The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-10-20

ana believed th1e peace could b nam
tanned. most Of them having learned On tn
battlefield what war meant. what distress
and suffering it entailed. and sought 70 saw
the nation from its dreadful consequence
Therefore but little was done. and but LITTLE
could be done In preparation for var, with
out increasing it, chances. The publjcatier
Of the De LONE letter. speaking dispafag
ingly Of the President On February 8, added
fue! to . fire which burst into . blase Of
wrath and indignation on February Is
when the world was horri6ed BY the Dc
struction Of the battleship Maine in Havana
harbof.
Congress Gives . Iattls Ala.
One week following that disaster Con-
gress increased the army Of the United
States by the addition of two regiments Of
artillery. This was hardly q war measure.
however, but merely an additional force
required to care for the extra guns of
costly pattern which had been mounted
along the sea coast, and the need for which
had been shown for a long period previous.
though. through political fear. the legisla-
ton had not been enacted into law.
The Defense Bill.
BY March the situation had grown -
grave that Congress. upon the request of
the President. appropriated. by unanimous
vote. the sum of $4,000. 900 for the Ma
tional defense. This act however. was
viewed as more of peace than war meas
ure. and three days later the new Spanish
Minister. Senior Polo y Bernabe. was re-
ceived by the President Of the United
States.
War Resolutions.
1t was not until April II that the Presi-
dent asked authority Of Congress to inter
vene in Cuba BY force to re-establish peace
and order in the island. After nearly a week
Of debate the resolutions were passed. The
President signed them on April 20 and sent
the ultimatum to Spain.
On the following day. April q. the war
broke ont. and two days later came the call
for IL. 900 volunteers. followed by a second
call for 5000. In the meantime Congress
had passed a law increasing the regular
army to 81. 900 and also providing for six
teen regiments of United States volunteer
engineers. cavalry and infantry.
How . Vast Army spranR Up.
Mastering was carried forward vigor-
ously in every State of the Union. and in
the short space Of one month this vast
army of nearly two hundred and twenty
FIVE thousand men were suddenly gathered
together. and the staff departments had to
be organized and were called upon to
equip and supply them.
Work of the Acknowledgement.
In the short period of Eve weeks the Ad-
utant-General of the Army with his four
assistants, at their desks constantly from
6 in the morning until after midnight
week days and Sundays. had organized his
working force. issued commissions to and
assigned to duty over 500 generals and
general staff officers. enrolled and mustered
the regiments of this vast army into SER
vice of the United States. completed the
papers. gathered them into camps of in.
structiOn and organized them into brig
AIDES. divisions and army corps. and con-
Quoted without error the overwhelming cor
respondence arising from the abnormal COIL
ditiOns. which ran the average of his tele-
grams to over 500 and his letters to over
1000 per day. touching every intricate
legal question affecting personal and pub
lie interests: surrounded too. by throngs of
Congressman pressing the claims of their
constituents, newspaper men eager to fur
nish their papers with accurate and COM
prehensive reports of proceedings and prog
ress. and crowd of persistent callers
seeking personal advantage.
No Party or Faction Recognized.
There were over eighteen thousand ao-
plications for appointment of general and
staff officers; the President in his selections
and appointments from this vast number
recognized no party or faction. OF the
$50 appointed. 3O1, or a little over 36 per
cent. were chosen from the regular army
a larger percentage than was ever selected
to officer any volunteer army organized in
the United States: and all would have been
taken from the regular army if possible,
but so large a number could not be spared
without seriously imrairing its efficiency.
The regular army was recognized by mill
tary men. and thoughtful statesmen, as al.
ready too small. and its officers had been
reduced by the withdrawal of 200 for mus
tering and recruiting duty.
Majority of Omcers Were Rexul.r..
OF the major-generals appointed, all.
with the exception Of five, were from the
regular army, and Of these five three were
graduates Of the Military Academy and
all of them soldiers of distinction and Ma
tiOnal reputation.
OF the seventy brigadier-eenerals an
pointed. forty-two were from the regular
army. and Of the others. Eve were Rradu-
ates Of the Military Academy and the re-
mainder men who had won reputation Al
soldiers. on the battlefield.
How STAG OMcers Were Chosen.
Of the seven hundred and forty-eight stan
officers. two hundred and fifty-six were
chosen from the army: of those selected
from civil life. many were graduates of the
Military Academy. or had seen service, and
all were appointed upon the recommended
ton of chiefs Of STAFF departments, other
soldiers. and of the representatives elected
by the people to promote their welfare and
guard their every interest. OF the remain
ing four hundred and ninety-two civilian ap-
pointments. over one-half are in the Medi.
cal Department. Pay Department and the
Signal Corps. the only field from which men
in such numbers. possessing approximately
the required technical knowledge, could be
drawn.
The appointment of officers Of the stat
would have produced at once an efficient
service, if equal care had been exercised BY
the Governors of all the States to appoin,
none but good regimental and company
officers. A stat officers work is rendered
futile by neglect or lack of knowledge on the
part of line officers. Over the appointment,
of the latter Congress gave the President
no power. but instead, reserved it to the
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