-
/ lishment of the United States IL the
/ principal recommendation contained In
/ the annual report OF Secretary OF War
I Dickinson for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1909. made public today More
I officers. closer cooperation with the
/ militia of the various states and a
1 general readjustment of the location
/ OF the various army posts. are some
! OF the crying reforms urged upon
the attention of congress. The pres
ent distribution of the troops OF the
regular army. in the opinion of the
secretary of war. IL not only illogical
but offers serious menace
At the time of the last reports from
the military departments which were
received in October IL was found that
the regular army numbered 7l,s4O men
i with 1909 officers. making a total Of
's,o4a. net increase during the year
OF 3,42i. The figures do not include
the Bass men of the hospital corps.
or the active officers Of the army
the report calls attention to the fact
| that 10s are detailed to special duty.
nearly half of these. or 3i5 being dis
| tributed among the various schools OF
instruction of the regular establish
| ment or acting as instructors in state
educational institutions where a fea-
ture Is made Of military training.
While there were no serious breaches
of military discipline during the year.
Secretary Dickinson declares that
there can be no doubt that the dis
| cipline and efficiency of troops were
Z rad h.+e
so many company officers and the re-
sniting frequent changes of company
| commanders"
Remedy Suggested.
The remedy for this condition. the
report declares, may be found in in
| creasing the number of officers and
IN the passage of legislation empow-
. erlng the secretary of war. whenever
the occasion demanded to appoint re-
tired officers to active duty tempor-
afly. Under existing law retired
OFFICER cannot be made subject to
orders, but his return to- active sery-
ice Is entirely voluntary In putting
forward the need for some such au-
thorization Secretary Dickinson says:
Whiie IL Is true that the duties
performed by these officers are, in the
main. of great Importance to the
army. or of material benefit To the
country. the number of Officers So
separated from their regular duties
with troops has now reached a point
where II Is beyond question that the
efficiency and discipline OF the army
are suffering therefrom on June 40
1909. more than a third Of the cap-
tains of the mobile army were absent
from their proper commands on de-
tached service OF such a nature as /,
cause them To be absent for som.
time. Including those captains who
were temporarily absent from their
proper commands. on detached service
or. otherwise. Ii is believed that less
than one-haif of the companies Of the
mobile army We're commanded by
captains
Physical Tests.
The report also advocates more
strenuous physical tests. President
Roosevelt inaugurated an annual test
To determine the physical fitness OF
OFFICERS. compelling them to ride 80
miles in three days or to walk "a
miles within the same time. This. In
the opinion of Secretary Dickinson.
should be changed 50 as to compel
officers To undertake Il certain amount
OF prescribed exercises each week. the
amount to be certified by the COM
manding officers in their monthly re-
ports.
Cooperation of the regular army
with the militia of the states is
strongly urged. The secretary OUT
lines plan To accomplish this He
would have the country divided into
number of territorial and tactical
districts, so that the militia may ha
conveniently combined with the reg
niar troops stationed in those districts
into permanent brigades. divisions
ana corps for instruction and techni-
cal oranization.
In conjunction with the headnuar-
ters of these combination divisions
the report advocates the sstabl,sh-
ment of supply depofs, which can be
drawn upon for the equipment of an
army in time of need At such de-
pots supplies would be carried suffi-
eient 10 outfit any additional volun-
teer force up To a moderate number.
that might he hastily recruited 10
complete the organization Of an army
corps.
Instruction for Volunteers.
Attached to the headquarters also.
the report declares, there snould be
stationed a young ana active officer
of the regular army. whose duty il
would be TO instruct and direct the
militia organizations III the corps dis
trict. Such an officer. il il pointed
out. enuld issue no orders TO the Inf-