The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-08-04
ROOT IS IN CHARGE.
Alger Quit the War Depart
ment Today.
HE ISSUED ANOTHER STATEMENT.
Defended the Appointment of Volunteer
Officers by the President-Said He Had
Nothing to DO with 1.-THE London
Times Aroused Him.,

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-Elihu Root
assumed charge of the war department
about II o'clock this morning. General
Alger left the city later for Michigan.
A statement prepared by Alger said
in part:
II am led to make the following state.
ments on account of the many criticisms
which have been made by the public
press, and escially on account of re-
cent article which appeared in the Lon
don Times containing assertions which |
have no foundation in truth.
"At the commencement of the war |
with Spain and for several years prior |
to that time the regular army consisted |
of only $4,000 men, with the minimum |
number of officers prescribed by law. |
The situation can be partially appreci-
ated when it is remembered that within
60 days from the declaration of war
the strength Of the army was increased
to 275,000 men, and everything for the
equipment Of this great force, includ-
ing clothing, tents, transportation, med
ical supplies, camps and camp equippage
and all that pertains to equipping an
army for service had to be manufac-
tured, transported and distributed for
use.
From the statement referred to the
| public might be led to believe that the
volunteer army was officered by men
| selected through political influence by
| the secretary of war by special favor
and without any regard to fitness for
the duties they were to perform. AS 10
well known, the volunteer force, with
| the exception of three regiments of en-
| gineers, three regiments OF cavalry and
ten regiments Of immune infantry, was
made up of regiments from the various
| states, the officers of which were all ap-
pointed exclusively by the governors of
the respective states from which the
regiments came, and any officer found
untitled for service and discharged was
replaced by another in the same man
ner. The president had no voice or
control in the matter.
1.-The officers appointed by the presi-
dent numbered all told 1,032. OF this
number 442 were taken from the regu
lar army and 591 from civil life.
"For a little over 1000 appointments
made by the president, the number of
applications was over $4,000 and each
application was accompanied by a GER
tificate Of his ability, and in most III.
stances the military service, either in
the regular army or state organiza-
ton, and not infrequently in both.
"Of the number appointed there were,
for instance, 26 major generals, of
whom 10 were taken from the regular
army and seven from civil life. Of
these seven all but one were graduates
, of West Point Military academy and all
T had distinguished themselves in COM
mand during the Civil war. Of briga-
dier generals there were l02 appointed,
| 66 from the regular army and 36 from
civil life. Those from civil life had all
seen service during the Civil war or on
our western frontier, and all had proven
themselves competent to command.
''It has been stated, and repeated
J many times, that the secretary of war
; made these appointments, when the
truth is that very few were made upon
his recommendation although he caused
the entire list with the reCommenda-
tions TO be compiled and placed before
/, the president for his selection.
81 would be only too glad to have
q had the honor to have made these ap.
pointments. No better, no more loyal
5 or more patriotic set of men as a whole
: ever served their country and their ap-
pointments were credit not only TO
the appointing power, but to the coun-
, but that could not have been foreseen
= There were three regiments of cav.
airy, the officers Of which were ap.
! pointed by the secretary of war. Colo
9 mel Leonard Wood, now brigadier
: general and commanding the depart
ments of Santiago and Puerto Principe,
was one Of these. Colonel Grigsby and
, Colonel Torrey, both good officers, were
: the other two. There were three regi.
, ments Of engineers, the colonels OF
q which were all graduates of the mill
+ tary academy, and not only the officers
s but the enlisted men were selected with
view to their special fitness, and in
! most instances upon the recommends
! tions of the colonels themselves, and
all proved themselves most efficient.
, "There were also ten regiments Of
immune infantry, Of whose colonies
0 eight were graduates Of the military
l.. academy who were selected for special
> fitness to command, and in the short
1 time these regiments were in service de-
veloped remarkable proficiency.
= ! Criticisms as to the amounts and
> methods of expenditures which could
imply the wrong or careless use of
money were also made by the London
Q | Times. This charge is false. So far as
: the conduct of the service was con-
b. cerned, no person with any knowledge
I Of the facts can ever charge truthtully,
and no on one can ever show that dol
; lar was misappropriated, stolen or en-
bezzled out OF the hundreds of millions
of dollars that were expended. The rec
. ords are an open book, and l will be
, glad to have them rigidly examined and
Z ask my successor to open those accounts
to the country whenever properly called
2 for, in order that the entire truth may
be known. II. A. ALGER,
Secretary of War.
"WAsHINGTON, July 81, 1899"