Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-21

plotted and every available argument used
to convince the house military committee
OF the necessity OF the increase. II the
house military committee continues in the
same frame OF mind expressed during the
last two sessions Of congress. It Is doubt
full 10 favorable action will be taken on
this meritorious measure The complaints
OF those who have 10 struggle along With
commands not sufficiently differed Will
receive about the same attention as in the
past.
No effort will be made by the War de-
partment TO have reversed the decision
made by the comptroller that deposits made
by enlisted men of the army-snd Of course
those OF the enlisted men OF the navy and
marine corps-are subject to draft by the
government, when a depositor, upon final
settlement, is found to be in debt to the
United States. Some consideration has been
given to the effect OF this decision in the
light Of the long-standing policy that the
deposits were not subject to such a levy.
The comptroller's office is firm in its be-
lief that congress merely intended by its
legislation 10 protect the deposits from
draft to meet other than government obli-
cations. 1t is fully recogn, zed, however,
that wher an enlisted man owes the gov
eminent and has money on deposit with the
government drawing interest II is only
reasonable to take the occasion to obtain
the money.
The War department has given it's APP
prevail to special course Of instruction In
military art for selected field officers to be
given at Fort Leavenworth, Kan, for about
ten and one-half weeks, beginning January
g. 1911 on account Of the necessity of
economizlng the mileage fund and Of keep
ing field officers with their regiments, the
number detailed will probably not exceed
ten or twelve. and in order to avoid over
crowding quarters, bachelor quarters will
be assigned them and the officers detailed
will be instructed to leave their families at
their permanent stations and to come to
| Fort Leavenworth unaccompanied by other
impedimenta than trunks and bedding rolls.
The course Will be valuable one, crowding
| into a short period the best of the tactical
instruction given in the army school of the
line, including map problems, tactical rides,
and the war game. There are indications
that the War department will be flooded
with applications for this desirable detail.
1t has been expected that by this time
1t would be possible to lengthen the period
during which regiments returning from the
tropical service might remain in the United
States. 1t has been considered that this
period should be four years before the COM
mands again proceed to the Philippine is
lands The military authorities entertain
the belief that such a tour in the United
States is none to long to recover from the
enervaung effects of tropical service es-
pecially when the great majority of our
cavalry and infantry officers have spent
more than one-half of their services since
4 1898 outside of the continental limits of the
4 United States. The Thirteenth infantry re-
turned to the United States in October, 1907
and the probabilities are that it will not
sail for the Philippines before April of 1911
In the case of the Twenty-fourth and Sec
ond regiments of infantry. the former re-
turned in March and the latter in May OF
1908 and will probably go to the Philippines
in June and July OF 1911, respectively. 1t
will, therefore, be some time before there
is an adjustment Of the alternating periods
at home and abroad to increase the tour
In the United States to four years.
The report OF Brigadier General f. A.
Darlington, inspector general of the army,
for the last fiscal year forciby brings out
the dire effects OF the absence of so many
line officers from their commands. He
quotes the inspection reports of his Off
Gers III THIS COnneCllOn OOlOnel j. L..
Chamberlain, inspector general OF the
Philippine division, commenting upon the
lack of instruction and consequent lack Of
efficiency of the troops in the Philippines,
says: The second cause is absence of
captains from their commands, and this I
believe to be the most fruitful source of
professional disease in the line of the army
today" Lieutenant Colonel F. H. French,
inspector general of the department OF
Texas, invites attention TO the fact that the
first battalion Of the First field artillery,
when under orders for Philippine service,
had no field officer on duty with it and that
all batteries were commanded by lieuten-
ants, one of them by second lieutenant
of less than two years service. whose rec
ord shows no military training prior to his
being commissioned General Darlington
says that 1t is evident that, unless some
, thing is done to remedy the condition which
deprives the troops TO so great an extent
of the benefit of the pressure and expe-
rience OF their officers. results OF disas-
trous nature must sooner or later be real
ICED.