The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-12-06
EDITORIAL COLUMN
SEC, ALGER'S REPORT
Important Communication to Con-
gress by Secretary of War.
WANTS ARMY INCREASED

WANTS ARMY INCREASED
Suggests Building of Cuban Railroad to De-
velOp Island and Afford Work
For Starving Cubans.
After briefly outlining the operations
in Porto Rico and the Philippines the
report continues:
August Is an order was issued to
muster out 100000 volunteers. which is
being carried out. Thus an army of
about 100000 volunteers and recruits
for the regulars was called into exis-
tence from civil life, which, with the
regular army, made total force of
274.717 men. 1t was organized, armed,
and equipped (no supplies being on
hand other than those tor the regulars,
save the Springfield muskets), and So
600 men of this force were transported
by land and sea to battlefields in the
tropics $4,000 miles apart, where they
won their victories without single de-
feat, and all within the period of 113
days from the declaration of war to the
signing of the protocol. This great
achievement can be credited to no in
dividual; it belongs to the Nation. 1t
was accomplished through the intelli-
gence and patriotism of all who served,
from the commander. in-chief to the
private in the ranks. 1t also speaks
volumes for the prompt, patriotic, and
intelligent assistance of the people who
furnished in SO short period the sup
Plies necessary to prepare this great
army for the field. To the heroic men
who serve in distant fields the country
will ever offer true need of praise,
but the mighty army in camp, ready
and eager to take the field, should also
be given equal credit. 1t was their
presence, ready at an hours notice for
any emergency that overawed the
enemy and proved to him further re-
sistence would be- in vain.
Smallest Death Rate in History.
The deaths in the army from May /
to October 1, including killed, died of
wounds and of disease, were 2,9lO, the
smallest death rate recorded of any
army in history, a most gratifying fact
when it is considered that over $4,000
of our troops, born and reared in the
temperate zone, were campaigning in
| tropical climates, subject to rain and
heat almost unprecedented.
The volunteers mustered out were
granted one and two months furlougt
before discharge and final payment. Ii
the summer months this was an indul
gence. To do SO in winter month";
would, in many of the states, be hard
; ship. In order that all may be deal
with alike. it is recommended that til,
officers and men of the volunteer troops
vet to be mustered out be given twt
months pay at the time of discharge
This would admit of their prompt dis
charge in their present camps in the
South.
In view of the needs of militar,
force in the islands occupied by tn,
United States it is earnestly recon
mended that the regular army be per
manently increased to 100000 men ant
the requisite officers; that portion O
this army be recruited from the inhab
itants of those islands, to be mustered
into the service of the United State
and commanded by officers of our army
discretion. however, to be given to tn,
president to make appointment of off
GERS from the force SO recruited.
These men are acclimated, under
stand the language and habits of thei
countrymen, and their enlistment will
not only give them employment, but al
so have a tendency to enable the gov
eminent to get into closer touch will
their people than it would otherwise b.
able to do. This would also relieve on
people from serving in those climate
to large extent, and would, moreover
enable the volunteers to be mustere,
out of the service and return to thei
vocations of civil life. The distinction
between the regular and the voluntee
is very sharply drawn. The regula
enters into the service because he pre-
fers the life of a soldier. Not so tn
volunteer He enlists for an activ
campaign; when that is over and tn
enemy has laid down its arms he a
once desires to return to civil life.
In the cities of Cuba, Porto Rico, an,
the Philippines there should also b
employed and sworn into the service Q
the United States a constabulary fore
for police duty-men who have had ez
perience and can speak the language
of those islands, thus relieving GU
soldiers from that work.
To supply food for the destitute, espe
cially in Cuba, is question that mus
tax this government greatly, for
time at least. The effort should b