The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-12-02
REORGANIZATION
Of j. s. ARMY
is PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDING
OF REPORT OF SECRETARY
DICKINSON.
LEGISLATION IS WANTED
Which Will Enable Secretary of War
to Call Retired Officers Back
When Necessary--As to
State Militia.

| Washington, Dec. 1.-Comprehen-
sive and complete reorganization OF
the army establishment of the United
States is the principal recommends
ton contained in the annual report
of Secretary of War Dickinson for
the fiscal year ending June so, 1909.
made public today. More officers,
closer cooperation with the militia
of the various states and a general
REIMBURSEMENT of the locations of the
various army posts are some of the
lcrying reforms urged upon the atten-
Ition of congress. The present distri-
button of the troops of the regular
army in the opinion of the secretary
of war, is not only illogical but offers
la serious menace.
At the time of the last reports
from the military departments, which
were received in October, 1t was
found that the regular army numbered
ln,S40 men with 1909 officers, making
a total force of 76,0f9, net increase
during the year of 3,421. The figures
do not include the 3.4S5 men of the
hospital corps.
OF the active officers of the army
1.-THE report calls attention to the fact
that 709 are detailed to special duty,
NEARLY half of these, or 345, being
distributed among the various schools
lof instruction Of the regular estab-
|lshments or acting as instructors in
state educational institutions where
a feature is made of military training.
of military discipline during the year,
ISecretary Dickinson declares that
there can be no doubt that the
discipline and inefficiency of troops
were lowered by the continued alb
Isence of so many company officers
land the resulting frequent changes of
company commanders"
The remedy for this condition, the
report declares, may be found in in
Icreasing the number of officers and
in the passage of legislation empower
ling the secretary of war whenever
1.-THE occasion demanded to appoint re.
tired officers to active duty tempo
rarily. Under existing law retired
Officer cannot be made subject to or
is entirely voluntary. In putting for.
ward the need for some such authori.
cation, Secretary Dickinson says:
while it 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
Iseparated from their regular duties
with troops has now reached a point
where it is beyond question that the
efficiency and discipline of the army
are suffering therefrom. On June 30,
1909, more than third of the cap
tains of the mobile army were alb
sent from their proper commands on
detached service, of such nature as
time. Including those captains who
were temporarily absent from their
lprOper commands, on detached ser
Twice or otherwise, it is believed that
less than one half of the companies
of the mobile army were commanded
by captains"
The report also advocates more
Istrenuous physical tests. President
Roosevelt inaugurated an annual test
to determine the physical fitness OF
|officers, compelling them to ride
NINETY miles in three days or to walk
fifty miles within the same time.
This, in the opinion of Secretary
Dickinson. should be. changed SO rs
to compel officers to undertake q
|certain amount of prescribed exercise
leach week, the amount to be certified
lby the commanding officers in their
lmonthly reports
| Cooperation of the regular army
with militia of the states is strongly
urged, The secretary outlines a plan
to accomplish this. He would have
the country divided into number Of
Territorial and tactical districts, sc
combined with the regular troops
that the militia may be convenient,
stationed in those DISTRICTS into per
manent brigades, divisions and corps
for instruction and tactical organlza
ton.