Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-02
ARMY AND MILITIA
COOPERATION Plan
SECRETARY OF WAR DICKINSON
WOULD STRENGTHEN MILL.
TARY ESTABLISHMENT.
SEES NEED FOR INCREASE
IN NUMBER OF OFFICERS
Would Put Regular Army Mon in
Charge Of Districts and Give State
Troops structon-seoretary Would
Compel Tests Among Officers at
Regular Intervals.

Washington. Dec. 2-Comprehensvs
and complete reorganization of the
army establishment of the Unitet
States is the principal recommenda-
tion contained In the annual report ot
fiscal year ending June so. 1909, made
public today. More officers. closer CO.
operation with the militia OF the vari-
Gus states and a general readjustmen
of the locations of the various army
posts are some of the crying reforms
urged upon the attention of congress
The present distribution of the troops
| of the regular army. In the opinion OF
the secretary of war, is not only illog-
ical but offers a serious menace.
| AT the time of the last reports from
the military departments, which were
received in October, it was found thai
the regular army numbered 71.S4(
men with 4.209 officers, making to-
tai force of 76,049. net increase dur
ing the year of 3421 The figures dc
not include the 3,4S5 men of the hos
pital corps.
OF the active officers of the army
the report calls attention to the fact
that 100 are detailed to special duty
nearly half of these. or 345, being dis
| tributed among the various schools oi
/ 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 "tha
there can be no doubt that the disci.
pline and efficiency of troops We're low.
cred by the continued absence of 81
many company officers and the result
ing frequent changes of company com
manders"
More Officers the Remedy.
The remedy for this Condition. this
report declares, may be found in in
creasing the number of officers and II
| the passage of legislation empowering
| the secretary of war; whenever the oc-
casion demanded, to appoint retired
| officers to active duty temporarily
Under existing law a retired office,
can not be made subject to orders. bu
his return to active service Is entire
ly voluntary In putting forward the
need for some such authorization Sec
retary Dickinson says:
while it is true that the duties per
formed by these officers are. in tn,
main. of great Importance to the arm,
and of material benefit to tn,
H..
separated from their regular dutiei
with troops has now reached
point where it is beyond question
that the efficiency and discipline of tn,
army are suffering thercfrom on Jun,
80. 1909, more than a third of the cap
tains of the mobile army were absen
from their proper commands on de
] tached service, of such a nature as t,
cause them TO be absent for some time
| Including those captains who were TEN.
porarly absent from tseir proper com.
mands. on detached service or other
wise. it is believed that leA than one
half of the companies OF the mobil,
army were commanded by captains"
More Strenuous Tests.
| The report also advocates more siren.
uous physical tests. President Roose.
welt inaugurated an annual test to de.
termine the physical fitness of officers
smpelling them to ride ninety miles il
three days or to walk fifty miles With,
the same time. This, in the opinion O.
Secretary Dickinson. should be changed
I 50 as to compel officers to undertake,
a certain amount of prescribed exercis,
each week, the amount to be certified b,
the commanding officers In theil
monthly reports.
Cooperation of the regular arm,
with the militia Of the states Is strong.
ly urged. The secretary outlines a plar
to accomplish this. He would have tn,
country divided into number of ter.
rtoral and tactical districts. so tina
the militia may be conveniently com.
bined with the regular troops stationed
! in those districts into permanent b1i
gades, divisions and corps for instuc
! ton and tactical organization.
Instruction For Militiamen,
Attached to the headquarters. also
| the report declares there should be sta.
/ toned young and active officer o
the regular army. whose duty it woul,
be to instruct and direct the millt,,
Z, ganiZations in the corps district
Srch an officer, 1t is pointed out, cou'.
issle no orders to the militia, but
Is declared he should be given powe
to supervise the equipment and in
struction of the volunteer troops Of hi
district and be held responsible 70
their mobilization and general condi
| tion.
1t is proposed to submit tho adop.!a.
of such a plan to the governors of tn
several states. II the states announc,
their willingness to cooperate with tn,
war department steps will be take,
toward putting the plan into action.
Would Rearrage Army Posts.
The matter of general rearrange
ment of the various army posts occu
pies a prominent place in the report
The secretary Of war expresses hi
conviction that, as now situated, TIN
| army posts 10 not meet the re1fuifrT require .
paants at thA s>ruaaA~sxanY Of them be