New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-26


review Of the postal service Cor some years.
owing 70 its operations in military and naval
fields is the report of Pcstmaster-Neheia'
Charles Emory Smith. Aside from the regular
branches of The Department. il tells OF the Work
accomplished and policies adopted in territorial
ACQUISITIONS The Postmaster-Genera says:
The war entailod the necessity Of military
postal service and prompt measures were re-
Quested for handling the mans o. Il" a. d, nv 20
Quarter az a million men. Large postofilces We're
suddenly created at the camps OF concHI,'lat,o.
the exigencies II constant changes ana move,
nents were met. and the military ana haNd
forces in active service in the west lhcles an"
Philippines have had PROMPT and constant post
al communication with home. These military
postotices were clothed with all postal poWtiF.
Some of the larger camps increased ne Ho.uIi i
Of postal business 20 that Of cities o. hlgn rahh
Quick and intelligent management was ue'l nt,rt
ed and trained clerks were detailed iron aNai..
able points. Railway mail cars We're sta.lo'S o. a.
convenient poln1s on sldeiracks as p's,.1.u,tES
To provide bonded officials and postal surpUes
these Offices Were constituted orancHes VI ~
cty Office. A. some camps temporary l.!di
wee delivery service was operated. SPECIAL
appropriation Of $50 0(D by Congress for niM-
tarv postal service was inadequaie ana WIN
orr campaigns Oh remote soil already mas p'eh
exhausted
ADVANCING WITH THE TROOPS.
When our troops advanced into Cuba the post
a. service advanced with them When santiago
surrendered United States Posta! Agent Enen
Brewer took possession Of the poStot!lce OF that
city which was mace the military poStofnce'
He removed the Spanish director and ten ol us
large force Of CLERKS. retaining some as IN
terpreters and CAV the Office far better foot
Ing with much smaller foics Now there are
four deliveries in tn business portion OF San'-
ago City, and resu.ar mail communication mas
seen established with Havana ard intermediate
seaports and with Jamaica ard other Nest
India islands. Service also has been extended
into Santiago Province.
The postal service accompanied our arms ana
our flag 10 Porto Rico From Ponce # was eN-
tended as rapidly as different places passed in'o
our possession until now there are twelve mill
tarv postal staticrs there. having postal con-
nections with many smaller places They are
under the direction Of q superintendent detailed
from the railway mail service. who acts IN con
junction with the military commander, WIFI d
force Of six railway mai! clerks three postal
agents and thirty-two clerks. including TOUT
Spanish translators ..,
In The Philippine two military postal stations
have been established at Manila ana Cdvl'e'
supervised by a veteran division superintendent
detailed from San Francisco and conauc'ed "!
a force Of railway mail ana pos'ollCr oIeI ,
and agents assisted by details from Inc army
when Porto Rico and portions Of Cuba and
the Philippines passed into the mlhtarE pos
\ session OF the United States measures for the
continuance or restoration of general man tacll-
henedcent presence of American authority. by
order Of the President rne establishment OF tne
tary occupation. Ia harmony Win ihe Eei'e 10,
policy adopted for the administrator OF me
civil instructions in the regions which thus came
under our contr1l the local system ana pr
visions were retained far as practcabe ana
ADAPTED TO our methods. "
The general postal service was assocldte9
with the military postal service. ana operated
by the Same machinery. No new appointments
save in one OF two instances, We're maui
Trained men from our home service were de,
tailed as superintendent ana agents ana place.
In charge Of the larger Offices. retaining such
Of the old employees as were needed or coulu %
made available. In the smaller places tnS oit
nostmasters are continued or other local officers
are found There has already been great I'M;
provement over the old spanish service anu
The work has only just begun.
The acquisition Of Hawaii has not thus far
been followed by any change IN GU" postdl re-
lations with that country. Inc aosollu .o,, %
its postal system into out OWE ara tH' eAeiClSc
Of our control. Ike the ii-crpo alton OF othcr
features OF its local administrator nave await
ed the report az til. Congres: ienal committee
ana the legislation which viii follow. There
NOR. reason for Observing tA.s o''iea,ton'
as Hawaii aheaCy has gooa MAJ service
which is more than Seif-suStalNii.S
WORK Or AUXILIARY CRUISERS
Regarding the effective work of auxiliary
cruisers and merchant marine in the war, the
Iostmastor-Genera says.
The great value Of the aid contributed during
the war by steamships employed IN the Hall
service. ana converted uncer the act Of March
. 1881 into auxiliary cruisers. is universally
recognized The ST. Louis and the 81. Paul and
the New York and the Paris. tne last two re
,hrisioned the Harvard ana he Yale, added
materially 10 The naval stlens - ana gave un-
trualled special and distinct service. Their su-
perior speed peculiarly nj-I them TO act as
scouts. and IN actual encounter they proved
their fighting efficiency. Independent OF their
value a. fast mail steamers. the part they
played in our naval operations virdicated the
broad policy II the law under which they float
"a our flag Our recent experience has illus
rated ana emphasized the importance 81 TINS
resource and has demonstrated thai one 81 lhr
teal ffl Y ~ M %
power il the possession ~ swift mail steamers
capable Of conversion into armed cruisers. In
the further development ~ our I'd, a. force TINS
it supplements and strengthens the reasons for
Governmental action which are found in the
wisdom Of promoting the up uAding Of a NOR
chant marine. he advancement Of our COM
merce requires that We shall have carrying
facilities. \ commercial marine Is not only
vital 20 commercial expansion. but Il provides
the best source for the expansion ~ the naval
force which becomes necessary in time Of war.
From every point of view it is thus legitimate
object q Governmental concern, and the adop
ton Of practical and reasonable measures with
in power for the promotion O.: this object
seems 70 be dictated by every consideration Of
The act q 1881 Invested the Postmaster Cen
eral with autA rity 20 enter into such contracts
for the carTyrs OF mails on mercan steam
ships as IN HI judgment win best subserVc and
promote the lostsl AND commercial interests %
the United St,tes. The first f.Iits Of this act
were the power Of the steamers when con
verted into armed cruisers. rendered such use
full service 81 he wa with Spain. They were
employed in carrying tho mails acrass the At
lantic. and compare favorably with the Atlantic
steamers under any flag. BIZ the act further
provided that the mail service on lines thus
created should be equitably distributed among
the Atlantic. Mexican. Gulf ana Pecihc ports
In accordance with this provision. lines have
been established ports IN the Gulf Of Mexico
and steamers recently launched for this service
0nNAr