The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-05
No More Mastering Out of Amer
lean Volunteers.
Minimum of Force Under Arms
Has Been Reached.
SICKNESS DECREASING
Soldiers Will Be Brought Home
From Porto Rico.
President Mckinley Outlines
Policy Following Close of War.

Washington, Oct. 5.-No more troops
are to be mustered out. During an in
tervieW with Representative Cannon of
Illinois yesterday, the president an
nounced this decision. He said that all
the troops to be mustered out had al
ready received their orders, and the re-
mafnder must stay in service until the
peace commission had completed its la
DOrS and there was no more posi- b1Ilty
OF troops being again called into the
service. The president also said that
the troops now in Porto Rico, having
become acclimated, would be kept there.
Gen. Brooke had recommended this
course as past experience had shown
that fresh troops have to undergo the
same trials of acclimation as had their
taSt decreasing among the troops now
there. Mr.. Cannon gives the following
as the expression of the PRESIDENT:
I have already ordered discharged
1OO,OOO of the volunteer forces. This
leaves 100, 900 volunteers and So 900 reg
ulars still in the service. There are in
Porto Rico 2,750 regulars and 5000 vol
unteers. 1t is admitted by all that as
the Spanish troops evacUate Cuba at
least $4,000 of our army will be re-
quired for service in the pacification of
that island. We already have $4,000 men
in Manila and 600 in San Francisco
under orders to go there with the pros
pect of additional troops being sent.
This makes Sc, 900 troops in active SER
vice and leaves IS 900 for service in the
United States, and as a reserve force
for such emergencies as may arise. In
the meantime the peace commissioners
are negotiating a treaty which must be
ratified by both Spain and the United
States before peace can be concluded
and, whileI desire to muster out addi-
tiOna1 troops at the earliest practicable
moment, I cannot at this time order a
further decrease in the army in justice
to the public service
The president also said that he had
asked the judgment of Gen. Brooke as
to whether the best interests of the SER
vice would be promoted by sending TO-
600 fresh troops to Porto Rico and re-
turning those now there. Gen. Brooke
had replied that fresh troops would
have to undergo the same trials of accIi-
nation as the troops there had under
gone, and he had advised against such
reports it is apparent the condition of
the regiments is improving and the ratio
of sick fast decreasing.
The president further said that hos
pital ships had been provided to bring
home all the sick in Porto Rico as rap
idly as the men were in condition to
travel and here they would be furlough-
ton daily to the condition of the army
in Porto Rico and that at the earliest
practicable moment consistent with the
public service, the regiments in Porto
Rico would be brought back to the Uni
ted States and mustered out. But in
the present conditions he ought not and
dare not in justice to the public service
order the discharge of additional troops
Every precautiOn had been and was be-
ing taken that was possible to care for
all the troops and especially for those
in Porto Rico.