The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-12-10
TELLS OF THE WAR.
Secretary Alger Reports on the
Work of His Department
History OF the Campaign Related
without Criticism-Crcdito of vic-
tory belongs to No One Man
Wants Army of 100000 Men.

Wants Army of 100000 Men.
Washington, Dec. 3.-The annual report
of Secretary Alger Is practically complete
official history of the Spanish American
war. The secretary has given TO the public
not only all the official dispatches that
passed directly between his own Office and
commanding officers In the field and camp
but has supplemented these with short ex.
planatory notes setting forth the reasons
for various movements, and then, to com
plete the record OF events. he has included
In the body OF his report the report of Gen
Miles, OF all the generals who participat eo
in the campaign in Cuba, Porto Rico or the
Philippines, and finally the reports OF al
of the bureau officers of the war depart
ment Nowhere Is there shown "A DISPOSE
ton to criticise, the official dispatches be-
ing allowed to tell their own story, and
generally the secretary finds much to
| praise and cause for sincere congratulation
| in the results obtained.
Had IA Zig Force of Surgeons.
The report proper begins with what may
| be described as a chronological history Of
| the war. consisting of a number OF short
paragraphs. beginning with the decar. ton
! OF war on April q, and setting forth the
| date upon which any event of Importance
occurred. but making no comment what
ever upon the facts. The only exception to
| this rule Is In reference to the casualtit
| at Santiago Some criticism having been
made that there was lack of surgeons
! present. the report states that there ere
l4O surgeons in attendance, and that of
l.43l wounded only IL died of their wounds.
Surrender of Santiago.
Touching the surrender at Santiago the
report SHOWS that Shafter demanded the
! surrender on the Sd, and renewed this de-
mand on the 4th. On the morning of the
nth. another demand was made. on the
evening OF that day Gen. Miles arrived, and
on the 18th and lith of July. he, with Gen.
Shafter met the Spanish commander UNI
der Tag of truce to discuss the surren-
der. ON the afternoon of the 18th, Gen.
Niles left Gen, Skaters headquarters
and soon thereafter went aboard ship pre-
paratoiy TO sailing for Porto Rico July II,
Toral surrendered $4,000 men upon our
terms ana the. American nag was hoisted
by order OF Gen Shafter.
A Great Achievement.
The secretary, coming down In his his
tory to the middle of August, when an or
der was issued and Is now in execution to
muster out 100000 volunteers, says: Thus
an army of about 250.000 volunteers and
recruits for the regulars was called into
existence from civil life. and. including the
| regular army, the total force was 27in7
men. Ii was organized, armed, and
equipped Ono supplies being on hand other
than those for the regulars. save Spring
b y,
were transported by land and sea to bat
tleheds In the tropics 10000 miles apart,
where they won their victories without q
single defeat, and all within the period Of
1l3 days from the declaration of war to the
signing of the protocol. "%r
| Credit belongs to No One Man.
'"rhis great achievement can be credited
! to no Individual: it belongs to the nation.
/ 1t was accomplished through the intelli-
gence and patriotism OF all who served,
| from the commander in chief to the private
! in the ranks. 1t also speaks volumes for
/ the prompt, patriotic and intelligent assist
! ance of the people who furnished, in so
! short n period, the supplies necessary to
! prepare this great army for the field. To
| the heroic men who served in distant lands
1 the country will ever offer Il true need OF
! praise, but the mighty army in camp,
! ready and eager to take the field, should
I also be given equal credit. 1t was their
/ presence, ready at an hours notice for any
| emergency, that overawcd the enemy and
proved TO him that further resistance
| would be in vain.
Death Rnte of the Army.
1.-The deaths in the army from May to
October /, including killed, died of wounds
and of disease, were 2,JlO, the smallest
death rate recorded of an army in history,
a remarkable fact when 1t is considered
that over $4,000 of our troops. born and
reared in the temperate zone, were cam
pagning in tropical climates, subject to
rain and heat almost unprecedented
Wants Army of 100000 Men.
Under the head of increase in the perma-
nent establishment the secretary says: I'm
view OF the needs of n military force in the
islands occupied by the United States, 1t
is earnestly recommended that the regu-
lar army be permanently Increased to
100000 men and the requisite officers; that
a portion of this army be recruited from
the inhabitants of those Islands. to be mus
tered into the service of the United States.
commanded by officers Of our army, dis
erection. however. TO be given 10 the pres
ident TO make appointments of officers
from the force SO recruited.
Another suggestion Is that there should
be employed in the United States service
q consta bulary force for the cities of Cuba,
Porto Eico and the Philippines who have
had the experience and can speak the Lam
guage of the islands.
Estimates.
The statement of expenditures and esti-
mates presents some formidable figures.
The expenditures for the fiscal var ended
June 80 last were 2,J3i.7Sl, and the esti-
mates for the next fiscal year, beginning
July. l, 1889, are $780, 0.317. or this great
estimate the sum Of 500, 10000 is charged TO
pay of the army. The estimate Of cxtraor-
binary appropriations required for the six
months ending June go. 1882 Is $GOl1,53O.
and the estimate for that period, combined
with those for the next fiscal year, reaches
a total of $255,i27,9l7.
At this point the secretary includes in
his report the reports of Gen. Miles and all
the other generals who participated in ac-
tive operations.
Our Dend In Cuba.
The graves of the soldiers at Santiago.
I'm Porto Rico and the Philippines have
been marked, and their remains will be
brought home as soon the plans are
completed.
The entire report of the secretary of
war forms one of the most voluminous
documents of the kind ever issued from the
war department
Gov. Tanner Indicted.
Carlinyille ILL., Dec 2-The Nirden