Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-16
SPIRITED SENATE DEBATE on NUS
TERING THEM OUT.
SENATOR C0CKRELL HEARD
HE DECLARES THERE Is No NEED
FOR A LARGE ARMY.
Adds That Spain Had No Power to
Ccde the Philippines-Mr. Allison
Urges That the Matter BE
Left With President
Mckinley.

WASHINGTON. Dec. 15.-Thc urgent de-
fciency appropriation bill making provision
for the army and navy for the next six
months displaced the Nicaragua canal bill
in the senate to-day, preventing even the
taking of a vote on the question OF post
ponement until after the holidays as had
teen intended. The deficiency bill was
passed. after a spirited discussing turning
principally on the point of keeping the vol
unteer soldiers in the service.
Mr.. Cockrell, of Missouri. addressed the
senate in regard to the mastering out Of
the soldiers. large majority of whom, he
said. wanted to be mustered out, and many
of whom were making sacrifices by remain
ing in the service. on the other hand, the
officers, who were finding the service more
profitable than the privates, had in many
cases refused to forward applications for
discharge. He thought that in such cases
the war department should exercise some
discretion in the interest of the privateS
and be more lenient with the enlisted men.
Mr. Cockrell said very few soldiers would
be required in Cuba and Porto Rico, or,
for that matter, in the Philippines, where,
he said. our footing was very insecure. He
said this countrys occupation there was
most meager and described our attitude
as that of standing with one foot on the
land and the other on the bay, and that
there was no probability of war in that
direction. We have no war to make on
the Filipinos," he said, and can make
no attempt to subjugate them unless con-
gress first makes a declaration OF war,
which it is not likely to do. Until that is
done, there can be effort TO subjugate
those people who are living in peace in
their own country, and there can there
fore be no excuse for the United States
maintaining large standing army at those
islands"
The Spaniards. Mr.. Cockrell said. would
soon be out of Cuba and as the object OF
the war was to get the Spaniards out of
that island. there was no longer any rea-
son for maintaining 4 large force under
arms. The Cuhans were perfectly capable
of maintaining a republican form of gov
ernment and should have the right 10 do so.
He said that Spain could not cede the
Philippines because she did not possess
them. The United States did not want
troops to fight the F'ilipinos and could not
do so without a declaration of war.
Replying, Mr.. Hale said he had no doubt
that the rank and file of the army abroad
had 4 great desire to return home, and
he expressed the opinion that they should
be allowed to do SO. He argued that there
was no menace of war unless it was with
the Fiiipinos. and the danger there was in
our attacking them. 1t was true that the
duty devolved upon the government of the
United States of maintaining peace and
quiet in Cuba for the present until the Gu
bans could establish government of their
own. He hoped this would not be long.
In response to questions from Mr.. Allen,
Mr. Hale expressed the opinion that af-
fairs would soon take such shape that the
services of the volunteers could he dis
pensed with. He thought that within the
eiy he soldiers
could be mustered out. but this was a mat
ter which should be left largely to the ad-
ministration. He understood that it was
| the intention to keep about 10000 men in
the Philippines.
Mr. German said he had advocated an
amendment to the bill which would provide,
| in explicit terms, for q reduction of from
| $4,000 to $4,000 by July l next, but. owing
| the representations of the army authori-
| ties. he would reserve his amendment until
! the army bills should come before the sem
ate. In this connection he paid a high trib-
| ute to Adjutant General Corbin, and then
| proceeded to warn the country against the
! encroachments of the military element.
! Naturally, the army officer wanted to pre-
| serve his own Importance and maintain his
| employment, but this was no reason why
! the private citizen should not zealously
| guard his own rights. He thought coaling
ctdtlOHS IeCtSstfN lOE tIt tAttilSict VI Jul
| trade. but announced himself as opposed
| to undue expansion by means of conquest.
| Mr.. Allison expressed sympathy with the
desire to have large number of volun-
| teers mustered out, but 1t must not be for
| gotten that, under the law. the necessity
existed for the immediate reduction of the
regular army from $500 to 500
He called attention to the Importance of
| a sufficient force to maintain our coast
| had expressed the opinion that from 14.r1
! to 1900 men would be necessary for this
| purpose. In view of these and other facts.
| he considered it wise to follow the wishes
| of the president and the military authori-
| ties in this matter He was sure there was
! no purpose TO keep the extra force longer
| than absolutely necessary The fact must
| not be lost sight of that our affairs in
| Cuba were in transitional state and un-
| der the circumstances. with n large number
| of Spaniards left in the island. nothing was
SO probable as disturbances. We had
| agreed to maintain order i'll Cuba during
| the unsettled period and while he hoped
! this period would not long continue. he.
| for one. would not consent to SO reduce our
forces not to BE- able to make good our
: pledges.
| Replying to a suggestion. Mr.. Allison said
| the president had TO power TO muster into
our army the natives of any OF the various
! islands unless ii should be done by taking
| them into our regula lar army orgaEizatio
! He suggested legislation authorizing the
utilization of large percentage OF the
| local forces in the outlying islands.
Mr.. Money said his experience had nos
been the same that of other senators.
who had found regimental and company
officers unwilling TO assist their men 10 get
out of the army service. bat. on the con-
/ trary. they We're generally anxious 10 aid
! them. He thought married men should gen.
orally be relieved from the service
Mr.. Sewel said the war department had
! for the past several months been grad
! ually wedding out soldiers for discharge
! and that many thousands had thus been
relieved from this duty. He had no doubt
that. even without legislation. 50010 men
would be released within the next six
months.
The urgent deficiency bill was then
passed.
At the instance of Mr.. Harris. the senate
| adopted resolution calling upon the preSi-
| dent for confirmation as to the status of
the report of the Nicaragua commission.
,rte Sana than want into axsl.,Iti!.a