The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-12-07
WAR WAS 4 GREAT ACHIEVEMENT.
ALGER's REPORT.
The Secretary criticises Men. CT His subordi.
Mates Earnestly Recommends an In
crease Of the Regular Army.

The annual report of Secretary Alger
Is practically complete official his
tory of the Spanish American war.
The secretary has given to the public,
not only all the official dispatches that
passed directly between his own office
and commanding officers In the field
and camp, but has included I'm the body
OF his report the report of Gen. Miles.
OF all the generals who participated In
the campaign In Cuba, Porto Rico or
the Philippines. Nowhere is there
shown a disposition to critlcise. the
Official dispatches being allowed to tell
their own story. and generally, the
secretary finds much to praise and
cause for sincere congratulation in the
results obtained.
The only exception to this rule Is In
the reference to the casualties at San
tiago. Some criticism having been
made that there was a lack of surgeons
present, the report states that there
were 140 surgeons in attendance. and
that of I ,431 wounded only 10 died of
their wounds.
Touching the surrender at Santiago,
the report shows that Shafter de-
manded the surrender on the Sd, and
renewed this demand on the 4th. On
the morning of the 11th another de-
mand was made. On the evening OF
that day Gen. Miles arrived, and on
the 18th and 14th of July he. with Gen
Shafter, met the Spanish commander
under flag of truce to discuss the
surrender. On the afternoon of the
18th Gen. Miles left Gen. Skaters
headquarters and soon thereafter went
aboard ship preparatory to sailing for
Porto Rico. July IL Toral surrendered
23,OOO men upon our terms and the
American flag was hoisted by order
of Gen. Shafter.
The secretary, coming down in his
history to the middle of August, when
an order was issued and Is now In
execution to muster out 100000 volun-
teers, says:
Thus an army of about 250,000 vol
unteers and recruits for the regulars
was called into existence from civil
life, and, including the regular army,
the total force was 274,717 men. 1t was
organized, armed, and equipped (no
supplies being on hand other than
those for the regulars. save Springfield
muskets). and $4,000 men of this force
were transportd by land and sea to
battleflelds In the tropics 10000 miles
apart. where they won their victories
without single defeat, and all with
I'm the period OF 113 days from the
declaration of war to the signing of
the protocol.
The deaths in the army, from May
u OctoDer i, lncluulng kllled, dled or
wounds and of disease, were 2,010, the
smallest death rate recorded of any
army In history, remarkable fact
when 1t Is considered that over $4,000
OF our troops, born and reared in the
temperate zone. were campaigning in
the tropical climates. subject to rain
and heat most unprecedented"
The secretary says of the volunteers,
that to furlough them in winter would
be hardship, so he recommends, that
In lieu of the furloush the officers and
men be given two months pay at the
time of their discharge, thus admitting
of their prompt discharge in their pres
ent camp In the South.
Under the head of increase in the
permanent establishment, the secre-
tary says:
I'm view of the needs of a military
force In the Islands occupied by the
United States. IT Is earnestly recon-
mended that the regular army be per-
Inanently increased to 100000 men and
the requisite officers; that a portion of
this army be recruited from the in
habitants of those islands, to be mus
tered into the service of the United
States. and commanded by officers of
our army. discretion, however, to be
given to the president to make ap-
pointments of officers from the force so
recruited.