New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-04
THE MEN GEN. OTIS WANTS.
ABOUT SIX THOUSAND NEEDED TO FILL
Up HIS REGIMENTS.
RETURN OF voLUNTEERs-PLANs FOR RAILS
ING NINE NEW REGIMENTS


ING NINE NEW REGIMENTS.
Washington July 3.-The acknowledgements
office to-day issued a statement based on caoie
advces from General Otis regarding the num-
Der of recruits required to fill the vacancies III
the Regular regiments now in the Phillppines'
the transports available for the return or VoIun-
teers and for the transportation OF fresh troops
to the Philippines and the estimated time II
will take to complete the work OF enlistment
General Otiss dispatch is as follows
Manila, July 2, 1899.
Adjutant- General. Washington.
Number recruits required 10 MI companies W
12S each Regular regiment: 49, -
Infantry-Third, 1885, 18th, 3O4; 9th, 10; 9th,
$o3 125h 800 1$th 23s 1 aas 5 So; iTn 2 sd
Ago. and 23d. $50
First Artillery. s; Sd, 2j6; 4th, .; 9TH, >, and
9Th 90.
Fourth Cavalry 4G3.
Volunteers yet TO be returned Infantry
California, ISIS Colorado LII; Idaho, 1sS;
1,l6j South Dakota, Oh; Montana @o; Gan-
fornia artillery, 35s; Washington lOtS; Ten
nessee. 9i6; Kansas. 1.O12; Nevada cavalry
SO: Wyoming artillery. 80, and Iowa, "3o.
Sgral Corps 106. California and Colorado pre-
pairing to take transports Sherman and War
rem leave shortly. Ollo'
TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS.
The War Department sums up the situation
as outlined by General Otis in the following
statement:
To meet the requirements of the returning
volunteers the Quarterrnaster's Department re-
ports that there are now In Manila me trans
ports Sherman. Warren and Grant, with ca
pacity of 100 officers and 4S2i enlisted men,
That there are on sea en- route to Manila
the Zeaandia due July 2W. Sheridan due July
2D Valencia due July 26). and Pennsylvania
due July 30. with capacity for 16l officers and
4 200 enlisted men. There are now in san FRAN
cisco the transports City of Para, which VIII
sail July ~ and Tartar, to sail July 20 with
CAPACITY for % officers and 300 enlisted men.
There are en- route TO San Francisco the
following transports, with capacity for 10 ON
GERS and 4654 enlisted mem Ohio, Newport.
Indiana Hancock. Senator. Morgan City and
Relief hospital -
TRANSPORTATION has been well arranged by
the Quartermaster's Department that the last
Of the volunteers will leave Manila not later
than the 10th Of September, and 1t is expected
that they all will be away by the 1st
The recruits required for the Regular regl-
ments in the Philippines are estimated at 033S
The number of recruits now at sea is 90;
number Of recruits now at San Francisco, 3.ZS4.
a total of 4T91, leaving 1,541 yet to be pro-
vided for.
The large number Of vacancies existing In the
14th 18th and ODD infantry is due to the fact
that these regiments went with General Mer-
ritt's original expedition TO the Philippines. and
were not filed 10 the maximum; also that the
men in these regiments who enlisted Tor the
war are just now being discharged, the men en-
listing for the war in the other regiments were
discharged before the regiments left TINS coun-
try and the vacancies are due TO the increase
of the companies from 106 10 12S men.
At the rate Of enlistment for the last few
weeks. the entire number will be enlisted by the
close Of the present week.
ENLISTMENT OF VOLUNTEERS
The War Department has nearly perfected the
details Of the project for the enlistment Of vol
unteers under the terms Of the act of the last
Congress There is TO be nothing in the nature !
OF a call; the soldiers viii be obtained in the |
regular method through the efforts Of recruit |
ing officers stationed in the large cities. The |
Department has already sent 10 these officers !
full instructions for their guidance, as well as
blanks for enllsments. and everything is now !
in shape TO begin recruiting at the word from !
Washington. 1t was said by the Adjutant-Gen- |
eral to-day that the Department contemplates
raising nine regiments in all. and the instruc- |
lions to the recruiting officers are based on this
figure Each regiment will have strength OF
1926 men, making total force OF 1884 men, |
This will be almost twice the number OF men |
which General Otis reports necessary to give
him the effective force Of 10000 which he re-
qures.
The proposed organization Of nine volunteer
regiments will place a number OF important
commissions at the disposal of the President.
Although there will be three new brigades, Ad-
iutant General Corbin says II is not likely that
more than one additional brigadier- general VIII
be needed the other two being provided for by
officers Of that grade now in the army whose
terms Of enlistment are about TO expire. Gen
eral Grant who is now in the Philippines, is in
this category. and he probably will be one OF
the three new brigadier- generals Another gen
eral officer IN the Philippines is also avail
able for reappOintment 10 the provisional army
Probably the most important point IN con-
nectlon with the proposed volunteer organization
is the Presidents declared intention 10 appoint
none but officers Of the Regular Army to the
command Of the nine new regiments Nearly
fifty Regular Army officers held regmental COM
mands I'm the volunteer establishment, and the |
nine colonels 10 be assigned to the new regi- |
ments will be selected from among that number. |
The selection will be based entirely on the |
records OF the officers In the late war, and the |
nine officers whose practical work In the field |
was most efficient Will receive the appointments.
II is not unlikely. however, that some OF the |
most efficient volunteer officers may be selected /
for subordinate commands in the different regi- /
ments as the decision to appoint only Regular I
Army officers does not apply 10 positions below !
the grade of colonel