Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-03
GO 7 0 PORTO RICO
Three Regiments Ordered to Proceed to thu
Island.
requests for the Discharge of Iudf
Ntduai Soldiers Almost oyer,yhcic,
the War Department..

ne war Department has decided to send
mole troops to Porto Rico. Orders Were
'Cday issued directing the 9th Regular Cay
airy, now at Huntsville Ala; the 9th
United States Volunteer Infantry, now at
tmckamauga, and the 41th New York Vol
uhteers, row at Fort AGams, to proceed 10
fcrto Rico, to such point as may he de
sfed by the commanding general in that
iSiahd. The Sth United States Volunteer
Infantry, and two companies of the In
diana colored volunteers, now at Fort
Thomas. KY, will relieve the 9th Infantry
at Chickamauga
All the troops at Camp Meade will soon be
ordered eway from that point to points in
the south. Some of them may go to Cuba.
but the majority will for the present oc-
cupy the new camps recently selected In
georgia and South Carolina. 1t is also
thcughe that troops sent to garrison duty
IN CUBA VIII not remain very long but
after they have been in service there for a
few months they will return to this coun-
Try Inc same is probably true of Porto
Rlco. 1t Is also intimated that when the
troops return the volunteers will be given
6odays furlough and mustered out. BY that
tlme congress will have had an opportunity
TO determine what shall be done in regard
u garrisoning the new possessions
his determination was no doubt due to
the pressure that has been brought by
members of Congress for the mastering out
OF the volunteers from their states and dis
ulcts. The responsibility for furnishing
troops for garrison duty and for military
duty generally will be upon Congress The
recommendations of the President and the
war Department will have been made be-
fore the return of the troops from either
Cuba or Porto Rico, and the necessities of
the case made known.
Army Reorganization Necessary.
fhnr hac haa
for mastering out of volunteers since the
announcement was made that the troops
could not be spared, the demand continues
with sufficient persistence to convince the
war officials that a reorganization of the
army will be necessary, and that some ar
rangement will have to be mad4 to obtain
a force for garrison service which will not
be subject to the same difficulties exper-
fenced in the case of the volunteers Al
though the pressure for the muster out Of
entire regiments is not so great, the de-
ndnd for the discharge of individuals has
overwhelmed the department. There is not
senator or representative, scarcely, who
has not presented requests of this kind,
ana there is a constant demand for the
disc barge of one man or another upon some
pret9xt, whicn would not be deemed valid
in the ease of men in the regular army.
Personal appeals are made by fathers,
mothers, wives, sisters and SwaetheartS.
Livery man In the departm nj supposed to
have any influence is sought to secure the
discharge of enlisted men, who have tired
of the lie of a soldier.
These requests and the demands for mus
tering out have no doubt had their effect
in making the war officials seek some more
satisfactory method of army organizatio
for the purposes which the army will be
needed in thu future.
Secretary Alger today announced that
Savannah, Ga, had been selected as the
point of enubarkation of all troops which
may hereafter be sent to Cuba or Porto
Rico. 1t is stated that the matter was
thoroughly considered al the War Depart
ment and that Savannah was selected be-
cause it afforded better facilities for the
purpose than any of the other cities that
have been suggested to the department.