The Penn's Grove record., 1899-08-04
ALGERD DEPENDS HIMSELF
Former Secretary Of War Replies to
Newspaper Criticism.
N0TAD0LLAR MlSAPPROPRIATED.
General Alger Says the President Appoint
ed Only 1O32 of the $685. yolunteer
Cheers, and He Selected Regular Army
Men or Men who Had Served in the
Civil WA or on the Frontier.

WASHINGTON, D. G. (speeiaD.-General
Alger has issued a statement, covering mat
tiers relating to the conduct of the war
which have been the subject OF criticism in
the public press, the statement having par
ticular reference to the appointment of
staff officers In the volunteer army. The
statement is, In parc, as follows:
81 nm 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 OF a recent arti-
Gle which appeared in the London Times,
containing assertions which have no foun-
dation in truth.
Sat the commencement OF the war with
Spain and several years prior to that time,
the regular army consisted of only % coo
men, with the minimum number OF officers
prescribed by law. The situation can be
partially appreciated when 1t is remem-
bered that within sixty days from the dec
laration of war the strength OF the army
was increased to 275 900 men, 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.
From the statement referred to the
public might be led to believe that the
volunteer army was Offered by men Sc
lected through political influence by the
Secretary of War, by special favor and
without any regard to fitness for the duties
they were to perform. As is well known,
the volunteer force, with the exception of
three regiments of engineers, three resl-
ments of cavalry and ten regiments Of i'm
mune infantry, was mad 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 discharged
was replaced by another in the same man
ner. The President had no voice or con-
troll in the matter.
1.-THE returns ofthe volunteer army show
that in August, 1898. there were 207, 1874
enlisted men and S7S5 officers In these
regiments. This, with the regular army
recruited up to the war strength, made an
aggregate force of about 275, 900 officers
and men. The volunteer officers appointed
by the President numbered, all told, 1882.
OF this number AL were taken from the
regular army and SOL 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 to
be competent to command.
at has been stated and repeated many
times that the Secretary OF War made
these appointments, whom the truth is
hat very few were made upon his recon-
mendation, although he caused the entire
list, with the recommendations, to be eom-
piled and placed before tho President for
his selection. There were three regiments
of cavalry, the officers Of which were ap-
pointed by the Secretary of War, Colonel
leonard Wood, now a Brigadier-General
and commanding the Departments of San
tiago and Puerto Principe. was ono OF
these. Colonel Grigsby and Colonel Tor
rey, both good officers, were the other
two.
"Criticisms ms to the amounts and
methods of expenditures, which could i'm
ply 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 knowledge OF the facts can ever charge
truthfully and no one can ever show that n
dollar was Incorporated, stolen or en,-
bezzled out of the hundreds OF millions of
dollars that were expended. The records
are an open book, aud l will be glad to
lave them rlgidly examined, and ask my
successor to open these accounts to the
country whenever properly called for, in
order that the entire truth may be known"