The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-12-03

Also That Portion of This Army be
 Island Acquisitions-C of aRaiiroad the Whole Length of Cuba
 With Branch Roads to Leading Cities,
 suggested-Such Road Would Prob
 ably Cost SEQ, ,OOO, ,O0o but Would Give
 Employment to Cubans-Monument
 to Grant and n Second Assistant sccrc-
 tary of War Recommended,
 Washington, Dec. 2-The annual re- port of Secretary Alger is a practically complete official history of the Span ish-American war. The secretary has given to the public not only all the off, cial dispatches that passed directly be- tween his own office and commanding officers in the field and camp, but has supplemented these with short ex- planatory notes setting forth the req sons for various movements, and then, lo SOllplClS lHe record or events, ne ndS included in the body of his report the report of General Miles, of all the generals who participated in the cam paign in Cuba Porto Rico or the Phil ippines, and finally the reports of all the bureau officers of the war depart ment. Nowhere is there shown a dis position to criticise, the official dis patches being allowed to tell their own story. Generally, the secretary finds much to praise and cause for sincere congratulation in the results obtained.
 The report makes no comment what ever upon the facts with the exception of the casualties at Santiago. Some criticism having been made that there was lack of surgeons present the re- port states that there were 140 surgeons in attendance and that of 1,431 wounded thirteen died of their wounds. Touch ing the surrender at Santiago, the re- port shows that Shafter demanded the surrender on July and renewed this demand on the 4th. On the morning of the 11th another demand was made. On the evening of that day General Miles arrived, and on the 18th and 14th of July he, with General Shafter, met the Spanish commander. On the after noon of the 14th General Miles left Gen. eral Shafters headquarters and soon thereafter went aboard ship prepara
 tory to sailing to Porto Rico. July IT Toral surrendered 23,000 men upon our terms and the American flag was hoist ed by order of Shafter.
 ba conrata yy oorpjpp- down in his bis- tory to the middle of August, when an order was issued and is now in eXecu- ton to muster out 100000 volunteers, says Thus an army of about 250,000 volunteers and recruits for the regular army was called into existence from civil life, and, including the regular army the total force was 274,717 men, It was organized, armed and equipped (no supplies being on hand other than those for the regulars, save Springfield muskets) and 50,000 men of this force were transported by land and sea to battlefields in the tropics 10000 miles apart they won their victories without a single defeat, and all within the per- iod of one hundred and thirteen days from the declaration of war to the sign- ing of the protocol. This great achieve ment can be credited to no individual; it belongs to the nation.
 Under the head of increase in the per manent establishment, the secretary says: "In view of the needs of a military force in the islands occupied by the United States it is earnestly recommended that the regular army be permanently increased to 100000 men and the requisite officers: that d DOT tion 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 the officers of o,lr army, discretion, however, to be given to the president to make appoint ments of officers from the force so re- cruted These men are acclimatei, lln- derstand the language and habitE of their countrymen, and their enlistment will not only give them employment hut also have the tendency to enable the government to get into closer touch with their people than 1t would other wise be able to do. This would also re- lieve our own people from serving in those climates to a large extent, and would, moreover, enable the volunteers to be mustered out of the service and return to the avocations of civil life.'
 Another suggestion is that there should be employed in the United States service a constabulary force fol the cities of Cuba. Porto Rico and the Philippines, who have had experience and can speak the language of the isl ands. Secretary Alger thinks that the government will be greatly taxed tc supply food to the destitute, especially in Cuba. The effort should be made, he thinks, to give the people work instead of allowing them to dwell in idleness living upon charity. He says: "Woulo if not be wise economy for the gov ernment of the United States to con- struct a substantial railroad, practical lv the whole length of the island ot Cuba. with branch roads leading to the leading cities on the east. Such a road would. of course, cost large sum nerhaps $2O, 900; but it would give endowment to the people of Cuba teach them habits of industry, be an in ducement for them to cultivate theii farms. and thus furnish supplies for the 1aborers and for market when the roac is constructed. This, in my juds nent is absolutely essential to the pacitica' tion and development of the great isl
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