The times., 1898-12-24
A TEMPORARY INCREASE
Senator Chandler's Views on
Increase in the Army.
TROOPS FOR THE COLONIES
Does Not Approve of Permanent
Force-Voiunteers Should Pc Mus
tered Ont = His Ideas About En-
Observation-Disclosures of Men Neccs-
snry-Government in Colonies.

Senator Chandler expressed his views
and the forces necessary to patrol the
Philippine Islands and Cuba, in an inter-
view with a Times reporter yesterday as
follows:
THE tendency of my mind would be to
make a temporary increase of the army
without attempting to effect a perma-
nent increase at this time. for the reason
that an endless amount of opposition will
be encountered if an attempt is now
made to increase the regular army to
f99,0c0 men.
81 ani in favor of regular army of at
least 75.oOo nen, and an additional tenn
porary force of q, eco men to meet the
present emergency. This temporary force
would be a substitute for the volunteers.
who cannot be kept any longer. At least,
they are entitled to be mustered out as
because the war is then legally ended
within the meaning OF the statute under
which the volunteers enlisted.
$50 far as the volunteers at Manila are
concerned. authority ought to be given to
allow those of them who desire TO enlist
in the regular army. However, it is pos
sibie that a very few would do so be-
cause they are entitled to be transported
home, and mcst of them would wart 10
come home. Plenty Of volunteers, how
ever. can be obtained who will be willing
TO go TO Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip.
pines do not apprehend that there Will
hp The least fltffi,ttltx- in oil 4.
men we want. The duties, pay and emoiu-
nents of the regular army OF the United
States for the next few years will be
ample and satisfactory 10 make first-class
men enlist"
Nv hat Is your Itea as to the number of
men necessary 10 preserve good order in
our recently acquired territory?"
My own idea is that the number is
greatly oyerestimated by the regular
army generals. The Cubans do not doubt
that We intend to allow them to Set uD
the self government which We promised
them. and 1T viii soon be found that com
parauVeiy few troops Will be needed in
Cuba, and 1 hope the number will b.
very small during the hot weather next
Summer.
'Of course our intentions as 10 the Phil
ippines are the same as they are con-
cerninS Cuba That is. to give those isl
ands self-government, ii the inhab
are capable of self-government II the
Filipinos are given to understand that
they are to try this experiment the same
as the Cuban people are the former will
not be turbulent. nor viii they conduct
themselves so that a very large army of
occupation will be necessary in the Phil
ippines. Still, this is a poIni upon which
my opinions are not so fixed as they are
concerning Cuba.
Moreover, we ought to do a great deal
of our military work in the Philippines
by our naval vessels, which can go ir Jm
port to port The marine corps. which
did such grand service in Cuba, and which
mas come out Of the war with an enviatle
reputation, is an excellent arm for police
duty. The marine corps of the yari 1us
naval vessels attached to Admiral u W.
eys squadron are likely to be found suf-
iscient to keep peace where army de-
tachments would be lacking. / should
think that 25.0oO men were all that would
De necessary in the Philippines. if more
naval vessels were sent there.
The 5000 men advocated for Cuba. |
think, is entirely too many. II cannot
be that any such number is needed. and
, ! should say that half that number yyas
ample.
Gen Brooke will prove a successful
governor general, and his subordinate
military governors will be safe ofticia s.
and in my opinion there will be very lit
tie trouble, even if only small force is
maintained in Cuba. Possibly small
bodies of Cubans should be enlisted unC G;
authority given by Congress under the
Presidents recommendations"
Do you mean that the naval vessels
in the Philippines should be increases
beyond the Oregon and Iowa, which have
been ordered there?"
Certainly. Some of the smaller vessels
snouad go there. We do not need a large
squadron anywhere at present except in
the Orient l hope the President viii
send one-half of the vessels of the navy
to those waters. There is no possible
speck of war in the horizon except in tins
East, and there is where our navy should
go.
The policy pursued by President CIeve-
land when the troubles with Spain were
growing, in keeping all of our naval YES.
sels away from Cuba-in other words
sending them where they were not needed
70 take them away from places where
they were needed-was supreme folly and
ought rot to be pursued again. If this
policy OF President Cleveland had not
been carried out as to Cuba there doubt
less would have been no war But that
again would have been misfortune for
Cuba probably would have been still In
slavery.
An expensive navy should not be kepi
away from The danger points. but its YES.
sells should always be at such points il
possible, in overwhelming force