The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-03-15

X X Y X * \. 4, .tksr.k \;
struction or the conversion of this regi.
mental post into brigade post. 1
shall read an extract from this COM
munication of. the secretary which may
condemn in the language of the depart
rnent itself this very project more for.
chilly than / can do it myself.
"Speakiug of the old system under
which posts had grown up the secretary
of war said:
- "The Army leaders had grown
old under a system of scattered
posts due to former Indian troubles.
The board of general officers rec
commended SO of the 65 Army posts
for permanent occupation, 10 for
temporary occupation, and the
establishment of new posts.
Army Regulations stated nothing
as to the Importance of combined
maneuvers, but dwelt strongly ON
the post commander Is duty to make
his post 'an attractive home for
the Army by every means avail
able. For years beautiful park
like reservation had been the
surest means of gaining for the
commanding officer favorable men
ton at the annual inspection.
There had been no general staff TO
consider the needs of the Army ms
whole, no chief of staff to CO.
ordinate the idea of progressive
subordinates and recommend the
proper course of action. AS
whole, the Army was not aware of
its own shortcomings.
"Parklilke."
) "Yet here is recommendation from
the war department that Fort 0rgle
thorpe, now regimental post, be en-
1arged into brigade post, and that the
department be permitted to locate such
of the buildings as it desires within the
-Chickamauga National Park, so as very
likely to give that parklike appearance,
which would commend its commanding
officer to the good graces of his su
periors in the war department. One
of the arguments in favor of the con
centration of troops is that building:
could be placed close together so that
there would be economies effected il
administration and in the maintenance
of the post.
g No Continuity.
most severe criticism that can be made
of the war department is that it has
no definite, permanent policy. Every
time there is change in the war de
partment, or a change in the offices Of
the general staff, or in the head of tn,
general staff, a new policy is proposed
new schemes are introduced. Whateve
one man advocates apparently is OPP
posed by his successors. 1t seems Il
be the proof of progress. There is N,
continuity of policy here. Take thu
scheme in the Hawaiian Islands, d
which / have referred. A plan for IT
proper defense, supposed to have beer
carefully worked out by the genera
staff and in the war college established
for that purpose, was laid before con
gress. 1t was adopted. Yet, although
in 1909 and in 1910 they advocated tn,
immediate appropriation of money TO
cavalry barracks, in 1911 they asked t,
have ii. diverted for infantry barracks
at Honolulu, a distance of some twelv,
miles from Camp Schofeld, and then il
1912 the department comes back agaiI
and asks that additional authority b.
given for greater accommodations TO
cavalry.
~ do not wonder that in time o,
war, if this country is so unfortunate
to be afflicted with it, the United State
should be found unprepared in every de
partment Of the military service. If W
are expanding the vast sums that w
do expend, and if we are educating of
ficers at the expense to which we ar
put to have them study and determine
military questions and they are unabl
overnight to confne themselves to an,
given policy or plan or scheme, it i
no wonder that when war does com
upon us we should have all the horror
and misfortunes that followed from th
Spanish War;