The Daily Missoulian., 1913-01-04
cANTEEN QUESTION
REVIVED AGAIN
CHIEF or STAFF OF THE ARMY
= WOULD HAVE THE lNsT!.
TUITION RESTORED.

4 Washington, Jan. 3.-The restoration
of the army canteen and the enactment
of legislation to eliminate unfit Off
GERS from the United States army are
among the principal recommendations
of Major General Leonard Wood. chief
of staff, In his annual report made
public today. s
!, General Wood recommends the con-
centration of the army on strategic
lines and in areas where 1t can be
maintained more economically he
would transfer all the personnel of the
staff corps, excepting engineers, medi-
cal Officers and chaplains, to the line,
increasing the number of the general
officers and officers in the different
grades.
The transfer Of personnel Of staff
corps to the line. in General Woods
opinion, will terminate the constant
struggle between line mad staff,
struggle which is as old as the army
ana one which promises to continue.
Ihere would be no interference with
promotion, nor would the members of
the present staff corps lose any of
their present advantages.
TO Eliminate the Unfit.
/ Discussing means for the elimination
Or unfit Officers, the chief Of staff
Says -%
.'The full efficiency of an organiza-
ton of men cannot be secured without
i system by which the merits of the
individuals shall have some effect
upon their advancement
THE army long has suffered from
the lack Of such a system. Up to the
grade of colonel, promotion is by SEN
fority in each branch, and there is no
way under the law, by which an Off
GER no matter what his merit, can be
advanced a single number except by
making him general officer. Con-
servatiye opposition most is to be
locked for In the army where there is
Jealous fear Of the effects of favorit-
ism, but tlris would disappear under
the influence of law to place the Sc
lections where they belonged. III the
hands Of the service itself, by lodging
1t with boards of officers so chosen as
not to be affected personally by their
decisions and sworn to act in accord
ance with the best interests of the
service"
The cantesn.
''The great majority of the officers
of the army" says General Wood, dis
cussing the question OF. the. canteen.
fare Of the opinion that the re-estab-
ishment, of the eanteen under. proper
supervision, would tend to improve the
health, discipline and efficiency Of the
service by diminishing intemperance
and immortality concur in this opin-
ion." ..3-s-a - sti
1s,Genaral Wood, In this report. pre-
sents to congress a detailed plan for
the reorganization of the field artil-
lery in connection with the general
army reorganization. This general
plan provides that the first increment
of the skeleton field army shall be two
regiments of infantry. six battalions
of field artillery. one field company
of signal troops. five field hospitals
and five ambulance companies. BY
this standard there Is at present a
vast shortage of field artillery not
only for the army, but for the militia.
Moreover. there is no provision for ef-
fective service of ammunition and
many of the guns In a single days
fight would use all the ammunition
which can now be carried for them.
Therefore, General Wood adds. II
we do not have this additional ar
tillery the armies are destined to ulti-
mate defeat" He also calls attention
to the fact that many states refuse to
include proper proportion of field ar
tillery and cavalry in their militia be-
cause of the expense, and suggests
that hereafter congress appropriate
money which only. can be used by the
states for the organization OF these
arms.