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CONGRESS. (ARMY REORGANIZATION.) 



That would give about 25 brigadier generals 

 6 in regular and 19 in volunteer army. Then it 

 comes to the major generals. We assign 1 major 

 general to every 12,000 enlisted men. There are 

 3 major generals in the regular army, and we 

 increase the number so that there will be 1 to 

 every 12,000 men, an increase of about 5. Now 

 I submit that this is not a bad arrangement. It 

 is not extravagant: it is not prodigal of the 

 people's money. It is just as small a force as can 

 efficiently and effectively manage the enlisted 

 force provided by the bill. 



" Mr. President, under all these circumstances, 

 after this long discussion and this effort year 

 after year and Congress after Congress to reor- 

 ganize the army, if we have a bill here which 

 promises to settle the question for Congresses 

 to come, promises no heavy burden upon the 

 people, gives no extra force that can be used for 

 any improper purpose or elsewhere, I think it 

 ought to be accepted. I have been on several 

 commissions to reorganize the army; I have been 

 connected with several efforts to reorganize the 

 army. We have never been able to get anything 

 that could meet with approval, and I believe 

 honestly and conscientiously that this is the 

 best measure that has been presented to the Con- 

 gress of the United States for settling the regu- 

 lar army of the United States since I entered 

 this Chamber, on the 4th day of March, 1875. 

 I do not believe that you will ever get a better 

 one. On the contrary, if this bill fails, my judg- 

 ment is that what will come hereafter will be 

 very different from this measure, not as good 

 for the interests of the country as this will prove 

 to be." 



Mr. Gorman, of Maryland, opposed the meas- 

 ure, and succeeded in having it amended by a 

 provision restoring the organization after 1901 

 in all grades except the artillery to the strength 

 authorized by law prior to April 1, 1898. 



" Mr. President, I have but little interest in 

 the pending amendment, which has engaged the 

 attention of the Senate. It is a mere matter of 

 detail, fixing the age limit at which the officers 

 may enter the service. But I do desire to say 

 a few words upon the general frame of the bill. 



" Mr. President, for the first time in the history 

 of the country has a serious and urgent attempt 

 been made by the executive branch of the Gov- 

 ernment to largely and permanently increase the 

 standing army at the close of a war, and after 

 peace has been practically declared. 



" The conditions which confront us have been 

 brought about in part by the action of Congress, 

 which committed the Government to regulate the 

 affairs of the people of Cuba and to use the 

 great power of this Government to free that 

 people. But the serious trouble the one that 

 gives us the greatest concern has been forced 

 upon us by the executive branch of the Govern- 

 ment and the treaty-making power. 



" The acquisition of the Philippine Islands has 

 brought upon us obligations and conditions most 

 extraordinary and alarming. I shall not discuss 

 that question further than to say that with the 

 Executive primarily must remain the responsi- 

 bility for involving us in the serious complica- 

 tions with which we are now confronted. But 

 for the questions involved in that acquisition, I 

 do not believe there would be many advocates 

 of a proposition to create a large standing army 

 in this country. 



" While disclaiming any part of the responsi- 

 bility for these conditions, I agree that we shall 

 make ample provision to uphold the honor and 

 dignity of the country. 



" Mr. President, I would not in any way 

 hamper the administration in the adjustment of 

 the affairs that unfortunately confront us. I 

 desire to act toward the administration in the 

 same manner that I did when the declaration of 

 war against Spain was made. We then voted, 

 with great unanimity, all the money and all the 

 men the Executive desired or could use, the only 

 condition being that when peace should be de- 

 clared the officers and enlisted men of the army 

 and navy should be reduced to a peace footing. 



" Now that the war has closed, recognizing 

 there is an insurrection in the Philippine Islands 

 and that a small military force is necessary in 

 Cuba and Puerto Rico, we say we are prepared 

 to vote all the money and make provision for 

 all the men that the President of the United 

 States may require to pacify those islands. But 

 in doing so there must be a limit as to the time 

 for which the army shall be so increased; that 

 it shall be temporary and only for the purpose 

 indicated. 



" The attempt to force through Congress, in 

 the closing hours of a busy session, a measure 

 for the partial reorganization of the standing 

 army and a measure which provides for a large 

 increase in that army, is unwise, for the reason 

 that it can not be fairly or accurately framed, 

 and there is no time to consider the details of 

 such an important matter. Mr. President, the 

 executive branch of the Government ought not 

 to ask Congress to grant him greater power than 

 was given him when the declaration of war with 

 Spain was made, and Congress ought not to 

 grant, no matter how insistent the Executive 

 may be, a large increase of the regular army in 

 time of peace. 



" Mr. President, the pending bill providing for 

 a large increase of the standing army and a 

 temporary force amounting altogether to 100,000 

 men can not be defended. It is no answer to 

 say that we have a revolution in the Philippine 

 Islands; that there is some threatened disorder 

 in Cuba, and unrest, if you please, in Puerto 

 Rico. That does not justify the demand for a 

 standing army when we say to you that we will 

 give you all the men that the commander in chief 

 of the army may think necessary to suppress the 

 rebellion in the Philippine Islands or to main- 

 tain peace in Cuba and Puerto Rico, and that 

 when those cases shall have been adjusted the 

 army must resume its normal condition. 



" That, Mr. President, is what we have always 

 done in the case of war. We gave to the Presi- 

 dent of the United States, the commander in 

 chief of the army, in the war with Spain, for 

 temporary use in that war, and to last until 

 the end of that war and until peace was de- 

 clared, all the t men and money he required. There 

 was no permanent increase of the standing army, 

 except possibly two regiments of artillery, which 

 increase was said to be necessary on account of 

 the additions to our fortifications. 



" This, Mr. President, is all we did in the war 

 of 1812-'14 and in the war with Mexico. Im- 

 mediately upon the conclusion of peace following 

 those wars the regular army was reduced to a 

 peace footing. What possible reason can be given 

 for departing from this well-settled policy of the 

 Government at this time? There is none, abso- 

 lutely none." 



The measure as passed is as follows: 



"Be it enacted, etc., That from and after the 

 date of the approval of this act the army of 

 the United States shall consist of 3 major gen- 

 erals, 6 brigadier generals, 10 regiments of cav- 

 alry, 7 regiments of artillery, 25 regiments of 



