The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-01
SECRETARY
ALGER MAKES
A STATEMENT
Covering Matters Regarding the
Conduct to the War Which
Have Been Criticized,
WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE
To the Appointment of STAFF Off.
GERS in the Volunteer Army.
Charges Denied,

WASHINGTON, July s1.-one of the
last official acts of Secretary Alger,
who, tomorrow. viii rellnquish his
portfolio, was to procure a 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 stan officers in the
volunteer army. The statement fol-
lows:
II am led to make the following
statement on account Of the many
criticisms which have been made by the
public press, and especially on account
Of a resent article which appeared in
the London Times, containing asser-
tons which have no foundation in
truth.
AT the commencement Of the war
with Spain, and for several years prior
to that time, the regular army consist
ed Of only 25,0OO men, with the mini
mum number OF officers prescribed by
law. The situation can be partially APP
preclated when It is remembered that
within sixty days from the declaration
OF war, the strength of the army was
Increased to 276,OOO men, and everything
for the equipment of this great force,
including clothing, tents, Transports
tlon, medical supplies, camps and camp
eQulppage, and all that pertains to
equIpping an army for service had to
be manufactured, transported and dis
trIbuted for use.
Was no Political Influence.
From the statement referred to the
public might he led to believe that the
volunteer army was oficered by men
selected 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 en-
gineers, three regiments of cavalry and
ten regiments of immune Infantry, was
made up Of regiments from the various
states, the officers Of which were pll ap-
pointed exclusively by the governors
of the respective states from which the
regiments came, and any officer found
united for service and discharged was
replaced by another In the same man
ner. The President had no voice or
control in the matter.
"The returns OF the volunteer army
show that In August, 1898. there were
2OT,a44 enlisted men and S,7s5 officers in
those regiments. This, with the regu-
lar army recruited up to the war
strength, made an aggregate force Of
about 276,0OO, officers and men. The
volunteer officers appointed by the
President numbered all told Lo52. OF
this number Il1 were taken from the
regular army and 5s1 from civil life.
The scarcity of regImental officers in
the regular service. owing to appoint
ments in the volunteers, special re-
crultlng ana mastering details, had so
reduced their number that to have
taken larger number for service with
the volunteers would have seriously Inn
paired the efficiency of the regular regi-
ments.
Over $4,000 Applications.
For a little over a thousand appoint
ments made by the President, the num-
Der of applications was over 25,0OO and
each application was accompanied Sy
certificate of his ability, and in most
Instances the military service, either IN
the regular army or u state organiza-
ton, and not lnfrequently in both. 1t
has been stated, and repeated many
times, that the secretary Of war made
thesa appointments, when the truth is
that very few were made upon his re-
commendntlon. although he caused the
entire list with the recommendations
to be complied and placed before the
President for his selection.
~ would be only too glad to have had
the honor to have made these appoint
meuts. No better. no more loyal or
more patriotic Get Of men as a whole
ever served their country and their mp
polntments were a credit, not only to
LIE uppOlHllHB pOWGls uuL " hhS NobH
try they served. There were excep-
tlons, but that could not have been fore
seen.
FaIso Charges.
"CritIcisms as TO the amounts and
methods 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 concern
ed, no person With any knowledge Of
the facts can ever charge truthfullY
and no one can ever show that a dollar
was mlsapproprlated, stolen or embez-
zled, out Of the hundreds of millions of
dollars that were expended.
The records are an open book, and I
will be glad to have them rigidly exnm-
ined and ask my successor to open
those accounts to the country whenever
properly called for. in order that the
entire truth may 'be known"
(signed) "R. A. ALIGBR,
Secretary OF War.
washington, D. c., July 81, 1899"