The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-18

matter OF great importance decueoeu
in the reports Of the Chief % STAG and the
Inspector General Of the army n the re-
placing ~ ofhcers detached from their
regiments for special service. The Inspsc-
tOr-GeneTal says.
There IL a general compliant fTOn an direr
lions that the service l. more or les rTsrplsd.
especially In general Instruction. Discipline and
enetency. - veil a. IN target practice. ~ reason
Of the large percentage Of eaAeers constantly
absent from their commands. by detsl 90 other
Wtse.
The chief Of STAFF say. that the evil e.
fecis or detached service on Ihs efficiency
Of the army are referred to 10 the annual
reDori~ Of large majority 90 department
comma nder.
Ia the Philippines the number thus de-
iached generally amounts to about - per
cent The effect Of this 10 not only diaad
vantaE eou~ to the service directly, bat also
works great hardship on those Snacers
remaining With the regiments. iaasmuch
~ they have To do double work. their own
and that OF the sbssa'ess Complaints
have been made on the subject nv reGi-
mental commanders and others for al least
twenty years The evil has been growing.
and has now reached a point where Il !.
absolutely necessary that some remedy be
fOund u the efficiency Of the army N 60 be
maintained 81 a reasons ole standard
The detachment OF officers h necessity
and cannot he avoided. This 10 tTus in
every army. but OUR is the only army that
makes no provision to replace them. In
all other armies he vacancies are imme-
diateIy filled. Oeicers aTe provided for the
deia"hef statiorss - well ~ for the regiments.
and there are enough Officers for all details
and duties
The special duties to which American
Officers are assigned are generally such
a. have been created by Law: for example.
service with the General star. the Military
Academy and other military schools. a.
aides-de-camp. military attaches. &c The
oficers so detailed. being selected for their
fitness. are often the most enicient In q
regiment. Moreover. the duties Of detached
officers are often. indeed generally. exceed
inRly important. and u ~ therefore useless
To contend that an officers duty with his
regiment IL the more important. There
are officers on duty In the War Department.
~ the Military Academy and AZ the other
military schools whose value to the Gov
eminent In these special details exceeds
that Of officers Of much higher rank serving
with their regiments.
u - remarkable that a progressive coun-
try like ours. which has cut loose from the
conservatism Of Europe in other respects.
should he 30 hack ward in making q reform
which has been already effected in every
European army
The number 81 Officers on detached ser
vice has constantly Increased and will co.,
tinue TO increase Of necessity. No army can
he efficient without good instruct ors At lie
military academy aud its training schools
for oficers or men. or without assistants in
the various ofice~ Of the War Department:
and ell these schools and posts In the Depart
ment have increased With the times The
DAYS of coffee coolers las thoee on de-
tached service merely by way 81 favor
ti-m we're called are practically over
These are times Of hard work for the army
in every sphere of military life. whether on
detached service or With the regiments
The detachment Of ofncers from their regi-
menis Is generally controlled directly by the
Secretary ~ War and there IL little n any
abuse of II 'n these strenuous DAYS
The proposed increase Of the ofireru'
corps has been somewhat misunderstood
perhaps because IN the bills before Congress
the officers who are to constitute the In
crease have been desighated' a. -eSsra-
officers They would not be extra officers
az all. hut Officers needed for positions hong
ago existing and found bv experience 10 he
a. necessary a. those Of any regimentaI
offI"sFS Congress has never provided of-
hcers for these places. and vet the places
have been Allied bv oficer- for many years.
some ~ them. like aides de camp for ex-
ample. since the army was created. ana
Others. like the instructors AZ the Military
Academy. for almost as long
The efficiency Of our military system de-
mAnds that some remedy he found a. once
Tor the evil. and there 10 hut one remedy thar
will he effective namely. 70 provide q sui
hcient number Of Officers to serve IN special
details that u will not he necessary 10
deplete he regiments
The detachment Of officers nov carried
nv simply doing away with the speCial ser
vice. because that IL lust a. much a part OF
orr military system A. the regiment is and
iust important IN every usv. Moreover
the special service IL necessary under the
laws Of Congress and cannot he abolished
nv the army 81 will The immediate duty Of
Congress - obvious