The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-04
WOOD ADVOCATES
RESTORATION Of
THE ARMY CANTEEN
Recommends Legislation for
Elimination of Unfit
Officers From Service
WOULD END THE
LINE-STAFF FIGHT
Fayors Transfer of Personnel of Staff
of Corps to the Line-Plans
for Reorganization of
Field Artillery

Washington, January 3.-Restoration of
the army canteen and enactment of leg
islation for the elimination from the
United States army of unfit officers are
among the principal recommendations of
Maj Gen. Leonard Wood, chief of staff.
in his annual report made public today.
General Wood likewise recommends the
concentration of the army on strategic
lines and in area where it can be more
economically maintained and would
transfer all the personnel of the staff
corps excepting engineers, medical OFF,
GERS and chaplains, to the line. increasing
accordingly the number of the general Of
fcers and line officers in the different
grades.
The transfer of the personnel of staff
of corps to the line, in General Woods
opinion, will terminate the constant
struggle between line and staff strug-
gle which is as old as the army and one
which promises to continue. There would
be no interference with promotion, nor
would the members of the present staff
corps lose any of their present advan-
tages There will be more corporation
and greater efficiency"
Of Unfit Officers
Discussing means for the elimination of
unfit officers, the chief of staff says:
"The full efficiency of an organization
of men cannot be secured without sys-
tenn by which the merits of the individ-
uals have some effect upon their advance
ment.
1.-THE army has long suffered from the
lack of such a system" the general con-
tinues "Up to the grade of colonel pro-
motion is entirely by seniority in each
branch and there is no way under the law
by which an officer no matter what his
merit, can be advanced a single numb er
except by making him a general officer.
Conservative organization is most to be
looked for in the army where there is
jealous fear of the effects of favoritism,
but this would disappear under the in
fiuence of proposition of law to place the
selections where they belong. in The hands
of the service itself. which surely is
worthy of the trust by lodging it with
boards of officers chosen as not to be per-
sonally affected by their decisions and
sworn to act in accordance with the BEST
interests of the service"
"The great majority of the officers of
the army, says General Wood, discuss
ing the canteen question. ARE of the
opinion that the re-establishment Of the
oenteen under proper supervision would
tend to improve the health, discipline and
efficiency of service through dismissing
irtemperance and irregularity. | concur
in this opinion
DesertiOns Increase
General Wood encounters an old diff
Guilty in trying to solve the question of :: he
huctuation in the number of desertions
from year to year. Last year the deser-
tions numbered 340l, an increase Of s91
over the preceding year.
'It Is probable" he observed. that
many young men enlisted last year with
an expectation of field service which was
not gratified."
For the first time General Wood in
this report Is able to present to Congress
a detailed plan for the reorganization of
the field artillery in connection with the
general army reorganization. This gem
Ell al plan provides that the first require
ment of the skeleton field army shall lie
two regiments of infantry. six battalicns
of field artillery. one field company of
signal troops. five field hospitals and five
ambulance companies. BY this standard
there is at present vast shortage of field
artillery not only for the army, but for
the militia. The proper proportion of field
guns is 316 per 1000 cavalry and infan-
try and on this basis there is at present
deficiency of 213 guns, or the material
for these regiments in the regular army,
while the militia is short 517 guns. More
ever there is no provision for effective
service of ammunition and many of The
guns would, in a single days lighting. use
all the ammunition which can now be
carried for them. Therefore. Genera
| Wood. referring to the military maxim
| that superiority of fire is needed before
troops can advance over the modern bat
| tlefield adds that if we do not have this
additional artillery the armies are des
| tined 10 ultimate defeat. He also calls
attention to the fact that many states
refused to include proper proportion oi
| field artillery and cavalry in their militis
because of the expense and ne suggest;
| that hereafter Congress definitely arpro
pirate money which can only be used by
the states for the organization of thest
arms.