The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-02
UNCLE SANS
NEW ARMY
How Officers For Il Have
Been Appointed.
ADVICE TO coNGREssMEN
Has Been Sought by President and
Secretary Of War,
THE YANKEES OE THE ORIENT.
ADVICE TO CONGRESSMEN
THE YANKEES OF THE ORIENT.

near to the war department mt Washing
ton said today, though quito unoflicially,
that the criticisms made on the appoint
ments Of officers In the new United States
army are perhaps more unjust than any
other criticisms at present afloat.
''If you win only follow my analysis OF
the situation with me-" said this man,
''you will SEQ that / am right. The popu-
lation of the United States Is 70, 1000, 900
or thereabouts. am sure 1t Is no exag-
geration to say that 10 per cent Of this
enormous number Of human beings, or
100000 persons, want something from
the government Ten per cent of this
latter number, or 10000 want 1t bad
enough to ask for It. How large a per
cent of the 700 900 have asked for good
things In the army don't know, but it
Is very large--large enough to require six
figures Mt least.
1T would of course be impossible for
Secretary Alger or President Mckinley, or
both of them, to know oil these applicants
well enough to say who should and who
should not be appointed. 1t would DO q
physical impossibility for them personally
to make satisfactory examinations into
the record and character Of the applicants
either. Indeed this could not have been
uOuo ndu tuo tntiIt CdDlnc1 uohcu Nv up
and done nothing else in the meantime.
In point of fact, there was only one way
to mako the appointments, and that way
was adopted as a matter of course.
1t Has Rested with the Consressmen.
"I hardly need say, suppose, that the
advice and assistance of the members Of
the upper and lower houses Of congress
had to bo called In. Mr. Jones from the
state of So-and 80 would of course know
about the qualifications Of tho aspirants
from his state, or at least from his dis
trict. Mr.. Smith from the next state
would know about the applicants from his
state, and so on.
"Of course thero have been individual
applicants, and many of them who were
known Il. Mr.. Mckinley or Mr.. Algcr, and
many such have been appointed on tho
strength of their standing with the prcsi-
dent or tho secretary. But In the main
the senators and representatives, regard
less Of politics, have been consulted, and
to each state has been allotted such per-
centage of the total number OF appoint
ments as II would naturally be entitled
TO on the basis Of population. So, you see,
that II mistakes have been made the blame
for them should not rest altogether on the
shoulders of Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Alger.
] do not want to be understood as sug-
gesting that either of these gentlemen
wishes to shirk one whit of responsibility.
On the contrary, neither has ever taken
the tiIne 80 far as / know, seriously to
consider what has bcen printed concern
ing tho personnel of the newly made off,
GERS. They do not think probably that
every one of these Is q Grant or q Sheri-
lav her a Atv~lr kh-< t.
the circumstances, which have presented
unparalleled difficulties, q remarkably effl-
cient list of officers has boon got together
and the mass of tho people agree with
them, am sure, that so far tho deeds Of
these officers have justified this thought.
From generals down the officers of the
new United States army have shown BRAY
cry and Judgment.
Rooseveit's Rough Riders.
"There has been some criticism of what
has boon termed tho impctuosity Of Colo
mel Wood Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt
and the rough riders at the battle of Se-
villa when SO many intrepid Americans
ware struck down. II has been said that
had moro caution been exercised some of
the precious livos thore lost might have
been saved, and that the advance was too
precip!tate Maybe so, but 1t should not
be unnoted that Wood, Roosevelt, the men
who wero Killed and tho mon who survived
at Scyilla all gave the world an object les
son in American bravery that will not
soon be effaccd from the tablets of history,
that, although the ranks OF the advancing
forces were dccimated and that retreat In
such circumstances would be justified by
tho severest requirements Of war, they
continued to advance, and 1t was this
steady pressing forward that scared the
vastly moro numerous Spaniards into an
ignominious retreat, that won the day for
the cause OF liberty and the republic
against the cause OF the most despicable
monarchy and tho worst system OF 80
called civilized governments on the face OF
the earth.
by their reckless daring tho rough
riders set an example 10 the remainder Of
our armies which viii undoubtedly tend
to lift tho standard of bravery, Of persist
ence and of energy among our men TO
higher level than might otherwise have
been reached. At the same timo the fatali-
ties camc so rapidly and were 50 numerous
as to instill much needed lesson Of eau
tion, of judicial deliberation, that should
not, must not be overlooked In future
operbtlons.
Tho Japanese Question.
met an American today who has been
doing a mercantile business In Japan for
a number Of years, and he said few
things about tho Yankees Of the Orient
that, II true, should bc fully understood
by tho citizens OF this republic.
"1'd rather not be quoted, he said In
effect. "sincc I'm going back 20 Japan to
close out my business as best can next
fall, but IL Is fact that the Japanese arc
by long way tho most untrustworthy ma
tIon In business on the face OF tho globe.
Next year, when the laws for trying oil
suits between Japs and foreigners In tho
native instead OF the consular courts will be
enforced, the business OF Americans, Eng.
lishmen, Gcrmans--in fact all foreigners
will speedily be frozen out. The trouble
has all ariscn from a treaty made by
England with japan some ycArs ago,
which all occidental nations, with tho