The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-06
Radical Changes and Reforms i'm Regular Arm

were either undone outright or recon-
mended to he undone, and In fact, at
least one of his pet reform achieve.
mants like the staff detail system, is
now being urged for congressional un-
doing.
Lack of Unified Opinion.
This seeming conaict os well ma
| tured schemes and lack of unified mill
tarv opinion, however, concerning the
needs of the army is nothing new, and
in a very interesting chapter of unpub.
! lished military history. may be found
accounts of the bewlderment that at
tended Alonzo Taft, the father OF our
present president, who in 1876 when he
| preceded his illustrious son in the
| management of war department affairs.
found the military establishment a
house vitally divided against itself;
and had 10 face the perplcxing problem
of military reforms at that time so Wig.
oronsly contested by such men as Han
cock on one side and sherman on the
other, each of those giants In military
leadership having many sympathiZers
and followers advocating diametrically
opposite views of army needs But
there is n different sort Of difference of
opinion Mt this particular time. The
military leaders and men in power seem
practically 10 be united on all salient
propositions. the dissatisfied or differ
ing opinions being confined largely to
the class of men most directly con
cerned or most likely 10 be affected;
and this fact having bocn made appar~
ent to congress, it is believed, from a
journalistic point Of view, that the
army leaders would be very apt to have
their way if il were not for the policy
of economy which the president not
withstanding his army and navy re-
form recommendations is known TO so
earnestly favor.
Just Mater of Time.
1t seems to be thc general conviction
therefore that army and navy reform
along the line now advocated. though
not likely 10 be soon effected, is simply
n matter of time, and that eventually !
the things recommended by Secretary |
of War Dickinson Will undoubtedly !
pass into law. This view of the situa-
ton, therefore gives TO the secretary s |
report. splendid in its marvellous grasp
of existing military necessities in this
country. nm important and worldinter.
est not II by any other public doe
ument those emanating from the |
Ther, course Of time as con
sequenc unified influence of the |
leaders, apt to have promotion
or adva I 10 the higher grades
OF Inc ana perhaps IaleT on IN |
the navy az the rcform-thoughts in |
the two y uches Of the military estab. !
hshments seem in these days to be
working IN the same direction along
parallel lincs). not according TO the |
long prevailing American line of SEN
iority, which provided for equal chance
in turn for every officer after he en-
tered the service until he reached the
grade of colonel, but according to tho |
new so-calcd merit system which pro
fesses to guarantee promotion only TO
the most worthy, system, however,
which the opponents of the scheme
claim Will give or tend to give oppor-
tunity and excuses for favoritism and !
in justice. And then, too, another vital
help 10 the promotion scheme is the
plan OF elimination of the 'least~fit'' ~
for the military service, plan al
ready adopted in the navy, and now
being there applied much to tho Joy
of the favored and fortunate ones. but
10 the misery and misfortune of the
eliminated. 1t goes without
saying that this feature of the socalled |
reform movement in the army has It's
denouncers, and when it is
applied 10 the army. as now seems GER !,
tam to happen In course Of time, thorc
IS gong TO be some pretty lively weep
ing, wailing and gnashing of teeth.
One Baneful Thing.
The fact is one of the most baneful |
things attending military life, and APP
parcntly more so now than ever before
is promotion and its sordid selisbncss
In what IS reverently termed ''old |
army days. it was considered conduct
despIcablc and most unworthy, if not
unbecomlng an officer and a gentle.
man. for any person i'll the military
service to attempt to push himself for
promotion over the heads of comrades:
but as time passed military mon seemed |
to partake of the spirit of progress,
and the long lauded spirit of comrade.
ship gradually gave way under the
stress of personal ambitions. In the
navy they managed to get the elm
nation system provided for in the law
requiring specified number of promo
tlons every year. and in the absence
OF snfhclent vacancies occurring in the
natural order of events, then the re.
CURED number of least efficient Off.
GERS were to be compulsorily retired or
The effect of this law. it
is claimed, is already doing deadly
work against the oldtime csprit.d de
corps feeling of comradeship in the
naval service and leads to a feeling
OF unrest and suspicion not for the
best welfare of the military establish
ment. Still the elimination system has
ITS very earnest and apparently disin-
tcrested advocates. and seems likely in
one form or another 10 lind its way