The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-27
MILITARY EXPERT
CR|T|C|sEs ARMY
Posts Are Maintained With
No Excuse for Their
Existence
GENERAL GRANT
COMMANDS ONE MAN
Officers Pay More Attention
to Condition of Property
Than to Proficiency
of Troops

NEW FORK, January 27.-"The
enlisted strength Of the actual com
mand of Major-Generai Frederick
Dent Grant, commanding the depart
ment OF the East. u. s. A., is one
orderly, according to II. l.. Cloth
worthy, an expert on MILITARY affairs.
In an article in the February mum
Der OF the Worlds Work Clothwortny
severely criticises the present sys-
tenn In the regular army, He points
put that much money is wasted TO
keep In use army posts whose only
excuse for existence is that they are
designed with reference to spending
congressional appropriation, With
the money now available, If modern
methods are used. Ciothworthy says.
= highly specialized. prefectly organic
ed force pf lighting men might be
maintained. The article warmly en-
dorses the program OF the general
st4n TO:
"Give the people of the United
States an army that liz worth the
annual appropriation of Sleo, 100000
Or more.
have believed IL to be, perfect fight
Ing machine, ready for duty at home
or abroad at any time.
Make the army a place where a
soldier may follow his profession with
~ much dignity, honor and skill as
elsewhere In the world"
Details Equipment Lack,
The article details the lack of equip
ment OF detached regiments, how
commands are skeletonixed to spread
over all existing army posts, says that
Of the humiltating manner In which
RON tY1 "a N f4u a re
in strength and alleges that our gen.
eral officers are unframed,
Property" he says, take prece-
dence over proficiency in the United
States army, and the field officers are
compelled TO pay more attention to
buildings than to troops As though
designed entirely TO complete tbs dis.
organization OF our military estab-
Iishment the munitions of war have
been dispersed with the same disre-
gard Of military necessities as the
human material OF our army. Except
Ing those army posts which may have
some small quantity OF extra cloth
Ing. arms and field supplies on hand
there liz not a military depot in the
United States where a single soldier
gould be completely eufftted for the
held"
Commanding officers above the rank
pI IhAIOE are ti1G Iunst GN-
tached from their commands and
where commands are split up the
regimental officers are given command
over only a portion of their troops
although held responsible for all of
them should they be ordered ON active
service Summed up the present con-
dition Of the army, according 10
Clothworthy is as follower
Privates Unframed.
The privates are in large meas
pre unframed. The lire officers are
likewise unframed in their Individual
duties and the percentage OF officers
absent frnm the ooaors makes the
maintenance of a regiment with esprit
de corps, or team play impossible.
and tho staH officers are similarity
Inexperienced In the duties which
would evolve upon them In time of
war Added to this there Is no ate-
auate equipment quickly available for
the troops. The chsef asset Of the
army Ia number OF useless posts
which the taxpayers are supporting
with money which they believe IL
being spent to give them small but
highly efficient army.