The San Francisco call., 1898-05-29
BIG BATCH OF GENERALS.
Deserving Men Who Will Wear Flannel Abdominal
 Ron1G

One of the biggest patches of brigadier- generals ever created in one day was sent to the Senate Friday by the President. The list embraces many of the deserving, some of the undeserving and few of the useless. It will be noted with special qualification In the United States army circles that Marcus P. Miller, colonel of the Third Artillery and the officer in charge of the artillery defenses of San Francisco harbor, is in the list. A more deserving promotion could not have been made Lieutenant Colonel Wallace F. Randolph, Third Artillery. a gallant and deserving officer of renown, is also em- braced in the list.
 Every new brigadier who Is destined for service in the Philippine Islands will doubtless wear the flannel cholera belt around his ample abdomen. Word has been passed along the line that the belt is good thing for the tropics. Lieutenant Strother of the regular infantry, who was recently promoted to major and engineer officer of volunteers, is said to be a con- vert to the flannel belt. It is suspected that Major-General Merritts advice to mothers and fathers of volunteers that their sons in the service should obey army commands and wear the flannel cloth was given to the press by Lieu tenant Strother in the absence of any definite military intelligence. It is very clever tactclan who can lure newspaper man in the quest Of news into the accept ance Of a glowing description or a CHOleTa belt A man with genius for this kind of business ought to be very acceptable at the headquarters of the department of the Pacific.
 who served many years in India, has been telling Major Edward Field. U. 5. A, that no soldier should think Of going to Manila without. cholera belt. Every day for weeks the colonel went to Major Fields office in the Phelan building to explain just how the belt should be could be procured in Calcutta. Of course international law may construe flannel for belting hrigadiers as contraband of not be obtained in a neutral port. Major Field has all this information in writing, and would no doubt supply 1t on demand Strother When Major Field was not in his office the British colonel committed script on this important subject.
 With due regard to the military wis dom or Ma}or ore Mefr o m tba ana nee she matched brigadiers 1t may be contended that our troops for Manila cannot con- vation of health in the tropical Orient. The British colonel tells Major Field that no soldier can stand exposure to the sun of the Philippines without an umbrella. He also declares that the ordinary Amer ican tent would be useless at Manila, the suns heat would instantly go through II. T ms DClIlB tue case lUe HIGH SNOuiQ De provided with huts and umbrellas. More over. Major Field Is informed that the soldier must wear a long strip of thin muslin around the waist to prevent the cartridge belt from chafiing the skin.
 little reflection must convince one that 1t is impossible to take along every thing absolutely needed to promote com fort in the tropics, hence there should be an agreement to take only the absolutely necessary articles. The best authorities agree that the cholera belt holds the high est place Tn the emergency list The Calls informatio is that the British colonel places it first in his ideal requisition
 A cork helmet is another article that is said to be requisite for field service in the Philippines. Major Field was informed that the real thing in this line could be procured in Calcutta. but this again brings up the question of contraband goof- Is a cork hat contraband of war? That is a question that General Merritt may have to refer to his Judge-AdVocate It was Major Fields judgment that the British colonels cork helmet, constructed and braced the sample shown at the Phean building, was not to be compared with the light straw hat of American 
 There Is a great deal of merit in the proposition that troops should obey the in- function of the Sanitary Corps and never go across the street without the flannel belt. There was some sagacity, too in the manner in which the Examiner was led into ambush and persuaded to pub-