Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-11
Secretary stimson Against
Measure for Reorganization.
MAKES PR0TESTIN Letter
Says Legislation Would Prove
Highly Injurious" to Military.
BACKED BY MAJ. GEN. WOOD
Chief Of STAFF Also Says Hay Bill
Would Be Prejudicia1 to
Best Interests.

Secretary Of War Stimson has written q
vigorous letter to Representative Hay
chairman OF the House committee on mill
tary affairs, In opposition to the Hay bill
for the reorganization of the army. He
says there are at least FIVE cardinal TEA.
lures in the proposed legislation which he
| considers highly injurious to the eff
cheney Of the army and to the develop
ment Of our military establishment upon
the lines which it has been proceeding
/ during the past ten years"
| The Objectionable features are enumer-
ated by the War Secretary as follows:
| Lengthening the term OF enlistment: con-
solidating the adjutant generals depart
ment with the general staff corps; viola
ton Of the detail system: abolition of the
posts Of chief of artillery and chief of the
militia division. and the consolidation Of
the supply corps.
In the course of his letter Secretary
Stimson says:
Objections Of Secretary Stimson.
1 II am opposed to the introduction into
the general staff corps of any permanent
officers whatever. Such an introduction
| violates the principle which Is the breath
Il
| the members of that corps shall univer-
| sally return at intervals to the line shall
| there get in touch with the fighting force,
| It's necessities and ideas. and thus insure
stantly reinforced by men coming from
| the nghting force and filled with its
spirit and aims. To introduce any per-
| manent officers. no matter how few or
| or how mparatively a brief tenure. will
upset this fundamental principle will in
troduce inequalities into the corps and
will inevitably run risk Of impairing
| It's spirit, purpose and morale.
- am In favor OF the proposed con-
| solidation of the quartermaster's, SUBJ
| sistence and pay departments. l am not
at all in favor. however. Of using this
| consolidation for the purpose Of cutting
down the number Of officers in the army.
The accompanying memorandum show S
partment is obliged to draw upon the line
Of the army for officers in addition to
| those regularly detailed to assist that
| department in its work.
This Is q direct loss to the efficiency Of
| the army, and 1t shows that the number
OF omcers regularly provided In these
three staff departments is not sufficient
for the work to be performed. Any off,
GERS that may be released from work in
the supply corps by the economy Of con-
solidatiOn are imperatively demanded in
the line Of the army.
II shall be very glad to appear per-
sonally before your committee in respect
to the proposed legislation at such time
rs it may be convenient for YOU to
hear me-
Gen. Wood Also Opposed.
The protest Of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood.
chief OF stan Of the army, against i'm
portant changes in the military establish
ment, was submitted to the committee
yesterday.
The changes outlined in .he Hay bill
comprise four principal features-hrst a
the adjutant generals and the in
spector generals department.; second. the
consolidation Of the quarterlnaster's de-
partment with the subsistence and pay
departments: third the creation of an
army service corps. and. fourth, an ex-
tension Of the enlistment period from
three to five years.
Hurtful to Military Service.
Tho bill contains certain legislative
| provisions" says Gen. Wood, "the enact
ment Of which would be highly prejudicial
to the best interests Of the military serv-
ice." He adds that the provision that
| certain persons shall become permanent
| members OF the general staff corps. and
that certain others are subject to redetail
| without an interval Of two years, Is
the army and would practically nullify
the main purpose of the law creating a
general STAFF.
Transformation Of the general staff as
now constituted into q bureau in the
War Department with a large proportion
of It's senior personnel permanent In
character, would result I'm condition
destructive to the basic principles upon
which the general staff is founded. and
would be fatal to the progressive develop
ment OF the army.
4 Dsmoralizing to Discipline.
1.-THE promotion of five bureau chiefs
upon retirement to grades which the,
could not reach under the existing law is
unsound from the standpoint Of military
efficiency, demoralizing to the discipline
of the army and contrary to the best in.
terests Of the service.
ITO carefully protect and safeguard the
interests Of ninety permanent staff Off
GERS represented in Washington by five
bureaus and all far ahead Of the line OF
the army in rapidity Of promotion. and a,
the same time to disregard the interest.
OF line officers by throwing back into the
line sixty-seven high ranking officers, t.
block already slow promotion. il democrat
izing to the discipline Of the army
u ITO reduce the general stan corps, al
. ready too small. and then to cali upor
, line officers to perform their work wher
the line IL already staggering under tn,
burden Of having 567 officers detached Il
perform non-iine work. Is short-sightet
policy and not real economy. because Il
,, will result in inefficiency.
ITO lengthen tho period OF enlistment
Is contrary to the practice of modern
. armies, and. rather than resulting in econ
omy, would. in the long run. result In 6
most extravagant system, wholly insult
| ed to tho preparation and DEVELOPMENT 81
the military resources OF the country ant
lpretudicial to true military efficiency
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