bearing arms. Help him to look back, now and then, in order that he may better look forward. Emblazon on the colors of his regiment the names of its battles, that all may see and note what manner of men once fought under them, and we may be sure that a like manner of men will fight under them once again, when there comes the call to battle.

THE GENERAL STAFF.

BY ELIHU ROOT.

Elihu Root, secretary of state; born Clinton, N. Y., February 15, 1845; graduated Hamilton college, 1864; taught at Rome academy, 1865; graduated University Law school, college of City of New York, 1867; United States attorney southern district New York, 1867, March 1883 to July 1885; delegate at large state constitutional convention, 1894; and chairman judiciary committee; appointed secretary of war, August 1, 1899; reappointed March 5, 1901; resigned August 1903.

The important military event of recent years affecting the regular army has been the reorganization of the system of military control under the general staff act approved February 14, 1903. This act abolished the separate office of the general commissioner of the army, provided for a military chief of staff to the president, who, acting under the directions of the president, or of the secretary of war representing him, should have supervision not only of all troops of the line, but of the special staff and supply departments which had theretofore reported directly to the secretary of war; and it created for the assistance of the chief of staff, a corps of 44 officers, who were relieved from all other duties. The function of this new corps is described by the statute in the following words:

"Sec. 2. That the duties of the general staff corps shall be to prepare plans for the national defense and for the mobililization of the military forces in time of war; to investigate and report upon all questions affecting the efficiency of the army and its state of preparation for military operations; to render professional aid and assistance to the secretary of war and to general officers and other superior commanders, and to act as their agents in informing and coordinating the action of all the different officers who are subject, under the terms of this act, to the supervision of the chief of staff; and to perform such other military duties not otherwise assigned by law as may be from time to time prescribed by the president."

Although, by its terms, the act was not to take effect until August 15th, 1903, it was obvious that this radical change in the administration of military affairs and the adjustment of the new machinery to the old machinery which had been in oper

ation for many years, would require a vast number of details to be worked out experimentally and upon full consideration by all the officers whose duties were affected. A board was accordingly convened in March to recommend selections for the new corps. It consisted of Generals Young, Chaffee, John C. Bates, Carter, Bliss, and Randolph, and Major Henry A. Greene, as recorded. The board was required under oath to recommend 42 officers for detail upon their merits as exhibited by their military records. The order which convened the board also provided that vacancies occurring in the general staff corps, after its organization, should be filled upon the recommendation of a permanent board consisting of the chief of staff and the three senior officers of the general staff corps on duty at the war department, operating in a similar manner. The three general officers of the staff were selected by the president without action of a board.

Upon the report of this board its recommendations were approved without change, and the officers selected were ordered to Washington to report to General Young, who was to be the first chief of staff. They were then organized as an experimental or provisional general staff, and directed to work out a permanent organization and distribution of duties for the general staff corps, a draft of new regulations, and a revision of the old regulations made necessary by the new departure. This work was done upon full consultation with the chiefs of bureaus and taking the opinions of general officers commanding departments, and was accompanied by reference to the provisional staff organization of many tasks and problems to be worked out which were appropriate for general staff action, in order that they might become familiar with their work, and test by experiment the best methods of accomplishing it. In this way when the act took effect the general staff was ready to enter upon the discharge of its duties with a fully considered organization, distribution of duties and regulations, and a considerable familiarity with the new duties which its members were to perform.

The regulations which govern the operation of the new corps divide the corps into the war department general staff and the general staff serving with troops (that is to say, in time

of peace with the generals commanding geographical departments) and they prescribe the duties and relations of each of the two classes.

The tenth article of the regulations relating to the chief of staff states explicitly the new theory of control inaugurated by the general staff act. It will be remembered that our old plan of army administration was that there should be a general commanding the army in peace as well as in war, responsible for the efficiency, discipline, and conduct of the troops, but having no control over finances or the departments of supply and transportation; and that there should be a secretary of war controlling the finances and the money spending bureaus, but not commanding the army, or responsible for the conduct of purely military affairs; and it will be remembered that the result of attempting to work upon that theory of dual and separate responsibility was almost constant discord and a consequent reduction of efficiency. The new theory is stated by the regulations, as follows:

"Under the act of February 14, 1903, the command of the army of the United States rests with the constitutional commander in chief, the president. The president will place parts of the army, and separate armies whenever constituted, under commanders subordinate to his general command; and in case of exigency seeming to him to require it, he may place the whole army under a single commander subordinate to him; but in time of peace and under ordinary conditions, the administration and control of the army are effected without any second in command.

"The president's command is exercised through the secretary of war and the chief of staff. The secretary of war is charged with carrying out the policies of the president in military affairs. He directly represents the president and is bound always to act in conformity to the president's instructions. Under the law and the decisions of the Supreme court his acts are the president's acts, and his directions and orders are the president's directions and orders.

"The chief of staff reports to the secretary of war, acts as a military adviser, receives from him the directions and orders

given in behalf of the president, and gives effect thereto in the manner hereinafter provided.

"Exceptions to this ordinary course of administration may, however, be made at any time by special direction of the president if he sees fit to call upon the chief of staff to give information or advice or receive instructions, directly.

"Wherever in these regulations action by the president is referred to, the action of the president through the secretary of war is included, and wherever the action of the secretary of war is referred to, the secretary of war is deemed to act as the representative of the president and under his directions."

The chief of staff is detailed by the president from officers of the army at large not below the grade of brigadier general. The successful performance of the duties of the position require what the title denotes-a relation of absolute confidence and personal accord and sympathy between the chief of staff and the president, and necessarily, also between the chief of staff and the secretary of war. For this reason, without any reflection whatever upon the officer detailed, the detail will in every case, unless sooner terminated, end on the day following the expiration of the term of office of the president by whom the detail is made; and if at any time the chief of staff considers that he can no longer sustain toward the president and the secretary of war the relations above described, it will be his duty to apply to be relieved.

It will be perceived that we are here providing for civilian control over the military arm, but for civilian control to be exercised through a single military expert of high rank, who is provided with an adequate corps of professional assistants to aid him in the performance of his duties, and who is bound to use all his professional skill and knowledge in giving effect to the purposes and general directions of his civilian superior, or make way for another expert who will do so.

In this way it is hoped that the problem of reconciling civilian control with military efficiency with which we have been struggling for so many years will be solved.

The general scheme of organization of the war department general staff contemplates that every subject requiring investigation and study shall be worked out first by the officers