New-York tribune., 1911-12-22

i'm the opcn. and whilc large numbers or
fine reoplc havo been openly working with
tbeu and while the press has largely
noted and discussed this work as II has
proceeded. so that the report OF the COM
mission promises 90 represent nauohaI
movement. the details OF the report are
still being considered. ! cannot, there
fore do much more at this time than
commend the immense Importance o. mon
and action when the commissions report
is received and express my salts faction
that the plan to he proposed promises 10
embrace main features that. having met
the approval of great preponderance OF
the practical and professional OPINION Oh
The country. arc likely TO meet cqua APP
pTOyal in Congress.
The Aldrich Plan.
II is exceedingly fortunate that the wise
and undisputed policy Of maintaining un-
changed the main features Of our bank
ing system rendered 1t at once Impossible
TO introduce central bank; for a central
bank would certainly have been resisted,
and plan into which ii could have been
introduced would probably have been de-
fcated But as "A central bank could not
be- part OF the only plan discussed or
considered, that troublesome question Is
eliminated. And ingenious and novel as
the proposed National Reserve Assocla-
ton appears, it simply is logical out
growth of what is best i'm our present sys-
tenn. and Is. in fact. the fulflment of that
system.
Exactly how the management of that
association should be organized is ques-
tiOn still open. II seems TO he deslrable
that the banks which would own the asso-
citation should in the main manage 1T. IL
will be an agency Of the banks TO act Tor
them and they can be trusted better than
Gnybody else chiefly to conduct II. 1t Is
mainly bankers work. But there must be
some form Of government supervision ana
ultimate control. and | favor a reasonable
representation of the government III the
management. ] entertain no fear of the
introduction of politics or of any unde-
Sirable influences from properly meas
uTed government representation.
No Consolidation of Money Power.
trust that all banks of the country
possessing the requisite standards VIII he
placed upon footing Of perfect equality
of opportunity. Both the national system
and the state system should be fairly
recognized. leaving them eventually 10
CoaleSCe If that should prove to he their
tendency But such evolution cannot de-
velop iTnpartially If the banks Of one sys-
TEN are given or permitted any advan-
tages OF opportunity over those ol nc
other system And l trust also that the
new legislation will carefully and com
pletely protect and assure the individual
ity and the independence OF each bank, 10
the end that any tendency there may ever
be toward a consolidation Of the money
OF banking power of the nation shall be
defeated.
II will always be possible. Of course 10
may in practice prove to be unvisc; so
that while this law is sure 10 he enacted
under conditions Of unusual knowledge
and authority. il also will include. IT is
well to remember, the possibility Of future
amendment
With ths. present prospects, of this long;
awaited T-nF"rm encouraging us. It would
be singulaTly unfortunate If this monetary
question should by any chance become 2
party issue. And | sincerely hope It viii
not. Tho exceeding amount OF considcra-
received
nation has been wholly non-partisan; and
the Congress set its uon-partiSan seal
upon II when tho Monetary Commission
was appointed. In commencing the Ques-
tion to the favorable consideration or
| Congress l speak for and in the spirit of
/ the great number Of my fellow citizens
| tisanship feel with remarkable earnest
| ness that this reform is necessary to the
| interests of all the people.
! The War Department.
/ There is now before Congress bill the
! purpose of which il 10 increase the
| efficiency and decrease the expense Of the
| army II contains four principal features:
| FIRST. Il consolidation of the General stan
| with the adiutant generals and the IN
| spector generals departments; second. a
/ partment with the subsistence and the pay
departments: Third, the creation of an
| army service corps: and fourtn, an cA-
/ tension Of the enlistment period from
With the establishment Of an army SER
| vice corps, as proposed I'm tho bill, ! am
! thoroughly I'm accord and am convinced
! that the establishment of such 4 corps
will result in q material economy and a
/ very great increase of efficiency in the
| army. IT has repeatedly been recon-
ncndcd by mo and my predecessors. ]
/ also believe that a consolidation of the
! stan corps can be made with q resulting
! increase i'm efficiency and economy. but not
! along the lines provided in the bill under
consideration.
/ / am opposed to any plan the result Of
/ which would be 10 break up or interfere
! With the essential principles Of the de-
/ tail system in the staff corps established
/ by the act Of February q 1901, and ] am
/ opposed TO any plan the result of which
| would be 20 give 10 the officer selected as
chief OF staff or to any other member OF
| the General staff Corps greater pcrmS-
neucy OF Office than he now has. Under
the existing law neither the chief OF staff
| nor any other member of the General
period OF more than four years, and there
must he All interval Of two years between
4 successive tours Of duty.
, Tho hill referred 10 provides that cor-
tain persons shall become permanent MEM
/ bers Of The General STAFF corps. and that
certain others are subject 70 Tedetail with
out an interval OF TWO wears Such pro-
vision Is Taught with danger 10 the vel
fare of tho army. and would practically
nullify the main pUTpOs" OF the law Great
iug tho General stan.
In making the consultations no rcduc-
lion should be made i'm tho total number
OF officer ~ the army. Of whom there
arc now too few 10 perform the duties
imposed by law. have In the past rec
commended an increase i'm the number of
officers by siK hundred in order 10 pro-
vide sufficient officers 40 perform sll
CLASSES Of staff duty and TO reduce the
number Of line officers detached from their
commands. Congress AZ the last session
increased tine total number or officers by
two hundred. but this IS not enough. Pro-
motion in the lino OF the army is too
slow. Officers do not attain command rank
at an age carly enough properly To cXer-
else il. II would bo mistake further to
Ictsrd this already slow promotion by
throwing back into the line Of the army
n number Of high ranking officers 10 he
absorbed as is provided in the proposed
plan OF consolidation.
Another feature Of the hill which ] be-
lioyc to bc ~ mistake IS the proposed in
crease iu tho term Of enlistment from
thrc, 10 Eve years. ! believe II would be
better TO cnlst men for six years release
them at the end OF three years from active
remaining three years. Re-cnlistmcnts
should be largely confined to the non
commissioned officers and other enlisted
men 100 the skilled grades. This plan. 10y
the payment OF comparatively snail
compensation during the three years OF
reserve. would keep A large body Of men
at the call Of the government. trained and
ready for service and able 10 meet any
CXiScncy.
The army Of tho United States is in
good condition. II showed itself able 70
meet an emergency I'm the successful mobi-
lization Of an army division OF from M
teen 10 twenty thousand men. which took
place along the border Of Mexico during
the recent disturbance in that country.
The marvellous freedom from The ordi-
nary camp diseases of typhoid fever and
measles is referred 10 in tho report of the
Secretary nj War and shows such an ef
rcctiveness in the sanitary regulations and
treatment Of the medical corps and IN the
discipline of the army itself as 10 invoke
the highest commendation.
!. beg 10 renew my recommends ton Of
last wear that the Congress approximate
r-r t.1nLunrlal nLnuLIl LAhlrn ~ Arllnn-