Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-12-07
OUR NEW POSSESSIONS.
Outline of the Governments Plan
for Insular Government.
THE HEALTH OF OUR ARMY:
Death Rate Among the Soldiers is
Less Than That of Several Amer
lean Cities-A Cable should be Laid
from San Francisco TO Manila.

Washington, Dec. 2.-The first annu-
g. report of Secretary Root, just made
public, begins with a recital of the pol
ley followed in reorganizing the army
IN accordance with the necessities aris-
ing from the discharge of the state
volunteers and of the men enlisted for
Sh war, and gives statistics
OF the past and present strength of the
organization, covering in that respect
matters dealt with in the reports of
the major general commanding and of
the adjutant general.
The operations in the Philippines
are next taken up and the report
points out that the outbreak of last
February was provoked by the insur-
gents and was from our standpoint
unavoidable. Frequent references are
made to the report of Gen. Otis to
show the magnitude of the task set for
him with the inadequate forces at his
command when the outbreak came,
and high tribute is paid to the cour-
age of the troops, who in the face of
great hardships voluntarily consented
to forego an immediate return to their
homes upon the expiration of their
terms of service.
chapter tells of what has been
done in Cuba by the army during the
past year. Order has been maintained,
distress has been alleviated, sanitation
has been instituted and in all respects
satisfactory progress has been made
and the part played by our troops now
is but the restraining influence of their
presence.
In Porto Rico the year has been de-
voted to administering and improving
the civil government of the island and
instructing the people in the rudi-
ments of self-government.
The health of the army has been re-
markably good and the report shows
that the death rate among the soldiers
in the Philippines from disease is only
17.2 per 900, considerably less than in
Washington, Boston, San Francisco,
New York and Baltimore. The soldiers
killed in battle and dying of wounds
numbered Ar and the entire mortality
was S43 for the past ten months.
{ The secretary deals at great length
with the problem of insular govern
ment. He recalls the fact that the
treaty of Paris places in congress
alone the determination of the civil
rights and political status of the ma
tive inhabitants of the territories
ceded to the United States He argues
that this limitation deprives these peo-
pie of the right to have the islands
treated as states, or as territory previ-
ously acquired has been treated, or
even to assert a legal right under the
provisions of the constitution, which
was established for the people of the
United States themselves. Neverthe-
less he assumes that the intention is
to give them to the greatest possible
extent individual freedom, seIf-gov-
ernment in accordance with their ca
pacity, just and equal laws, an oppor-
tunity for education, for profitable in
duStry and for development and civil
ization.
Concerning Cuba the report says the
control which we are exercising in
trust for the people of Cuba will not be
continued any loneer than is necessary
to enable the people to establish a suit
able government to which the control
shall be transferred, which shall real
ly represent the people of Cuba and be
able to maintain order and discharge
international obligations.
Extended statement as to govern
ment in the Philippines is waived be-
cause OF the full report which will be
presented by the Philippine commis-
sion. Reference is made to the nego-
tiation by Gen. Bates of the treaty
with the sultan of Sulu and it is point
ed out that it is not only subject to
congressional approval, but the sultan
has been informed that such approval
did not carry with it the consent of the
United States to the existence of slav
cry in the islands.
A strong recommendation is made
for the laying of a Pacific cable as a
matter of great military and political
importance. The cost of such a cable
is placed at not exceeding IS, 800, 900,
running by way of Hawaii. Wake ISL
and and Guam from San Francisco to
Manila.
One of the most important chapters
of the report deals with the subject of
army reorganization and on this point
the secretary makes some most radical
pointing out the in
adequacy of the present system and in
sutficiency of the force.