Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-02-04
ADD MORE OFFICERS
Secretary of War Asks for Larg-
or Number.
Increase of 1000 Would Put Hish
Command in Hands of Younger
Men in the Near Future
Proposed Legislation.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
(Stan Correspondent of the Western
Newspaper Union0

tStan Correspondent of the Western
Newspaper Union)
hington.-Members of congress
have taken heed of a misunderstand-
ing which seems to exist in some parts
of the country over the proposition to
increase the enlisted force of the army
by 10000 men. There are today about
eighty-fiye thousand enlisted men in
the service. The present law reads
that the total enlisted strength of the
army shall not exceed at any one time
100000 men.
1t will be seen from this that the ad-
dition of 10000 privates to the ranks
will still keep it under the limit of
the law, and that congressional action
is needed virtually only to furnish
support for the addition in men which
the secretary of war has recommended
shall be added to the service.
Secretary Garrison has asked also
that 1000 additional officers shall be
commissioned. It is in this recommen-
dation of the secretary tbat the chief
interest here centers. + the commits
stoned force is increased by the num-
Der given it means that the higher
rank in the United States army in
the near future will be held by officers
considerably younger than those now
in command.
The effect of the proposed legisla-
ton in truth seemingly is not gener-
ally understood even by members of
congress. The thought seems to be
that it simply will add 1000 officers
to the service and that the only
Strengthening of the army will be in
numbers and through the advantage
which will accrue from having officers
enough to fill the regimental places of
those who are ordered on detached
service.
If 1000 new commissions are pro-
vided promotion will come to 1000
officers, not necessarily in all cases
promotion from one grade to another,
but promotion in file, which means
simply that a captain who is say 100
files removed from a major will be 'ad-
vanced so that he will get his step
much earlier than would be the case
under present conditions.
AS things are today officers in the
prime Of life and best fitted probably
for high rank are graded as captains,
majors or perhaps at best as lieuten-
ant colonies By the time they get to
be sixty years old it is possible for
some Of them to become brigadier
generals, but the most active part of
the officers life today is passed as a
junior in command
The first effect of the law proposed
by Mr. Garrison will be to advance all
the junior officers of the army a score
or so of steps. Then there will be a
good many colonies, lieutenant colo
nels and majors still young in years
and fit physically for the hardest kind
of campaigning. This will mean that
eventually our brigadier generals and
major generals will be much younger
men in the main when they get pro-
motion than are those who hold the
rank today.
It is understood that the administra-
ton will enter no objection to the pas
sage by congress of the legislation pro-
posed by Secretary of War Garrison
and introduced by Senator Chamber
lain of Oregon. If it becomes a law
the country will have fewer coloneIless
regiments, fewer majorless battalions
and squadrons, and fewer captainless
companies in the field than it has to-
day.