The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-06-03
.PLhN IS NOT COMPLETE
Detailsof theSeCOndCan
Not Yet Taken Up.
GOVERNORS VIEWS SOLICITED
Incomplete Regiments May First Be
Filled Up-Regiments of Negroes
Will Probably BE Off1cered by Men
of Their Own Color.


viii Probably BE OHcered by Men
of Their Own Color.
Washington, May 3O.-An important
phase of the military programme is the
decision not to take up the details Of
organizing the new force of $4,000 vol
unteers for at least week or 10 days.
At cabinet meeting today inquiry was
made of Secretary Alger as to what
steps he proposed taking in the organ
ization of this large additional force of
volunteers. His reply was thas he
had not even considered the details of
this question, and that his plan was not
to take up the matter for week OF 10
days.
In the meantime no conclusion has
been reached as to whether portion
OF the IS, 900 volunteers will be used
to recruit the regiments remaining un-
filled under the first call for 1876, 0C0
volunteers, which would take about
49, 900 men from the second call.
This would leave 35, 900 men to be Or
ganized in distinctly new regiments.
1t would have ii g advantage of filling
every regiment in the service, instead
of leaving some of them with a depict
ed organization. On the other hand,
1t would destroy the integrity of this
force of $4,000 volunteers as a second
reserve.
The war department is anxious to OBJ
tain the views of the governors of
or and tor Il 40 f31linrv
to their maximum the regiments al
ready furnished by them under the
first call, and with this object in view,
Adjutant-General Corbin today sent
kilograms asking the several governors
to make recommendations to the de-
partment ON this subject.
A number of minor points coming
up constantly in relation to the second
call for volunteers are being passed
upon in general way at this time.
For instance, the question arose today
as to whether colored officers, as we'll
as colored troops, would be taken as
part Of the organizations offered. Gen
eral Alger at once decided that If
coloIed company had efficient, soldierly
colored officers, they were as much en-
titled to receive recognition and accept
ance in the military service as were
tlla troops themselves He made this
decision known to the governor of In
diana, who asked for information, and
he stated the same thing to Represent
ative Hull, of Iowa, who has an organ
ization of colored men with colored
officers in his district. In this connec-
ton it developed that colored men are
being considered for some of the staff
appointments, and the surgeon-general
of the army has accepted colored man
as surgeon, with the rank of captain.
The colored surgeon will be assigned to
a colored regiment, and colored troops
and colored officers will be kept to-
gethar as far as possible.
1t is not yet known what states will
be called upon for infantry, cavalry or
artillery. 1t is quite likely, however,
that any request state may make in
this matter will be complied with if
possible.
Adjutant-General Corbin tonight an
nounced that three of the brigadier-gen-
erals appointed by the president today
would be officially assigned, as soon as
the senate had confirmed their nomina-
tions, to command troops in the Philip
pines: The generals selected for the
Philippine expeditions are George A
Garretson, of Cleveland Francis V.
Greene, of New York and Charles
King, of Wisconsin.
Late this evening General Merritt
wired General Corbin requesting that
General King be sent with him to the
Philippines The request was approved
and forwarded to General King. and
SO becomes, to all intents and purposes,
command.
General King is novelist and an
ex officer of the United States army.
Generals Garretson and Greene have
already signified to the war depart
ment their acceptance of the orders to
proceed to Manila. Both are expert
enced officers of marked ability. 1t is
understood, unofficially, that Harrison
Gray Otis will also go to the Philip
pines.
C1l