The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-15
OUR ARMY IN CUBA,
Now Numbers $4,000 Men and Some
Are to Come Home.

New York Feb. ia special to the
A roster of troops In Cuba by conpa MES
was shown to Adjutant General COrbin a
of IS. 900 men, many of whom were volun-
teers anxious to be released from service
and returned to their homes and their vo-
cations This roster was prepared with
direct reference to picking out those COM
dispensed with without reducing the army
in Cuba below the number necessary to
War department officials who have had
charge of the matter say if congress had
passed an army reorganization bill per-
hitting larger army of regulars or even
the continuance of the regular force at
been taken with the purpose of withdraw-
ing volunteers from Cuba. possibly with Wit
regulars But whether the army reorgan-
prudent by the war department to greatly
reduce the number of men on service in
which have been on duty at Santiago are
now on the way home, or are ready to re-
is expected that a division of volunteers,
most of them men under General Lee, will
AS soon after the middle of March as
possible other volunteers will be ordered
ton of Major General Butler and r. P.
Porter can be put into practice, it is eX-
lected from the men who have served with
the Cuban army, will be enlisted under
unteers, to preserve order in the island.
With the pay of privates of the United
Early. it is General Buffers opinion that
the Cubans will make excellent guards and
that they will learn to respect the United
States authorities because of the good
treatment they will get from them. The
small pay of the army will, if regularly
received, excite great respect for the gov
eminent that can pay and will stimula tie
self-respect among the men who are paid.
General Wood is said to have urged that
every effort be made before the beginning
of the sickly season in Cuba to bring
about a feeling of friendly .co-operat ton
the part of the people of the island.
and good temper there would be no diff
ficulty whatever in securing general con-
fidence in purposes of the United States.
effort when they find that the United
States will not systematically rob the
treasury of the island, will not misappro-
pirate funds, will not sell franchises to
corruptionists or Cypress the people. He,
too, is strongly inclined to give to the Gu
bans every opportunity to test their abil-
itY to take care of themselves.
The administration does not wish to be
deprived of the opportunity to force
rive in Cuba for sending troops there in
the event of the failure of the experiment
to make the Cubans the preservers of the
peace of the island. With the privilege
possible needs, the men could be kept in
camps in the United States until ali pros
pect of disturbance had passed and then
would be mustered out That is. if con-
Gress does not authorize the maintenance
of regular army of 100000 men. If the
regulars were increased to that number, a
large number of them would be employed
if not needed in the new territories, in
many fortifications that have no garrisons
complement of men. The war depart
ment's view of the matter is that it will
be cheaper to maintain a larger number of
is needed now, than to organize and drill
sc. 600 raw men. The latter method is de-
nounced as neither economical nor sensi-