Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-29
1T HAS BEEN DECIDED TO RAISE A
VOLUNTEER ARMY.
OTIS MUST HAVE 10000 MEN
NEEDS THAT MANY WHEN RAINY
SEASON ENDS.
Until Then, Offensive Operations in
the Philippines VIII BE Discon-
tinued-No Organizations to
Be Accepted in Rails
ing Volunteers.

WASHINGTON, June 2S.-Secretary AL
ger. Adjutant General Corbin and Colonel
Bird assistant quartermaster general in
charge of transportation, had hours
consultation with the president to-day rel
ative to the question of reinforcements for
General Otis.
A definite decision has been reached to
continue recruiting men at all the recruit
ing stations for service in the Philippines,
and Secretary Alger said when he left the
White House after the conference that
General Otis would have 10000 men when
the rainy season closed for a resumption
of active operations.
There are seventy recruiting stations In
the United States and enlistments are to
be taken at all of these stations. The en-
lstments are to be for service in the regu-
lar army and recruits are to be organized
in the regiments or assigned to regiments
already formed after enlistment. No or
ganization as such is to be accepted if
sufficient recruits can be obtained by regu-
lar enlistment.
Arrangements are to be made at once for
increasing the transportation necessary
to get these additional troops to the Phil
ippines. The decision to reinforce General
Otis by the end of the rainy season is in
terpreted to mean that aggressive cam
paigns will cease until the bad weather
ends. Until that time our operations will
probably be confined to occasional eXcur-
sions to places in close vicinity to our
lines where the insurgents may have con-
gregated in force. By remaining quiescent
under good shelter during the rainy season
it is hoped the health of our troops will be
conserved and the danger from climatic
fevers reduced to minimum.
General Otis has cabled the war depart
ment that he has the skeleton organiza-
tions of two or three regiments which it
is proposed to raise in the Philippines. AT
the war department this was said to mean
that General Otis has the officers for these
regiments selected and that they are ready
to be filled with enlisted men. How many
of these can be secured from the volun-
| teer regiments now in the Philippines is
not known.
Later in the day it was definitely de-
cided to begin the enlistments for the vol
unteer service under The act of the last
congress. The reports to the adjutant gen.
eral, based on the reports of the recruiting
| officers and on close estimates to the
number of soldiers in the Philippines, and
| in each command in Cuba and Porto Rico,
show that the regular army Is up to its
| full authorized strength. The additional
soldiers needed must be obtained under that
section of congress authorizing the enlist
ment of volunteers. The only exception
will be in the case of the few enliStmentS
| that will be made from time to time to fill
gaps in the regular army caused by cas-
ualties and by the expiration of enlist
ments. The officers scattered among the
principal cities of the country who have
been enllsting regulars only, will be in
structed Immediately to prepare to enlist
volunteers. The present indications are
that about 10000 men will be wanted.
Volunteers will not be accepted in or
ganizations.
Secretary Alger is determined to adhere to
that rule. Looking over the act of congress
he has concluded that the authorization to
raise these volunteer troops "at large In
dicates a purpose on the part of congress
to follow out the plan successfully followed
in the case of the immune regiments. II
is the present purpose to disregard state
and local lines in securing the recruits and
welding them into organizations. Regi-
ments will be designated the First, Second
4 Third, etc, volunteer United Stat2s infaN-
try or cavalry. No difficulty is anticipated
in securing the men needed. 1t Is believed
that the 1000 men who are weekly offering
themselves at the recruiting offices will be
even more willing to enter the army as
, two year volunteers than as long term reg
ulars. .
Officers for these volunteer regiments will
be obtained by promoting officers now II
the regular army and by commissioning
many of the best officers of the volunteer
organizations which saw service. The wal
department has carefully preserved the
| records of these officers, and has at hanC
long list of them.