Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-03

Washington, D. c., December q
The annual report of Secretary Alger
is practically complete official his
tory of the Spanish-American war.
The Secretary has given to the public,
not only all the official dispatches that
passed directly between his own Office
and commanding officers in the field
and camp, but has supplemented these
with short explanatory notes setting
forth the reasons for various move
ments, and then, to complete the rec
ord of events, he has included in the
body of his report the report of Gen.
Miles, of all the generals who partici-
pated in the campaign in Cuba, Porto
Rico or the Philippines, and finally
the reports of all the bureau officers of
the War Department Nowhere is
there shown a disposition to criticise,
the official dispatches being allowed to
tell their own story and generally the
Secretary finds much to praise and
cause for sincere congratulation in the
results obtained.
Touching the surrender at Santiago
the report shows that Shafter demand
ed the surrender on the Sd, and renew
ed this demand on the 4th On the
morning of the 18th another demand
was made. On the evening of that day
Gen. Miles arrived, and on the 18th and
14th of July he, with Gen. Shafter, met
the Spanish commander under flag
of truce to discuss the surrender On
the afternoon of the 14th, Gen. Miles
left Gen. Skaters headquarters and
soon thereafter went aboard ship pre-
July 18th Toral surrendered $4,000
men upon our terms and the American
flag was hoisted by order of Gen. Shat
ter.
The Secretary coming down in his
history to the middle of August, when
an order w&s issued and is now in ex-
ecution to muster out 100000 volun-
teers, says:
Thus an army of about 250,000 vol
was called into existence from civil
life, and, including the regular army,
the total force was 274,7T men. 1t
was organized, armed and equipped
(no supplies being on hand other than
those for the regulars, save Spring
field muskets) and $4,000 men of this
force were transported by land and sea
to battle fields in the tropics 10000
miles apart, where they won their vic
tories without single defeat, and all
within the period of one hundred and
thirteen days from the declaration of
war to the signing of the protocol.
This great achievement can be
credited to no individual; it belongs to
the nation. 1t was accomplished
through the intelligence and patriot
mander in chief to the private in the
ranks.
THE deaths in the army from May l
to October |, including killed, died OF
wounds and of disease, were 2,010, the
smallest death rate recorded OF any
army in history, a remarkable fact
when it is considered that $4,000 of
our troops, born and reared in the tenn
perate zone, were campaigning in the
tropical climate, subject to rain and
heat most unprecedented"
The Secretary says, of the volunteers,
that to furlough them in winter would
be a hardship, so he recommends that
in lieu of the furlough the officers and
men be given two months pay at the
time of their discharge, thus admitting
of their prompt discharge in their pres
ent camps in the South.
Under the head of increase in the
permanent establishment, the Secre-
tary says:
I'm view of the needs of military
force in the islands occupied by the
United States, it is earnestly recon-
mented that the regular army be per-
manently increased to 10000 men
and the requisite officers; that por-
ton of this army be recruited from the
inhabitants of those islands to be mus
tered into the service of the United
States, and commanded by officers Of
our army, discretion, however, to be
given to the President to make ap
pointments of officers from the force so
recruited.
Another suggestion is that there
should be employed in the United
States service a constabulary force for
the cities of Cuba, Porto Rico AMI the
Philippines, who have had experience
and can speak the la iguase Of the is
lands.
Secretary Alger thinks that the GOV
eminent will be greatly taxed to supply
food to the destitute, especially in
Cuba. The effort should be made, he
thinks, to give the people work instead
of allowing them t, dwell in idieEess.
living upon charity