Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-07-01
RElNF0RCEMENTS
Otis to Have 10000 Men at
Close Of Rainy Season.
ENLISTMENTS TO Be CONTINUED

Enlist MtNIS III bE CUN INuEU
No Limit Placed on Excess OF 90, 900
Authorized by Army ReOrganiza.
tiOn Act Rebellion Could Have
Been Stamped Out With Adequate
Force - Cuba's Only Hope No
Truth in RumOr That Otis Will
Supersede Alger-Havana News
papers Changing FrOnt-Other
War Notes.
Washington, June ga decision to
, send re-enfOrcements to Major General
Otis. beyond the limit of $4,000 men
fixed by that officer as necessary to
Quell the rebellion In the Philippines.
was reached at conference held at the
White House. Secretary Alger says that
General Otis will have 40, 600 men when
the rainy season closes, for resumption
| Of active operations.
| The plan adopted Is to continue the
enlistment of recruits at the regular
army recruiting stations beyond the
limit of $4,000 regulars authorized by
the army reorganization act. The men
thus secured will be charged OH the rolls
to the provisional volunteer force Of
$4,000. No limit has been placed on the
number Of enlistments to be made in
excess Of $4,000. The officers In charge
Of recruiting men for the regular SER
vice say that the limit of 65, 900 men has
been reached. This number Is exclusive
Of 260O men Of the hospital corps and 500
general recruits, whO according to
recent decision of the comptroller of the
treasury, are not to be charged against
the authorized strength of the regular
army. Under that decision the regular
army now consists of 6S. 100 men, and all
these have been secured.
If enlistments are made at the rate
that continued up to the time the limit
was reached. about 1000 additional troops
will be enlisted every week. 1t is eX-
pected, however, that an official an
nouncement that the army wants re-
cruits for service in the Philippines will
result in great increase in enlistments
over the rate of recruiting for the reg
ular service. These additional men will,
under the present arrangement. occupy
an anomalous position in the military
service. They will be enlisted prac-
tiNdhy as It5uidES anu yet Ot poih VII
the rolls of the provisional volunteer
army.
Volunteers will not be accepted in Or
ganlzatlons. Secretary Alger is de-
tcrmined to adhere to that rule. LCok-
ing over the act Of congress. he has con-
Guided that the authorization to raise
these volunteer troops lat large" indi-
Gates a purpose on the part of congress
to follow out the plan successfully Oper
ated in the case of the immune regi-
ments. 1t Is the present purpose to dis
regard state and local lines in securing
the recruits and welding them into Or
EapFtl61a EapFtl61attl9psi tp .Re.ei5aeuhs. "'l'nhe, e'ir:,
volunteer United States infantry or
cavalry. No difficulty is anticipated in
securing the men needed. 1t Is believed
that the 1000 men who are weekly ofer-
ing themselves at the recruiting oihces
will be even more willing to enter the
army as two-year volunteers than as
long term regulars.
officers for these volunteer regiments
will be obtained by promoting oflceis
now in the regular army and by com
missoning many of the best ofhcers OF
tie volunteer organizations which saw
service. The war department has care
fully preserved the records of these OF
Gcers and has at hand a long list OF such
of them as exhibited soldiery and organ
izing qualities.
The story from Los Angeles. intimat-
irg that Brigadier General Harrison Il.
Otis has been summoned to Washington
in order that President Mckinley may
offer him the portfolio Of war, Is denied
by all who are presumed to have knoWl-
edge of the subject, the fact that Alger
refuses to resign not being the only
thing in the way of Otis advancement
to the post In question.
Stories of similar character have re-
peatedly emanated from Los Angeles,
General Otis home city. If the general
has been called at all, and war depart
ment officials do not admit it, it is for
the purpose of giving President McKin-
| ley the benefit Of his experiences in the
Philippines.
Havana, June 29.-Within the last few
| weeks the newspapers of the island, with
| q few exceptions, have shown remark
able change of front regarding the pres
| ent governors OF the provinces. The
papers of Havana were formerly very
| antaSOnlStlC 10 NdJOI Htheloi iuu'o"'
Now most of them have nothing but
praise for his administration Of the city.
The Matanzas papers assert that their
| province has one of the best military
governors in General Wilson. The press
Of Santa Clara regrets the departure OF
General Bates. Puerto Principe Journals
have frequently given full credit to Gen
eral Carpenter; and at Santiago the
merits of General Wood are the favorite
theme of the local press there. Major
| General Lee continues to be very ropu
lar with Cubans of all classes, While
there are very few who fail to recognize
in Governor General Brooke one whom
they call very safe man to do bust
ness with" and an administrator having
the real interests of Cuba at heart
Before he sailed he gave out pre-
pared statement concerning his Cubar
and Porto Rican tariff and fiscal work
He says that the fiscal machinery Of the
two islands Is working satisfactorily
Collections have been little in exces:
of his estimates. and have exceeded ir
Cuba the amount collected by the Span
ish authorities, In spite Of the fact tina
, the duties have been lowered two-thirds
When Cuba came into our possession
in January, state of fiscal chao
reigned in every custom house eNcep
those in the Santiago provinces. Toda,
the revenue is completely and honestl,
collected, and the work performed a
carefully as In our own custom houses.
, "A large number of cases invoivin
, rates and administrative features" hi
/, statement continues. have been ef
: flciently and intelligently passed upo
by our officials in Cuba in manner tho
, could not be improved upon by our ow
, custom houses. There is a good deal {
Female FOrgcr Incurably Insane