Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-01
ALGER IN HIS avn DEFENSE
tn ts
Retiring War SECRETARY Reviews Conduct Of
His Department.
Explains How Officers for Spanish
War Were .AppOinted-Chnllen
~
to His Critics.
f9i-laVi-

I IN leaving the ca0fnet secretary A1ger
| gave out the following signed statement
regarding the conduct of the War Depart
ment during the time he was at it's head:
II am led to make the following state
ments on account of the many criticisms
which have been made by the public press
and especially on account of a recent ar
| ticle which appeared in the London Times
containing assertions which have no foun-
dation in truth.
"At the commencement of the war with
Spain, and for several years prior to that
time, the regular army consisted of only
25,00O men, with the minimum number of
officers prescribed by law. The situation
can be partially appreciated when it is re-
membered that within sixty days from the
declaration of the strength of the
army was increased to 275,O00 men, and
every thing for the equipment of this great
force, including clothing tents, transport
tatfon, l-<edical supplies camps and camp
equipag e. and all that pertains to equipping
an army l. r service had to be manufac-
tured. transported and distributed for use
Prom the statement referred to the pub
lie might be led to believe that the voun-
teer army was offered 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
Officers Appointed by Governors.
with the exception of three regiments of
engineers, 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 APP
pointed exclusively by the governors Of the
respective states rom which the regiments
came, and any officer found untitled for
service and discharged was replaced by an
other in the same manner. The President
had no voice or control in the matter.
The returns of the volunteer army show
that in August 1898, there were 207, 244 en-
listed men and S,7s5 officers in those regi-
ments. This with the regular army re-
cruited up to the war strength, made an
men. The volunteer officers appointed by
the President numbered, all told, 1882. OF
lar army and 591 from civil life. The scare
ity of regimenta officers in the regular
service owing to appointments in the vol
unteers, special recruiting and mastering
details, had so reduced their number that to
have taken a larger number for service
with the volunteers would have seriously
impaired the efficiency of the regular regi-
mentS. For a little over a thousand ap-
pointments made by the President the
number of applications was over 2o,0O0, and
each application was accompanied by GER
tificate of ability, and in most instances
the military service, either in the regular
army or a state organization, and not in
frequently in both.
Merits of General officers.
These certificates showed that each one
was as well qualified for the position he
sought and to which he was appointed as
could be possible for men in civil life in this
country. Of the number appointed there
were, for instance, twenty-six major gen.
erals, of whom nineteen We're taken from
the regular arnytand seven from civil life.
OF these seven all but one were graduates
of West Point Military Academy, and all
mad distinguished. themselves in command
during the civil war. Of brigadier generals
there We're one hundred and two appointed,
sixty-six from the regular army and thirty
six from civil Iife.JThose from civil life had
all seen service during the civil war or on
our western frontier; and all had proven
themselves competent to command
1t has been stated and repeated many
times, that the Secretary of War made
these appointments, when the truth is that
very few were made. upon his recommenda-
ton, although he caused the entire list
with the lamentations to be compiled
ana placed before the President for his Sc
iection l would be only too glad to have
had the honor to have made these appoint
ments. No better, no more loyal or more
patnotlc set OF men, as a whole, ever served
tneir country, and their appointments were
credit, not only to the appointing power
but to the country they served. There were
exceptions, but that could not have been
foreseen. In every walk of life men are
FOUND who cannot carry out successfully
the work they have undertaken.
The secretary's Appointments.
There were three regiments of cavalry.
the officers of which were appointed by the
Secretary of War. Col Leonard Wood
now brigadier general, and commanding
the Departments Of Santiago and Puerto
Principe, was one of these Col. Grigsby
and Col. Torrey, both good officers were
the other two. There were three regiments
of engineers, the colonies of which were all
graduates of the Military Academy, and not
only the officers but the enlisted men,
We're selected with view to their special
fitness, and in most instances upon recon-
mendations of the colonies themselves, and
all proved themselves most efficient.
There were also ten regiments of i'm
mune infantry, of whose colonies eight
were graduates of the Military Academy
who We're selected for special fitness to
command, and in the short time these regi-
ments were in service developed remarkable
proficiency.
Criticisms. as to the amounts and meth
DDS of expenditures which could imply the
wrong or careless use of money were also
made by the London Times. This charge
is false. So far the conduct of the
service was concerned no person with
charge truthfully. and one can ever
show that a dollar was misapproprated,
stolen or embeZzled, out of the hun
dreds of millions of dollars that were ex-
pended. The records are an open book and
L VIII be glad to have them rigidly exam
lned ana ask my successor to open these
accounts to the country whenever properly
called for, in order that the entire truth
may De known. r. A. ALGER,
Secretary of War
washington D. c., July 81, 1892