The evening times., 1899-10-17

Returns received at the War Department
show that the army has now reached its
full authorized strength, and that 10000
men are available as fighting force wher-
ever their services may be required.
OF this force 65, eco men belong to the
regular service and 35,0 900 to the volunteer.
Should IL become necessary to further in
crease the army, Congress must act before
additional troops can be secured. The pres
ent army. under the law, can be main
lained until June 80, 1901, when it returns
to its normal strength
Nearly one-half of the enlarged army
has been recruited, armed, and equipped
since last June, when the first call was
issued for more troops, and OF the regi-
ments enlisted for the campaign In the
Philippines many have either been landed
in Manila or are on the way. 1t is estimated
that General Otis has now under his COM
mand nearly $4,000 men, and with other
regiments now on the way and those that
will depart next month, his strength by
the middle of December will approximate
66. .0O0.
This is the army the Administration de-
pends upon to subdue the Filipinos, and
should ii prove unable to meet the situa-
tion, it is said, it will not be practicable
to send re-enforcements from troops sta
toned at garriscns at home or in Cuba or
Porto Rico. which have all been depleted
to the limit.
The movement OF troops to Manila will
continue without interruption, under the
programme arranged by the War Depart
ment until every regiment assigned to duty
there has been transported. Three of the
regiments now awaiting transportation will
&C from New York by way Of the Suez Ca
nal on the transports Thomas. Logan, and
Meade. These regiments are the Forty
first, Forty and Forty-third.
There are 5000 men at San Francisco
ready for transportation-the Twenty
eighth and Thirty first regiments and 800
recruits. The ships available for these
men are the Mananonz. the Olympia. and
Victoria, which are scheduled to sail this
week, and the Hancock on October 25,
These vessels have an aggregate carrying
capacity CT 3.055 men and l20 officers. The
movement OF twelve additional regiments
| will also begin in few days, with the de-
| parture of the Pennsylvania and the City
| Of Pueblo, with over coo officers and men
Other ships are tc follow rapidly, so that
| by November 15 all the troops intended for
the Philippines are expected to be on the
| way.
The military authorities in the Philip
| pines will, il is said wait for the arrival OF
all these endorsements before beginning
the campaign, which. in all probability, will
| open early in November, with a general
movement against the enemy. Nor does II
seem probable there viii be any change in
| the programme of maintaining General 0tis
in command OF the troops. with full author
| ity, such as he has exercised since General
MsTTitt's departure.
The conduct OF the actual fighting. how
ever. will devolve upon Generals Lawton
| Macarthur and Schwan. Upon them will
| depend in great measure the success of tbs
new campaign, but should they be hampered
| by instructions from General Otis, il is as.
serted positively by well known officer
| that Otis will be Withdrawn and some other
officer sent to take his command.
The friends of General Miles continue &c
regard the Philippines as the proper place
for the commanding general OF the army
10 be, and have pointed out recently tha;
Otis commands twice as many men as he
Ii was said today, however, that unless tbs
| new campaign in the Philippines proves a
| fiat failure, there is little prospect of Gen.
eral Miles being sent TO Manila.