Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-31
VOLUNTEERS LEAVING MANILA.
Last of the Regiments Coming to
Their Homes.

Information received at the War Depart
ment this morning from Gen. Otis indi-
Gates that the last of the gallant army Of
volunteers which rendered such valiant
service in the Philippines will have left
that country for home by the 18th proximo.
The information was contained In a dis
patch from Gen. Otis, dated Manila, Au-
gust 31st, follows:
referring to your cablegram of August
81. Para sailed today: Tartar. September B.:
Pennsy lvania. September o. Newport and
Ohio, September l.
The Para which started on her home
ward voyage today carries IA officers, Al
enlisted men and G24 discharged men, and
civilians.
There are about 3. 800 volunteers and dis
charged men in the Philippines to be
brought home in the other vessels named
by Gen Otis, making the last of the entire
army Of about 1900 volunteers who rem
dered military service in that country. The
troops now in readiness for transporta ton
home include the 1st Washington, the Goth
Kansas, the Sd Tennessee, the 51st Iowa, a
troop of Nevada cavalry and the LIST Wy
oming Battery. These organizations ar
rived in Manila in the order named, and it
is expected that they will return home in
the same order.
With the departure of these troops Cen
Otis will still have an effective fighting
force of about $4,000 regular troops, and
about 1000 troops recruited for the three
in the Philippines, making his available
army about 2SOOO strong In addition TO
these there are 1900 volunteer soldiers on
the various transports now en- route to
Manila. The arrival of these reinforce
ments will give Gen. Otis an army of 81 900
men. being more than he has had at his
disposal since the beginning of the insur-
rection.
The Sending of ReinfOrcements.
The sending of additional reinforcements
to the Philippines will be pushed as rapidly
as the transportation facilities will permit
with view to the fulillment of Secretary
Roots promise 90 have all the twenty-three
volunteer regiments organized in the United
States in the Philippines by Christmas day
at the latest. AS has been already stated,
the present plan is to place at least $4,000
men at the disposal of Gen. Otis by the
end OF October, and to swell the number to
about 81 600 by the last week in December.
The enlargement Of the army in the Phil
ippines will necessitate the assignment of
a few additional general officers for service
In that campaign, but the matter has not
yet received serious attention at the War
Department, for the reason that it can be
easily arranged after the more important
matter of sending the troops there has
been completed.
VIII Cut Travel Pay.
The discovery Of short route between
Manila and the United States has had a
rather depressing effect upon some of the
troops as the effect Is to reduce their travel
pay. The old route from Manila to San
Francisco was $3.50 miles. but of late the
transports have cut off the 700 miles re-
quired by the stop at Honolulu. making the
present route 7.340 miles. Some of the SOL
diers at Manila had received travel pay on
the basis of the old route, but since the
law requires that the pay allowance should
route. part of the first payment has been
refunded to the paymasters. This action
applies only to those soldiers at Manila
who re-enlisted. and received an allowance
of travel pay which they would not have
been entitled to If they had left the service
and returned to the United States.
The number OF enlistments for the volun-
teer army yesterday was 22h