The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-03
ALG[R ANSWERS CRITICS
Shows Clearly the Falsity Of the
Charges Against His Conduct
of War Department
THEY WERE MADE BY LONDON TIMES.
Statements Confined to Army Appoint
ments and Expenditure of Money
UphOIds President McKinIey's Sc
Iections-Denies Misuse of Money
and Invites Inspection.

and Invites Inspection.
Washington, Aug. 1.-One of Secre-
tary Ayers last official acts was to pre-
pare a statement covering several mat
tiers regarding the conduct of the war
which have been the subject of criti-
csm in the public press, particularly
with reference to the appointment of
staff officers in the volunteer army.
The statement follows:
81 am led to make the following state
ments on account of the many criticisms
which have been made by the public press,
and especially on account or recent ar
ticle which appeared in the London Times,
containing assertions which have no foun-
dalton in truth.
AT the commencement of the war with
Spain and for several years prior to that
time the regular army consisted OF only
%, 600 men, with the minimum number of
officers prescribed by law. The situation
can be partially appreciated when it is re-
membered that within go days from the
declaration of war the strength of the
army was increased to 275000, and every
thing for the equipment of this great force,
including clothing, tents, transportation,
medical supplies, camps and camp equip
age and all that pertains TO equipping an
army for service had to be manufactured,
| transported and distributed for use
Army Officer Appointments.
From the statement referred to the pub
lie might be made to believe that the vol
unteer army was Differed by men select
ed through political influence with the sec
rotary of war by special favor and with
out any regard to fitness for the duties
they were to perform. AS is well known,
the volunteer force. with the exception or
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 ofhcers 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
The returns of the volunteer army
show that in August, 1898, there were w.
pa enlisted men and S,7S5 officers in those
regiments. This, with the regular army
recruited up to the war strength, made an
a aggregate force of about 275,ooO officers
and men.
The volunteer officers appointed by the
president numbered, all told, l,C32. or TINS
number AL were taken from the regular
army and sol from civil life. The scarcity
of regimental officers in the regular serV-
ice. owing to appointments in the Volun-
teers, special recruiting and mastering ue-
tails had so reduced their number That 10
have taken a larger number Tor service
with the volunteers would have seriously
impaired the efficiency of the regular regl-
ments.
Thousands of Applications.
For a little over 1000 appointments
made by the president, the number OF APP
plicants was over $4,000. and each april
cation was accompanied by a certihcate
of his ability and in most instances the
military service either in the regular army
or a state organization, and not infre-
uuently in both Three certificates
showed that each one was as well quail
fled for the position he sought and TO
which he was appointed as could be posi-
BILE for men in civil life in this country. Oh
the number appointed there were, Tor IN
stance, &c major generals. of whom 10 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,
"Of brigadier generals there were lO2
appointed, 66 from the regular army and 80
from civil life. Those from civil life had
all seen service during the civil war or on
our western frontier, and all had proved
themselves competent to command.
His own Appointments Few.
1T has been stated and repeated many
times that the secretary of war made these
appointmentS when the truth is that
very few were made upon his recon-
menda ton, although he caused the entire
list with the recommends tionS, TO be COM
piled and placed before the president for
his selection. | would only be too glad 10
have had the honor TO have made these
appointments No better, no more loyal
or more patriotic set of men IS a whole
ever served their country, and their APP
pointments were 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 cannot
carry out satisfactorily the work they
have undertaken.
Denies Misuse of Money.
Criticisms as to the amounts and meth
DDS of expenditures which could imply the
wrong or careless use of money were also
made by the London Times. This Charge is
false So far as the conduct of the service
was concerned, no person with any knowl-
edge of the facts can ever charge truth
fully, and no one can ever show that dol
lar was Incorporated, stolen or en-
bezzled out of the hundreds of millions OF
dollars that were expended. The records
are ar open book, and will be glad to have
them rigdly examined, and ask my sue
cessor to open those accounts TO the coun-
try whenever properly called for. In order
that the entire truth may be known.
"R. A. ALGER,
Secretary of War.
washington. d. c.. July 81. 1897
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Bank Note Circulation.