OCR Text |
Show MORE POWERFUL THAN COMMANDING GENERAL Regulations Drafted Which Confer Great Authority on Chief of General Staff of Army. WASHINGTON, June 12. A committee commit-tee of twelve of the general staff, of which Gen. Tasker Bliss is chairman, has nearly completed a draft of regulations regu-lations for the government of the general gen-eral staff. The regulations to carry the general staff act into effect will make radical changes in the army. The chief of staff will be an all-powerful person, uniting in himself all the theoretical authority exercised by the commanding command-ing General under the present law and the powers heretofore unofficially vested in the Adjutant-General. As drafted the new regulations leave little or nothing of the Adjutant-General's department and less of the Inspector-General's department. The Adjutant-General will keep the records as now and the orders to the army will be promulgated and published by him, but the chief of staff will direct the issue is-sue of the orders. He will be the intermediary in-termediary between the President and Secretary of War and the army and staff bureaus will receive instructions and orders from the chief of staff in the name of the Secretary of War. The chief of staff will have the supervision super-vision of the troops of the line, will direct di-rect military operations and in general will be the most powerful officer that ever held a position in the army in time of peace. Of course, at all times he will be subject to the orders of the President and Secretary of War. Not only the purely military matters supposed to be vested in the commanding command-ing General are given to the new staff in the new regulations, but the sup- plies and equipments also are under his direction. The new regulations make the general gener-al staff officers on duty in Washington . boards to consider all matters requiring requir-ing Investigation and report, including inspections. The general staff will recommend officers of-ficers for detail and promotion and the enlistment and retirement of soldier also will be taken from the Adjutant-General's Adjutant-General's department and given to the general staff. An important feature not yet wholly determined relates to officers detailed from the general staff to the various army departments. The regulations as prepared provide that the officers so detailed de-tailed either to a department or a division divi-sion or brigade in the field shall become be-come chief of staff of the commanding officer of the department or division of troops operating in the field, without regard td the rank of any other staff officer in the command. , The committee hopes to submit draft to Gen. Young today in order , that he may send it to the Secretary of War before he leaves the city. Gen. Young will make a tour, of the Great Lakes next week, leaving here on Saturday. |