Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-12-08
REPORT ON THE WAR
Secretary Algsr Gives Practically
an Official Record Of Events.
DETAILS OF SAyTIACO'S SURRENDER
An Increase nf the Regular Army TO 1907
900 Men Rec I'm mendoza suggestion
That building n Railroad In Cuba
Would Hep the Needy.

would Hep me Nseiy'
Washington, Dee. g. The annua
report of Secretary Alper is practi
cally complete official history Of the
Spanish.American war The secretary
has given to the public not only all
the official dispatches that passed di
rectly between his own office and com
manding officers in the field and camp,
but has supplemented these with short
explanatory notes, setting forth the
reasons for various movements, and
then, to complete the record of events,
he has included in the body OF his re.
port the report of Gen. Miles, of all
the generals who participated in the
campaign in Cuba, Porto Rico or the
Philippines, and finally, the reports of
all the bureau officers OF the war de.
partment Nowhere is there shown a
disposition to critlcise, the official dis
patches being allowed to tell their
own story, and generally the secre-
tary finds much to praise and cause
for sincere congratulation in the re-
suits obtained.
The report proper begins with what
may be described as "A chronological
history of the war, consisting of a
number of short paragraphs begin
ming with the declaration Of war on
April 81, and setting forth the date
upon which any event Of Importance
occurred, but making no comment
whatever upon the facts. The only
exception to this rule is in reference
to the casualties at Santiago Some
criticism having been made that there
was lack of surgeons present, the
report states that there were l4O sur
geons in attendance, and that of l,43l
wounded only 10 died of their wounds.
Touching upon the surrender at San
tiago, the report shows that Shafter
demanded the surrender on the Sd and
renewed this demand on the 4th. On
the morning OF the nth another de-
mand was made On the evening OF
that day Gen. Miles arrived and on the
llth and 18th Of July he, with Gen.
Shafter. met the Spanish commander
under the flag Of truce, to discuss the
surrender. On the afternoon Of the
l4th Gen. Miles left Gen. Skaters
headquarters and went aboard ship
preparatory to sailing for Porto Rico.
July II Toral surrendered $4,000 men
upon our terms and the American flag
was hoisted by Gen. Shafter.
The secretary, coming down in his
history to the middle of August, when
an order was issued and is now In exc.
cution, 10 muster out 100, 900 volun.
teers, says.
Thus an army OF about go. 0)) volunteers and
recruits for the regulars was called into exist
ence from civil life and Including ths regular
army, the total force was 2'47l7 men. 1t was
organized. armed and equipped mo supplies
being on hand other than those for the regu-
lars, save Springfield muskets), and 1000 men
Of this force were transported by land and sea
to battleaelds in the tropics 10 700 miles apart,
where they won their victories without single
defeat md oil within the period Of ll3 days
from lhs declaration OF war to the signing Of
The protocol
The deaths In the army from May to Oc-
Iober l. including killed, died Of wounds and
disease, were 900, the smallest death rate re-
corded In any army In history, u remarkable
TACT when II Is considered that over 1900 OF
our troops born aud reared In the temp crate
conc, wcr, campaigning In tropical climates
subject to rain and heat almost 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 admit
ting of their prompt discharge in their
present camps in the south.
Under the head Of increase in the
permanent establishment, the secre-
tary says,
In view of the needs Of u military force in
the islands occupied by the United States, II Is
recommended that the regular army
be permanently increased to 100000 men and
the requisite officers that portion Of this
army be recruited from the inhabitants OF those
islands, to be mustered into the service OF the
United States, commanded By officers Of our
army discretion, however TO DO given to the
president to make appointments Of officers
from the force so recruited,
Another suggestion is that there
should be employed in the United
States service constabulary force for
the cities Of Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippines, who have had experience
and can speak the language of the is
lands.
Secretary Alger thinks that the gov
eminent will be greatly taxed to sup
ply food to the destitute, especially in
Cuba, The effort should be made, he
thinks, to give the people work In
stead of allowing them to dwell in
idleness, living upon charity. He says:
Would 1t not be wise economy for the govern
ment of the United States to construct SUD
stautial rallroad practically the whole length
of the island of Cuba, with branch roads to the
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