The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-12-03
BY Associated Press.


Washington, D. c. Dec Com
prehensiye ana complete reorgsniza-
tion Of the army establishment Of the
United States Is the principal recon-
mendation contained in the annual re-
port Of Secretary OF War Dickinson,
for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1909, made public last night More
officers, closer cooperation with the
militia of the various states and gen.
erai readiustment of the locations OF
the various army posts are some of
the crying reforms urged upon the at
tention Of congress The present dis.
tribution of the troops Of the regular
army, in the opinion Of the Secretary
of war, Is not only illogical but Of.
fers a serious menace.
At the time OF the last reports from
the military departments, which We're
received in October, it was found that
the regular army numbered 71,S40
men with 4.2O9 officers. making total
force Of 76O49, a net increase during
the year Of 3,42i The figures do not
include the 3,4S5 men Of the hospital
corps.
OF the active officers OF the army
the report calls attention to the fact
that 7O9 are detailed to special duty,
nearly half Of these, or s45, being dis
tributed among the various schools
OF instruction Of the regular establish
ment or acting as instructors in state
educational institutions where a
feature 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
clpline and efficiency OF troops were
lowered by the continued absence Of
so many company officers AID the re-
sulting frequent changes Of company
commanders"
The remedy for this condition. the
report declares. may be found in in
ereasing The number Of officers and IN
the passage OF legislation empowering
the secretary Of war whenever the
occasion demanded, 20 appoint retired
officers to active duty temporarily
Under existing law a retired officer
cannot be made subject 10 orders but
his return to active service is eatire
ly voluntary. IN putting forward the
need for some authorization Seer
tary Dickinson says
while It Is true that the duties per
formed 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 point where Il Is
beyond question that the efficiency
and discipline Of the army are suffer
ing therefrom On June 30 1909 more
than a third of the captains Of the
mobile army were absent from their
proper commands on detached serV
ice. Of such nature as to cause them
20 be absent for some time lnclud-
ing those captains who were tempor
arlly absent from their proper com
mands. on detached service o. other
wise, il Is believed that less than one
half of the companies OF the mobile
army were commanded by captains
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 line
ty miles IA three days or to walk
fifty miles within the same time This
in the opinion Of Secretary Dickinson !
should be changed SO as TO compel /
officers TO undertake 9 certain amount
Of prescribed exercise each week, the /
amount to be certified by the com
officers IN their monthly re-
ports
Cooperation Of the regulaF army I
with the militia Of the states IS strong
" urged. The secretary outlines
plan to accomplish this. lie would
have the country divided into a num-
bel Of territorial and tactical districts
"a that the militia may be convenient