The herald., 1898-05-24
THAN WE'RE INCLUDED IN THE
CALL
FREEDOM WILL BE GIVEN CUBA
But United States Troops Will Keep
Order Until Cubans Are Ready
for Self Governmens
Associated Press Special Wire

NEW YORK, May PA Tribune dis
patch from Washington says:
Another call for volunteers Is under Sc
rious consideration by the military author
tiles, although 1t may not be issued for at
least a week or two, or at any rate until
the invasion of Cuba has been begun and
the necessity for additional troops is clearly
demonstrated. The difficulty of armng and
equipping many of the soldiers already
mustered into the service is rapidly dis
appearing and from the experience gained
in the recent call, army officers are salts
fed that more than a month will be con-
sumed in mastering an additional so 900 men
and that in this time equipments could be
prepared for that number. The unexpected
and extraordinary drain on the regular and
volunteer force by the Philippine expedi-
ton, necessitating at the outset Is 900 men,
together with the prospect that Spain will
not be influenced by European powers 10
abandon the futile struggle, but will wage
war until her resources are exhausted, is
causing the military authorities consider
able anxiety regarding the suffciency of
the armed force of the government for car
rying out the responsibilities which have
been undertaken.
The simple task of freeing Cuba has been
increased, though the necessities arising
in the Philippines and through the proba-
bility Of being compelled to maintain an
army Of occupation in Cuba several years
until the war is beginning to assume tre-
mendous dimensions. If Porto Rico is added
to the scales eventually, as the Philippines
were, the magnitude of American respon-
sibility will be materially increased and
further increases of the army made COM
pulsory. Many public men are beginning to
express conviction that the forces of the
United States will be as difficult to with
draw from Cuba as those of England have
been from Egypt, although there is no
modification up to this time of the resolu-
tion to make Cuba a free and autonomous
republic, and not mere dependent terri
torial acquisition. With regard to the
Philippines and Porto Rico, however, a. dis
position Is already manifested to regard
them as fruits of victory and in view OF
the notorious incapacity of their inhabi-
tants for sef-government to take perma-
nent possession Of them and provide them
with complete colonial establishment.
Eventually they may become in part self
governing, but the strong arm of the United
states may have to be exerted indefinitely
to preserve their peace and prosperity.
The authorized strength of the army a
month ago was $4,000 men. 1t has now been
increased to 199,500, and of the latter num-
Der $4,000 will be actually under arms and
In the field before June 1st OF this increase
by the expansion Of the regular service
through Its reorganization under the three
battalion formations, 36, 900 men have been
added, the other portion having been ac-
quired through the call for the volunteers
and by means of the enlistment of two
brigades of immunes and one of engineers
1t is already the prevailing belief that the
expansion of the regular service, though
contemplated only for the duration of the
war, will be permanent and that the stand
Ing army will never again fall below Sc, 0OO
This latter number, in the opinion of Gen.
eral Miles, is essential for operations in
Cuba next summer, although most of the
invading force will necessarily be composed
of volunteers.
The rapid development of the Cuban in
vasion project is given as another indica-
ton of the forthcoming necessity for ad-
ditional volunteers. In its inception a
month ago the program contemplated a
force of only 5000 men to establish base
of supplies from which the Cuban insur-
gents were to be armed, clothed and fed