The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-19
VOLUNTEER TARS BACKWARD
NOT ALL SENDING IN APPLICATIONS
FOR THEIR EXTRA PAY.
Letter of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Anx-
ious for Return OF Troops from Cuba
Before sickly season Begins.

WASHINGTON. March lS.-The controI-
Ter Of the treasury. I'm a decision rendered
to-day, holds that men who enlisted in VOL
unteer organizations and who were after
wards transferred with or without their con-
sent. by proper authority, TO the hospital
corps. and who served honestly and faith
fully, become, for pay purposes. members
of the hospital corps, enlisted for the war
only and as such on muster out and dis
charge from the service are entitled TO the
extra pay granted by the act of March .
1889. In a former decision the controller
held that the act OF Jan. IL, 1899. only ap-
Piled to volunteers who were mustered out
with their organizations or afterwards dis
charged If longer held to service.
The controller also holds that the act OF
March g. 1892 applies TO enlisted men in
the regular army who enlisted subsequenr
TO the declaration of war for the war only.
as individuals, and II such enlisted men
serve honestly and faithfully grants 10
them the extra pay provided In the act on
muster out and discharge from the service
whether before or after the passage OF tne
act, without rgard 10 the muster out ana
discharge of the organization TO which they
belonged, and decided that the proVlso
grants to enlisted men of volunteer organ
izations who have served honestly ana
faithfully, the extra pay provided In the act
on muster out and discharge from the
service, whether before or after the passaee
Of the act of Jan. u, 1889. or the act OK
March 3 1899, without regard to the muster
out and discharge of the organization To
which they belonged. The controller says:
II do not mean 10 say that soldiers OF
volunteer organizations discharged WITH
their organizations, and who have received
the one or two months furlOugh mentioned
i'm act of Jan L. 1899, i'm lieu of which extra
nav was granted, are now entitled TO any
additional pay, as / do not think they are
either under the act Of jan II, loS5' or 1he
act of March g. 1899. The question whether
said enlisted men, who are discharged at
their own request and for their own con-
venience. are entitled TO said extra pay Is
not decided
officials Of the Navy Department wisn
IL known TO all the volunteer sailors
who served with such credit during the
late war and received honorable dis
charges that 1t need not cost them
more than the price of a 2-cent postage
stamp to secure the gratuity In the snaps
of extra pay which Congress allotted 10
them in the closing hours Of the last ses-
sion. Very many applications have been
po-,ring in on the Navigation Bureau for IN
formation as TO how the men should pro-
coed to collect their money. In reply TO
these the following circular letter Is being
sent out by A. S. Crowninshield, chief OK
bureau: -.
"sr-RepIying 20 your letter requesting
information concerning the extra extra pay y.slr- al
lowed men and officers OF the volunteer navy
nv The last Congress for services rendered
during the with Spain, i nave 70 Ia
form YOU that your apphcauoh stlouo 20
addrassed 10 the auditor or the Navy De
partment, Treasury Department Wssnihs-
ton, ID. c..
These volunteer sailors are, under the act
of Congress. entitled to one months extra
nav if they served within the United States
and two months extra pay IL in service OUT
side the United States. Ii will be for the
auditor TO draw the line of inside and out
side service, but IL is said at the Naviga-
ton Bureau that vessels which served IN the
Cuban and Porto Rican blockade and ves-
sells which went TO foreign ports VIII De re-
earded as having been outside OF the United
States. while those which piled up and down
the coast will be held TO have been within
the United States, although. OF course. out
side the three-mile limit. The men should
first address their inquiries 10 the auditor
above named, who will furnish the informa-
ton as TO further procedure. This Is likely
10 involve later on the sending TO Washing-
ment of the service rendered by him The
auditor will adjust all the claims, and only
in case of doubt as to the actual service
rendered will the Navy Department be con-
suited.
The President has become interested in
having the volunteer troops in Cuba hur-
ried out OF the island before there is any
danger of infection from yellow fever. lie
has given very positive instructions 70 the
War Department upon this matter. and the
Quartermaster's department Is making
great effort 10 secure transports and have
them ready 10 embark troops within few
days 1t is desirable 10 have all the troops
destined for Southern camps landed in the
United States before April ], when the
quarantine regulations OF the South viii
make IL very difficult 10 get the men into
this country. The quartermaster's departs
ment has started several transports for
Cuba which have not been ir active service
of late. Arrangements have been made
with the Ward line steamers 20 carry troops
10 the United States. and the Plant line
steamers have been secured for the same
purpose. General Humphrey. chief quarter
master al Havana, has been ordered 60 pre-
pare the volunteers for embarkation. 50
there will be no delay when the ships ar
rive. Where IL is practicable the troops VIII
be inspected and the baggage fumigated be-
fore leaving Cuba. The quartermasters de-
partment has been working IN conjunction
with Surgeon General Wyman. OF the Ma
rine Hospital Service. who is doing what he
can 10 overcome the difficulties of quaran-
tine and inspection in the United statss-
Representative Burton. OF Cleveland. chair
raen Of the rivers and harbors committee os