The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-21
He win Get the Troops.

While Gen. Merritt did not refuse 10 obey
the order which sends him to Manila I'M
less given 5000 regular troops, 1T is proba-
BILE that he did comment on the folly Of
sending him to a far distant and hostile
country to fight an army of 25,O00 trained
and seasoned troops with only about 1900
raw recruits.
1t is said that he is TO be given the num-
Der of regular troops he asks for. together
with about 10000 volunteers. Even the
number of troops he is to have is not sufi-
cent for the task 10 which he has been
assigned Manila has a strong garrison.
Besides the regular troops there are many
thousands of volunteers. Admiral Dewey
says he can take Manila at any time
That statement is doubtless true, but it
would be a more difficult matter to hold
it than 1t is to take it. The great major
ity Of the citizens are in sympathy with
Spain. The soldiers which are there
would not surrender if it should become
necessary to haul down the Spanish flag
They would retire to the country, and
would be held in readiness to attempt the
capture Of the city as soon as a favorable
opportunity presented itself. The sugges-
ton made by Cen Merritt therefore, that
it would be a great mistake to send only
5000 volunteers to Manila was one that the
war department was quick to act upon
In fact it is rather remarkable that any
one having authority should have proposed
to send only 5000 volunteers to Manila. The
proposition to do such a thing causes a
feeling that there must be a lack of appre-
citation of the real situation on the part of
those who have the management of the
war
If Gen. Merritt had gone to Manila with
only 5000 volunteers, and had failed in the
mission entrusted to him, those responsible
for sending him with such a ridiculously
small force would have tried to place the
| responsibility for his failure on him. Hence
he wisely thought it advisable to cali the
attention of the President and country to
the utter unwisdom of sending him 20 Ma
Mia with few thousand green troops.
The same spirit which has controlled
| Congress in the matter of making appro-
priations for coast defenses and for the
army and navy is showing itself in the
conducting of the war with Spain. Before
war was declared it was impossible 10 get
the army increased or a reform for the
Improvement of the army adopted. A lit
tie money was given grudgingly for the
navy and coast defense; but as soon as war
with Spain was declared money for carry
ing on the war was voted with a free
hand. To prepare for war after the war
began we shall spend more money than
we would have spent if war preparations
had been made in time of peace. And the
| preparations we shall make now will not
be nearly as good as preparations made in
time of peace would have been. There
fore, nothing has been saved by not pre-
pairing for war before the war began.
| There is another point from which this
matter may be viewed. 1t is that if we
/ had had an army of 10000 or $4,000 men
| ready 10 go to Cuba as soonNas the diff
Guilty between the United States and Spain
began it would have been possible &c
make a sudden attack on Havana-an at
| tack which might have resulted in the sur
/ render of that city and the ending of the
war. But we declared war without being
| ready for it, and we are spending money
| by the millions trying to get ready. We
! have already said and we repeat it, that il
would be the greatest possible blunder &c
/ invade Cuba before we are ready to do so
There is no doubt that our volunteers
would fight, but they must first be taught
how to fight before we shall have reason
to expect victories. The Spanards Tough
bravely at Manila, but they inflicted
scarcely any injury upon our fleet, They
did not know how to fight-how to shoot
and our men did Hence the victory wa,
with our side. Before our volunteers ar.
sent to Cuba they should be taught how
to fight. We are, of course, sorry Cor tn,
reconcentrados but the lives of our sol
diers are fully as valuable as those o
Cuba's people who are not fighting on eth
er side. Besides, in order that the inva
sion of Cuba shall be a success, our volun
teers should be prepared for the work the,
will have to do.