, 1899-08-24
WASHINGTON NEWS.

The correspondent of the Chicago
Record telegraphs his paper as fol
lows: Major General Nelson A. Miles,
commanding general of the army, is
going to the Philippines. He Will start
the latter part of October. He viii not
take command of the forces In the
field. nor will he supersede General
Otis. He will, however, act in his ca
pacity of general of tine army and
will have a supervision over field oper-
ations. He will direct the assign
ment of the different regiments and
participate in mapping Il plans of
campaigns. He will reach the Philip
pines about the close of the rainy sea-
son and remain until peace Is restored.
The statement Is made upon excellent
authority. General Miles has ordered Il
tropical outfit, including new uni
forms. etc, and the fact that he is go
ing is pleasing to the new secretary of
war. although Mr.. Root did not sug-
gest 1t to General Miles. There will be
continued dcnials of this statement.
and General Miles and his friends Will
lose no opportunity to discredit 1t.
They will throw as much secrecy
around his plans as they did when he
left for Cuba TO assist General Shat
ter before Santiago. General Miles
will. of course. take his staff, and his
party will be formidable in numbers.
He will be Of material assistance in
prosecuting an active campaign.
There is activity at the War Depart
mcnt In the various bureaus which are
charged with equipping and handling
the ten additional volunteer regiments
just authorized. The quartermaster's
department is particularly busy in ar
ranging for transportation. Informa-
ton is being gathered from the various
steamship companies operating on the
Pacific coast regarding their vessels
which may be pressed into service to
transport troops from San Francisco to
Manila. Colonel Bird, who is in charge,
expects with the facilities at hand, to,
gethcr with those which will be pro,
vided later, that the entire force of
twenty volunteer regiments will be ON
the way to Manila by December 31st.
General Corbin estimated that the last
ten volunteer regiments authorized can
be organized by The list of October and
ready for transportation by the middle
of the same month. Colonel Bird says
lie believes the qu0rtermaster's depart
ment will be prepared to commence the
movement by that time. The vessels
carrying the first ten regiments of vol
unteers will return to San Francisco in
time TO assist in carrying the last ten.
1t Is stated the quartermaster's depart
mcnt is so far advanced in It's prepnra-
lions that each soldiers outfit will he
ready and waiting for him ms soon rs
he is mustered in. The ordnance and
other departments are also preparing
to meet the demands of the increased
army.
An order has been issued by the sec
rotary of war directing that ten add
tlonal regiments of volunteers he or
ganized for service in the Philippines.
The regiments will he numbered from
thirty-eight TO fOrty-scven. and will be
organized at the following places in the
order named: Jefferson Barracks, Fort
Crook. Nebraska: Fort Riley, Kansas;
Camp Meade. Pennsylvania 90; Fort
Niagara. New York: Fort Leavenworth.
Kansas; Fort Smelling, and South
birmingham, Massachusetts. "Thc
policy of the War Department" says
secretary Root, sis to furnish General
Otis with all the troops and supplies
that he can use and which are neces-
sary To wind up the Instruction in the
Philippines in the shortest possible
time" The men already enlisted for
the Philippine service Will be sent Mt
once and the new regiments will he
forwarded as fast as they are organ
lied and needed. While there has been
some suggestion that the new regi-
mcnts will be used in n reserve force it
may he stated positively that these reg
iments. as well as more, If they can be
used. will be sent to reinforce General
Otis. The regiments will be recruited
with the same care exercised in enlist
ing the first ten regiments. The dis
tricts not thoroughly covered in recruit
ing for the first ten regiments will be
visited by officers of the new %organiZa-
tons. The ten regiments are to be- re-
cruited In the New England and West
ern states. No special effort is to he
made to c N recruits in the Southern
states. To-day's action will add 1890
men to the enlisted strength of the
army and increases the total to 95.o45
men. The total number of volunteers
called into service is 30. lT0 men, being
only 1893 short of the total authorized
volunteer establishment of 1000. The
number called in service is regarded
ms amply sufficient ana there Is no pos
sibility that the remaining 1893 volun-
tccrs will be called for. The result OF
the secrctary'S decision will be to give
General Otis Il fighting force of G2.4Il
men, distributed as indicated in this
table: Regulars, 30,I23; organizing in
Philippines. 1865: ten infantry regi-
mcnts, 1900; officers, 1,9S3.