The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-27
Tells of His Disappointment at Not Being Put
ir Command in Cuba.
TALKS OF ARMY ENCAMPMENTS
Camp Thomas Described a in Horrible Condition. The Condition of the
Camp at Jacksonville in Wonderfully Good Order--No Fran.
chises to be Granted in Our New Possessions Without Or
der of Secretary Alger--Report IN the Minority
Army Bil.-We Seize Another Island
in the Pacific Ocean.

which can only terminate in the de-
struction of the liberties Of the people.
The minority, holding the views
above expressed, hav thought they
owed it to the country to present to the
house Of representatives a substitute
for the bill reported by the majority.
They herewith report said substitute as
embodying every need of the govern
ment in it's present condition and at
the same time preserving with crup
louS care the liberty Of the citizen and
avoiding the evils of a great standing
army.
THE substitute provides for a per-
manent standing army of 80, 200 enlisted
men, about the number in the army be-
fore the war with Spain. The organi-
cation provided for in the substitute
conforms to what it has been with
some few important changes. A larger
number Of men is provided for the ar
tillery than usual by reason Of neces-
Sity of manning our coast defenSeS,
upon which large sums have been
spent. The substitute also provides for
$4,000 volunteers to be taken from the
states and territories and the District
or in proportion to pOpula-
ton. These volunteers are to be mus
tered out of the service of the United
States within two years from the date
of he passage of the act, unless sooner
terminated. Their organizations is to
be the same as hat of the regular ar
my.
Volunteer organizations now in SER
vice are to be given preference as to
re-enliStment All volunteers now in
the service of the United States are t,
be mustered out within sixty days
from the passage of this act. The SUBJ
stitute is not to operate to discharge
any commanding officer who was in the
- ~ nf the TynitnI Ctata. n;o - H.
war with Spain. The necessity for this
body of volunteer troops arises from
the relations which the United States
government now bears to Porto Rico,
Cuba, the Philippine islands, the Ha-
waiian stands and the Ladrone is
lands. Fifty thousand men are very
near the mark which the general of the
army said would be necessary in his
testimony before the committee on
military affairs"
Representative Hay, of Virginia,
who prepared the minOrity~report, es-
Inmates that the regular army estab-
lishment provided for in the minority
substitute would entail an annual ex-
penditure of 1920, 900, 900, or about 81, 900
per man, and that the volunteer
force of $4,000 by the same calculation
would cost $50, 900, 900, or a total during
the existence of the volunteer army Of
$500 900. The war department is pre-
pairing official estimates which will be
ready in a few days.
WE SEIZE ANOTHER ISLAND.
! The government has determined tt
hoist the flag over another island far
out in the Pacific ocean and orders
were sent out late this afternoon t.
the commander of the Bennington
Captain Taussig, to proceed at once
to take possession in the name of the
United States government of Wake
island, lying in latitude 10 north, lon.
gitude 1865 east. 1t is distant abou
1000 miles from Nihau, the western
most of the Hawaiian Islands and ,30(
miles east from Gaum. 1t is almost il
a direct line between these possessions
of the United States and is admirably
adapted for use as a station for a Pa.
cific sable station to connect the Ha,
Waiian islands and the United States
The average height of the island il
eight feet above high tide. 1t is scarce.
ly capable in itself of sustaining life
but it is expected that a cable sta
ton can be maintained without diff
Guilty by the erection of a condenser t.
supply fresh water. Some station il
this locality is deemed to be absolute
ly necessary to the maintenance of
cable, and for that reason the Amer
lean peace commissioners at Paris en-
deavOred to secure one of the Carolin,
islands, but without success. WAX,
islands is said to be by right alread.
American territory for in 1851 Admira
Wilkes surveyed the place and assert
ed title. 1t is not inhabited, so ia
as KNOWN, at the present time, though
in the past some a gatherers hav
temporarily lived in the island.
The Bennington is now at Honolulu
n the orders to her go out by steam
er. After hosting the flag on WAX
island she will proceed to Guam an,
make the survey of the island whicI
was ordered some lineage. She ha
already completed a survey of Pear
harbOr, seven miles from Honolulu
which will form the foundation of tn
government plans for the enlargement
of the harbor there and the straight
ening of the channel connecting tn
inner harbor with the ocea