The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-15
United States Must Send Fifty Thou
sand Soldiers.
VIEW OF COMMISSION
GENERAL MILES THINKS HALF
$TEAT NUMBER SUFFICIENT.
Interesting Facts Brought Out Before
Congressional Committees-Twen-
ty-fve Thousand For Philippines
and Six Thousand For Puerto
Rico--Corbin's Views.

Washington, Dec. 14.-Adjut2nt Gen
eral Corbin appeared today before the
house committee on military affairs.
His statements attracted unusual in
terest because of their direct reference
to conditions in Cuba, Puerto Rico and
the Philippines, and the military re-
quirements on which the war depart
ment was acting. As to the need OF an
increased army, General Co1bln SAID
that was a most serious proposition.
lie proceeded:
The Cuban evacuation commission
consisting OF Generals Wade and But
Ter and Admiral Sampson-has submit
ted statement that in order to pre-
serve order jn Cuba it VIII require the
presence OF an army of $4,000 men,"
General Corbin said he would. send
this recommendation in confidence to
the committee, but later it was ar
ranged that it should be submitted
without confidential reservations. 1t
was on this recommendation, said Cen
eral COrbin, that the plan OF sending
troops to Cuba was based. 1t might be
found that 90, 600 men would not be alb
;olutely requisite.
'But we are holding $4,000 men in
readiness to 80 if required, said the
general. AS to the Philippines" he
has recommended that $4,000 men
Were required there. In Puerto Rico
>the officers in command there say that
VI force now ON hand is adequate for
The requirements. The present force
there is 600. That made $1,000 men.
$4,000 for cuba, % 600 for the Philippines
and about 5000 for Puerto Rico, leaving
US with an, army of 100000 about Is, 000
for reserves al home
-, 4 s-,sI
eral CoIbin, that an army in time of
peace is like insurance. 1t is a prep
aration for an emergency. If we had
had such an army last June, there
would have been no such loss of life
as occurred
DO You think $4,000 for Cuba a con-
servaive estimator asked Mr.. Hit Of
Illinois.
L think it is. 4" answered the general
And how long will that last?" asked
Mr.. Hay.
4 wish I could say" answered Gen
eral Corbin. But no man can say. You
cannot view conditions in Cuba as you
can in Ohio or Pennsylvania For 100
years the people there have been ac-
customed to he ruled by force. The
officers there fear that with these con-
ditions and habits. if troops are not
there trouble may occur"
When questioned by Mr.. Hay of Nir-
einia as to how soon the United States
troops could be Withdrawn from Cuba,
General Corbin said it was impossible
TO say, even approximately.
There is not q man living, in my
judgment" he said, who can foresee
even FOR thirty days what the future
VIII bring forth.
The targe increase of staff officers,
General CoTbin said, was essential to
the peculiar new duties devolving on
army officers. IN the Philippines, for
instance, they were collectors OF Gus
toms and would remain so until con-
gress provided otherwise.
When members OF the commission re-
ferred to the superior intelligence of
Athe volunteers coming from civil life,
70 that Of the regular soldier, Cen
feral COrbin said he considered the regu-
lar the equal in intelligence to the vol
Onteer, owing 10 the rigid requirements
now made. The character ard intelli-
genca of the men who went into the
Santiago campaign was second to none
that ever saw service, he declared.
Owing to opportunities of congress-
men for the release of volunteers, the
Associated Press was requested to send
General Corbin's statement on that
point. He said:
The department is disposed to deal
very Ieniently as to letting of men who
are needed at home. In some cases
c5lonels have been instructed TO reduce
companies 10 eighty so as to let off
men who We're urgently nesded at home.
And even below eighty we are making
discharges on satisfactory statements
that the presence Of men are needed at
home.