River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-12-08
TELLS OF THE WAR.
Secretary Alger Reports on the
Work of His Department.
History of the Campaign Related
Without Criticism-Credit OF We
tory Belongs to No One Man
Wants Army of 10000 Men.

Washington, Dec. 2.-The annual repor
of Secretary Alger is a practically complete
official history of the Spanish-AmericaI
war. The secretary has given TO the publi'
not only all the official dispatches tina
passed directly between his own Office anC
commanding officers in the field and camp
but has supplemented these with short ex
olanatory notes setting forth the reason.
for various movements, and then. TO com
plete the record of events, he has included
In the body OF his report the report Of Gen
Miles. of all the generals who participated
IN the campaign in Cuba. Porto Rico or thu
Philippines, and finally the reports of al
Of the bureau officers of the war depart
ment. Nowhere is there shown a DISPOSE
ton to criticise, the official dispatches be
ing allowed to tell their own story, anC
generally the secretary finds much L
praise and cause for sincere congratulatioi
n the results obtained.
Had IA Big Force of rgeon
The report proper begins with what may
be described as a chronological history o.
the war, consisting of a number Of shor'
paragraphs, beginning with the declaration
of war on April q. and setting forth thu
date upon which any event of importance
occurred. but making no comment what
ever upon the facts. The only exception L
this rule is in a reference to the casualtic
at Santiago. Some criticism having beer
made hat there was a lack of surgeon!
present, the report states that there ' ere
40 surgeons in attendance, and that Of
l.4S1 wounded only - died of their wounds
surrender of Santiago.
Touching the surrender at Santiago tn
report shows that Shafter demanded tn.
surrender on the Sd, and renewed this de
mand on the attn. On the morning OF III.
18th, another demand was made On tn
evening of that day Gen. Miles arrived, ant
on the 18th and l4th of July, he. with Gen
Shafter met the Spanish commander I'm
der a rag of truce to discuss the surren
der. IN the afternoon of the l4th, Gen
Miles left Gen. Skaters ~headquatter
and soon thereafter went aboard ship pre-
paratory TO sailing for Porto Rico. July II
Toral surrendered 2S.000 men upon GU
terms ana the American flag was hoiste'
by order of Gen. Shafter.
A Great Achievement.
The secretary, coming down in his his
tory to the middle of August, when an or
der was issued and is now in execution t
muster out JOG, 900 volunteers, says: Thu
an army of about 5000 volunteers an
recruits for the regulars was called int
existence from civil life, and, including IN
regular army, the total force was Z4,H
men. 1t was organized, armed, an
equipped mo supplies being on hand othe
than those for the regulars. save Spring
lelu HuSkGlSJs anu JotuVV iN VI NAA9 ~
were transported by land n sea to bat
tlefelds in the tropics 10000 miles apart
where they won their victories without
single defeat, and all within the period O
113 days from the declaration of war to tn
signing of the protocol.
Credit Belongs to No One Man.
This great achievement can be credite
to no Individual: 1t belongs TO the natior
1t was accomplished through the intell
gence and patriotism of all who served
from the commander in chief to the privdt
in the ranks. 1t also speaks volumes TO
the prompt, patriotic and intelligent assist
ance of the people who furnished, in S
short a period. the supplies necessary I
prepare this great army for the field. L
the heroic men who served in distant land
the country will ever offer a true need O
praise, but the mighty army in camI
eady and eager to take the field, shout
also be given equal credit. 1t was thei
presence, ready at an hours notice for an
that overawed the enemy an
proved to him that further resistanc
would be in vain.
Death Rate of the Army.
1.-The deaths in the army from May l t
October l, including killed, died of wound
and Of disease, were 2.9l0, the smalles
death rate recorded of an army in history
a remarkable fact when it is considere
that over $4,000 of our troops, born an
reared in the temperate zone, were cam
paigning in tropical climates, subject t
rain and heat almost unprecedented"
Wants Army of 100000 Men.
Under the head of increase in the perma
nent establishment the secretary says: /
view of the needs of a military force in tn
islands occupied by the United States,
is earnestly recommended that the regu
lar army be permanently increased t
100, 600 men and the requisite officers; tina
a portion of this army be recruited fron
the inhabitants of those islands, to be mus
tered into the service of the United States
commanded by officers of our army, dis
erection, however, to be given to the pres
ident to make appointments of officer
from the force so recruited.
Another suggestion is that there shout
be employed in the United States servic
a const1 bulary force for the cities of Cube
Porto Isico and the Philippines who haV
had the experience and can speak the Ian
guage of the islands.
Estimates.
The statement of expenditures and est
mates presents some formidable figures
The expenditures for the fiscal var ende
June 80 last were s62, 534, 7S4, and the esti
mates for the next fiscal year, beginnini
July, l, 1889, are $l95, $50, S77. OF this grea
estimate the sum of $50, 10000 is charged I
pay of the army. The estimate of eXtraor
binary appropriations required for the ST
months ending June 80, 1899, is S6O,1H,5ol
and the estimate for hat period, combine
with those for the next fiscal year, reache
a total of $255, 427, 9l7.
Al this point the secretary includes l
his report the reports of Gen. Miles and al
the other generals who participated in &C
tive operations.
Our Dead i'm Cuba.
The graves of the soldiers at Santiago
in Porto Rice and the Philippines hav'
been marked, and their remains will b
brought home as soon as the plans ar
completed.
The entire report of the secretary o
war forms one of the most voluminou
documents of the kind ever issued from tn
war department.
The Naval Reserve.