The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-25

crease Of the army will be compulsory.
Many public men are beginning TO express
the conviction that the forces of the United
States will be as difficult to withdraw from
Cuba as those Of England have been from
Egypt. though there Is no modification up
to this time OF the resolution to make Cuba
a. free and autonomous republic and not a
mere dependent territorial acquisition. With
regard TO the Philippines and Porto Rico,
however, disposition is already manifested
to regard them as fruits of victory, and, in
view of the notorious incapacity of their
inhabitants for self-government. to take
permanent possession of them and provide
them with complete colonial establishments.
eventually; they may become In part self.
governing, but the strong arm of the United
States may have 70 be rxerted indefinitely
to preserve their peace and prosperity.
The authorized strength of the army q
month ago was $4,000 men. 1t has now been
increased to 199,500 and of the latter num-
Der 1874 900 will be actually under arms and
in the field before June l. OF this Increase,
by the expansion of regular service through
Its reorganization under the three battalion
formation, $4,000 men have been added the
other portion having been acquired through
the call for volunteers, and by means of the
enlistment of two brigades of inimunes and
one OF engineers 1t is already the prevail
ing belief that the expansion OF the regular
service, though contemplated only for the
duration or the war, will be permanent. and
that the standing army will never again
fall below 900. The latter number, in the
opinion OF General Miles, is essential for
operations In Cuba next summer, although
most of the invading force will necessarily
be composed of volunteers.
VaSion project is given as another indication
of the forthcoming necessity for additional
volunteers. In its inception month ago
the programme contemplated force of only
5.OOO men to establish a base of supplies
from which the Cuban insurgents were to be
armed, clothed and fed, and their campaign
against the SpSniards supported as occasion
required. This plan was based on the pre-
sumption that representations regarding the
insurgent strength which had been received
from American consulS and others for the
last two years were accurate, and that the
ability OF General Gomez to crush the Span
iards and shut them up in the coast cities
had not been exaggerated For nearly two
years positive assertions had been numerous
that the Cubans, with merely the moral en-
couragement of the United States through
accomplish their own independence. Within
the last month the falsity of these asser-
tons have been demonstrated TO the COM
plete satisfaction of the authorities here;
and through the reports of regular army
officers who have recently made recon-
noissances in the island it is now definitely
known that little or no assistance from the
vaunted armies of liberation need be ex-
pected. On the contrary the latest infor-
nation, which is of undoubted truStworthi-
ness indicated conclusively that had so
small force as at first contemplated been
landed IN Cuba the rapid concentration of
Spanish troops against it would have caused
its speedy retreat resulted in its ami.
hilation.
| thusiasts who predicted Spanish abandon
ment of Cuba at the first evidence of a
threatening attitude on the part of the
United States in part, at least, accounts for
the precautions and delays which are now
apparent in the preparations for invasion.
The numerical strength of the advance
guard is now placed at nearly 10000 with
the assertion that no movement will occur
until twice that number are equipped and
ready to respond instantly to any call for
relnforcements which may be demanded"