The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-01

Pre,afts d Explsasllen Rcsardlnl tht
Conduct Of the War.


Washington, July S1.--One OF the last
acts Of Secretary Aiger, who tomorrow
will relinquish his portfolio. was to pre-
pare statement covering several matters
regarding the conduct OF the war which
have been the subject OF criticism In the
public press, particularly with reference
to the appointment Of staff officers in the
volunteer army.
The statement follows; II am led to
make tho following statement on account
OF many criticisms which have been made
by the public press, especially on account
Of the recent article which appeared in the
London Times containing assertions which
have no foundation In truth.
cat the commencement OF the war with
Spain and for several years prior to that
time the regular army consisted OF only
$4,000 men. with the minimum number Of
officers prescribed by law The situation
can be partially appreciated when II Is
remembered that within sixty days from
the declaration of war the strength of the
everything for the equipment of this great
force. including clothing, tents, transpor-
tation, medical supplies, camps and camp
equipment and all that pertains to equip
ping an army for service had to be manu-
featured, transported and distributed for
use.
From the statement referred to, the
public might be made to believe that the
volunteer army was Differed by men
lected through political influence with
the secretary OF war, by special favor aud
without regard to fitness for the duties
thay were to perform As Is well known,
the volunteer force. with the exception OF
three regiments OF engineers. three regi-
ments of cavalry and ten regiments of i'm
mune infantry, was made up OF regiments
from the various States, the officers Of
which were all appointed exclusively by
the governors of the respective States
from which the regiments came and any
officer found untitled for service and dis
charged was replaced by another in the
same manner. The president had no voice
or control in the matter.
sThe returns OF the volunteer army
show that in August, 1898, there were
207.244 enlisted uen and S,7S5 officers in
those regiments. This, with the regular
army recruited up TO the war strength,
made an aggregate force of about 10000
officers and men The volunteer officers
appointed by the president. numbered all
told 1882. or this number AL We're taken
from the regular army. This scarcity of
regimental officers in the regular service
owing 10 appointments in the volunteers
special recruiting and mastering details
had SO reduced the number that to have
taken a larger number for service with the
volunteers would have seriously impaired
the efficiency OF the regular regiments.
For little over a thousand appointments
made by the president, the number of APP
plications was over $4,000. and each appli-
cation was accompanied by a certificate
OF his ability and in most INSTANCES the
military service, either in the regular or
State organization, and not infrequently
In both. These certificates showed that
each one was we'll qualified for the post
ton he sought and TO winch he was APP
pointed as could be possible for the men
in civil life In this country. or the number
appointed there were. for instance, twenty
six major generals, of whom nineteen were
taken from the regular army and seven
from civil life. OF these seven all but one
were graduates of West Point military
academy and all had distinguished them
selves In command during the civil war
or the brigadier generals there we're 102
appointed, sixty-six from the regular army
and thirty six from civil life. Those from
civil life had all seen service during the
civil war or on our Western frontier and
all had proven themselves competent to
command.
at has been stated, and repeated many
times that the secretary of war made these
appointments. when the truth Is that very
few were made up3n his recommendation,
although he caused the entire list with
the recommendations to be compiled and
placed before the president for his selec-
ticn. would be only too glad to have
had the honor to have made these appoint
ments. No better, no more loyal or more
patriotic set OF men as whole ever served
their country and their appointments We're
a credit, not only to the appointing power.
but to the country they served. There were
exceptions, but that could not have been
foreseen. In every walk Of life men are
found who can not carry out satisfactorily
the work they have under taken. There
were three regiments CT cavalry. the Of
hcers OF which We're appointed by the Sec
rotary OF war. Colonel Leonard Wood.
now commanding at Santiago and Puerto
Principe, was one OF these. Colonel Grlgs-
by and Colonel Torrey, both good officers,
were the other two, There were three
regiments OF engineers, the colonels of
which were all graduates of the military
academy and not only the officers. but
the enlisted men We're selected with a
view to their special fitness and in most
instances upon the recommendation OF
colonies themselves and all proved them
selves most efficient.
There were also ten regiments OF i'm
mune infantry. of whose colonies eight
were graduates Of the military academy,
who were selected for special fitness to
command, and In the short time these
regiments We're in service they developed
remarkable proficiency.
Criticisms as to the amounts and
methods OF expenditures which imply the
wrong or careless use OF money were
also made by the Tendon Times. This
charge IL false So far as the conduct OF
THE service was concerned no person with
any knowledge Of the facts can ever
charge truthfully, and no one can ever
show that dollar was misappropriated
stolen or embexxled out Of the hundreds
J Of millions OF dollars that were expended
The records are an open book and Will
be clad TO have them rigIdly examined and
ash my successor to open these accounts
ito tho country In order that the entire
! truth may be- known
II r., A. Alger Secretary Of War.
Washington. D. O., July 81. 1899"