The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-03
DATIlT. 80 YEAR
3 CE'Tr9 a COPY.
WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-WEEKu "a THAH
ALGER DOES NOT cRITIcIsE.
SECRETARY LETS DISPATCHES
SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

ANhEHH lH--te1 menus ~
Standing Army of 100000 Men.
Estimates for Next Fiscal Year
Above S255,00O, O,OOO--Increased Pay
for Certain officers Recommended.
War Departments Most VoIumi-
nous Document.
Washington, Dec. 2-The annual report
of Secretary Algcr is a practically COM
plete Official history Of the Spanish Amer
lean war, The secretary has given to tha
public not only all the official dispatches
that passed directly between his own Office
and the commanding officers in the field
and camp. but has supplemented these
with short explanatory notes setting forth
the reasons for various movements, and
then, to complete the record Of events.
he has included in the body Of the report,
the report Of Gen. Miles, Of all the gener-
ais who participated In the campaign In
cuba, Porto Rico. or the Philippines, and
finally the reports of all the bureau ofl-
GERS of the wsr department Nowhere
Is there shown disposition TO criticise,
the official dispatches being allowed to tell
their own story. Generally. the secretary
finds much to praise and cause for sim
| cere congratulatlon IN the results obtains
| ed.
The report proper begins with what may
be described as chronological history oe
the war. consisting Of a number Of short
| paragraphs, beginning with the declara-
| ton of war In April q, and setting forth
the date upon which any event of i'm
portance occurred. but making no COM
ment whatever upon the facts
! The only exception 10 this rule Is IN n
reference TO the casualties at Santiago.
! Some criticism having been made that
| there was lack of surgeons present, the
report states that there were 140 surgeons
in attendance and that Of 149l wounded
only 13 died Of their wounds. Touching
the surrender at Santiago, the report
| shows that Shafter demanded the sur
render on the Srd and renewed this de-
mand on the 4th On the morning of tho
| nth. another demand was made. On the
evening of that day Gen. Miles arrived
and on the 12th and 1ith or July he, witl
Gen. shafter met the Spanish commander
| under a flag OF truce to discuss the SUR
render on the afternoon Of
the 18th Gen. Miles left Gen.
Shafter's headquarters and soon thereaf-
ter went aboard ship preparatory 10 sail
| ing for Porto Rico. July II Toral surren-
! dered %, 600 men upon our terms and tho
American flag was hoisted by order Of
Shafter.
The secretary, coming down in his his-
tory TO the middle OF August, when an orr
der was issued and is now in execution 10
muster out 100000 volunteers, says:
Thus an army of about 10000 volun-
A f1, tIrar1
called into existence from civil life and,
including the regular army, the total force
| was l7l7 men, 1t was organized, armed,
and equipped, no supplies being on hand
| other than those for the regulars, save
| Springfield muskots, and $4,000 men of this
force were transported by land and sea 20
| battleaeds In the tropics 10000 miles apart,
| where they won their victories without %
single defeat ana all within the period
OF one hundred and thirteen days from the
declaration of war to the signing of the
| pro tocol
This great achievement can be credited
10 no individual; II belongs to the nation.
1t was accomplished through the inteili-
| gence and patriotism of all who served,
from the commander In chief to the pri-
| vate In the ranks. II also speaks volumes
for the prompt, patriotic, and intelligent
assistance of the people who furnished IN
so short a period the supplies necessary 20
prepare this great army for the field.
'"To the heroic men who served In dis
tant lands the country will ever offer a
| true need Of praise; but the mighty army
| In camp. ready and eager to take the field,
| should also be given equal credit. II was
their presence, ready at an hours notice
for any emergency, that overawed the en-
| emy and proved to him that further re-
sistance would be in vain.
THE deaths in the army from May /, to
Oct. ], including killed, died OF wounds
and Of disease, were 2,9l0 the smallest
death rate recorded of any army in his-
tory, a remarkable fact when Il Is con-
eidered that over $1,000 of our troops, born
! and reared In the temperate zone, were
campaigning in tropical climates, subject
to rain and heat almost unprecedented"
The secretary says, of the volunteers,
that to furloHgh them In winter would DO
a hardship, so he recommends that in lieu
OF the furlough the officers and men be
given two months pay at the time of their
discharge, thus admitting of their prompt
discharge In their present camps in the
South.
Under the head of Increase in the perm
anent establishment the secretary says:
In view Of the needs of a military force
In the islands occupied by the United
States, il is earnestly recommended that
the regular army be permanently increased
to 10000 men and the requisite officers:
that a portion OF this army be recruited
from the inhabitants of those islands to
be mustered into the service of the Unit
ed States, and commanded by officers of
our army, discretion, however, to be given
10 the President 10 make appointments OF
officers from the force so recruited"
Another suggestion Is that there should
be employed in the United states service
a constabulary force for the cities Of
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines who
have had experience and can speak the
| language of the islands He says.
"Woud 1t not be wise economy for the
government Of the United States to con-
struct a substantial railroad, practically
the whole length Of the Island of Cuba.
with branch roads to the leading cities
on the coast. Such a railroad would, OF
course. count q large sum. Eerhaps SEQ
10000; but It would give employment 10
the people of Cuba, teach them habits OF
industry, be an inducement for them 10
fftafe and nfal.