The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-05-28
SOLDIERS NECESSARY in PHILIPPINE
CABINET, GENERAL WOOD DECLARES
Officers Of United States
Army Largely Instrument
tai in Laying Foundations
of Civil Government Both
in Cuba and Philippines.
Governor General Says

Washington, May %. iP,-Col-
lision Of views over the cavalry
cabinet" between Governor General
Leonard Wood Of the Philippine
Islands, and Colonel Carmi A.
Thompson, personal Investigator for
President Coolidge, is disclosed in
an article by General Wood appear
ing in the June number Of the In
fantry journal
Themssan Sesommended te the
president abolishment Of the praci
tice of assigning army officers to
serve in the cabinet of the governor
general.
General Wood makes no reference
to the Thompson report. He asserts,
however, that the "fairly widespread
assumption" that military officers
are temperamentally unsuited for
peace time civil functions is mot
sound" nor based on authentic his
torical experience" and urges that
the War Department continue ITO
contribute its exceedingly moderate
quota of army officers for advisory
and even executive duties with the
insular government"
General Wood was invited to ex-
press himself on the subject by the
Infantry Journal which !. published
by the Infantry Association of the
opportunity ito say few words"
because Of the assumption that army
officers were unsuited for civil
duties.
Assumption Not Sound
"That this assumption is not
sound, that it is not based on authcn-
tic historical experiences, am sat
isfied," he said, adding that the
theory that IAN able soldier or sailor
is temperamentally untitled to rem
der intelliocnt, unbiased and valu-
able public service in fields Of civil
administration" would not bear his
t0rical examination
speaking from personal expert
ence and intimate observation, / do
not hesitate to assert that both in
Cuba and the Philippines, Officers
of the United States army were
largely instrumental in laying the
foundations of civil government; and
If the edifices constructed on those
foundations have not measured UP to
the highest expectations, the fault
certainly does not lie with the army"
General Wood declared.
1T has been my experience that
when assigned to civil responsible
ties, army officers have habitually
adjusted themselves to their new en-
vironment Of duty with notable
facility and have handled the affairs
entrusted to them with fidelity and
ability.
In the ABSENCE Of branch of the
Federal civil service specialized in
the administrative functions of the
overseas possessions, the army Of
fers = convenient field for the Sc
lection Of men Of maturity and judg-
ment who have had years Of service
and Understood the temperament of
the people and are generally con-
versant with conditions, in the
Philippines and in the Orient as q
whole. Since It's inception the gov
ernment Of the Philippine Islands
has been within the jurisdiction Of
the secretary Of war.
Plan Should Be Continued
ut seems to me, therefore, that il
is appropriate as we'll as eminently
practical for the War Department to
continue TO contribute its exceeding
" moderate quota Of army officers
for adivsory-and even executive
duties with the insular government
The Wood article Is general dis
cussion Of the part played by mill
tary officers Of all greatly adven-
turous seafaring" nations in the
evolution Of civil government in
newly acquired domains. That duty
has rested with army officers, he
raid, ~ far back as the days Of
JuliQ1 Caesar.
"Ahd II may be remarked that NO