The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-01
Volunteers Will Soon Be Sent to
Their Homes.
WILL NOT SEE A FIGHT
MAY BE DISBANDED WITHIN
THIRTY DAYS.
All Volunteers Who Have Not Left
American Soil Will Probably Be
Mustered Out-Regular Army of
$4,000 to Be Maintained For
Some Time to Come.

New York, Aug. IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says: Army
and navy officers consider the wal
practically ended, so far as actual hos
tilities are concerned, and that there
will be no occasion hereafter to fire a
hostile shot except in the slight resist
ance that may be offered by the Span
/ iards to the progress of the American
forces in General Miles brilliant Porto
/ Rican campaign.
! AT any rate, it is considered incon-
ceivable that any new extensive opera
tons viii need to be undertaken and
that even if the peace negotiations are
conducted in the dilitary manner which
has come to be inseperable from the
SpanlardS, an armiStice can hardly be
delayed before a week or ten days, or
by that time the Spanish garrisons at
San Juan and Manila will have laid
down their arms as they did at San
tiago.
Under the circumstances, it is not
surprising TO find that in the war de-
partment as well as the naval depart
ment preparations for the new condi-
ton of peace are rapidly going forard
and some of them at least Will be car
ried into effect Immediately. With the
future Of the Philippines still in doubt,
the directors of the naval and military
services are devoting their attention
Chiefly to the West Indies and the
forces ashore and af1oat in the Atlantic
and east of the Mississippi. The ne
ceSsity for the maintenance of a large
army of occupation for Cuba and Porto
Rico will initiate to prevent any re-
duction in the military establishment
for some time to come, although most
of the volunteers who have not up to
this time left American soil will prob
ably be mustered out of the service
within a month otter the treaty of
peace is concluded.
The regular army. which has been ex-
panded during the war FROM a strength of
2o,Oo0 to an approximate numerical aggre-
eating 10000 men, will in all proba bility
remain up its war footing for several
years, the country having been awakened
TO the eXpediency of maintaining a great.
er standing army at home, while the en-
Iarged responsibilities in Alaska, Hawaii,
Philippines, imperatively demand a con-
siderable force for garrison duty For
some time at least Cuba cannot be trusted
TO work out the problem of Self-govern-
menu without guardianship of at least
kc.00k trained American soldiers Porto
Rico will undoubtedly require about 10000,
unless greater difficulty, attends the es-
adjustment of law and order in these
Islands than is now apprehended when
double that number would be needed.
OF Porto Rico's rapid progress and of
United States of much concern, army Off
GERS have little doubt but they are not
so certain about the Cubans. after their
performances at Santiago and grave fears
are manifested that the professional guer-
rillaS and military agitators together
with large elements of Shiftless. law men
that infest the island will prove a source
of continual irritation and probably COM
pei the administering of justice and the
protection of property there by the con-
tinual exertion of the strong arm of the
United States until a generation has
passed.
Hawaii is expected to give no trouble
at all. Its people have demonstrated their
ability to take care of themselves and
beyond a small detachment of artillery
and perhaps a company of infantry the
army will be able to leave the protector
ate OF the islands entirely to the navy.
If the Philippines are to be held. a ire
mendous increase in their regular army
would be imperative so soon as congress
provides the requisite authority
1t is recognized on all sides that more
than nine-tenths of the volunteers now in
service, the officers as well as enlisted
men, are serving at great personal sacri-
nee and should be discharged to return to
their original occupations as speedily as
will permit So long as the
nation is absolutely in need of these vol
unteers, It is certain that they will I'M
hesitatingly respond to the necessities of
the occasion, but there is no disposition
to hold them strictly to their terms of en-
liStment from the moment their services
may be dispensed with.