The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-05


all of them out of the service and in the
ranks of citizenship. I recommend that
honor for the volunteers, regulars, sail
ors and marines on duty in the Philip
pines, who voluntarily remained in the
had expired.
BY the act of March ?, 1899, congress
has authority to increase the regular
army to a maximum not exceeding 65,-
600 enlisted men, and to enlist force
of $4,000 volunteers, to be recruited
from the country at large. BY virtue
of this authority the regular army has
been increased to the number of 61,999
enlisted men and 2,24S officers and new
volunteer regiments have been organ
lied aggregating Sc, ,O50 enlisted men
and 1924 officers. Two of these vOlun-
teer regiments are made up of cOloTed
men, with colored line officers. The new
troops to take the places of those re-
turning from the Philippines have been
transported to Manila to the number of
5S1 officers and 26, 1922 enlisted men of the
regular army and 594 officers and 49,,
3SS enlisted men of the new volunteer
force, while 5O4 officers and 14,119 men
of the volunteer force are op the ocean
enroute to Manila
The force now in Manila consists of
905 officers and 80, sos regulars and 594
officers and 1888 of the volunteers,
making an aggregate of 1,499 officers
and 1886 men. When the troops now
under orders shall reach Manila, the
force in the archipelago will comprise
2,051 officers and 63, 483 men. The mus
ter out of the great volunteer army or
ganIzed for the Spanish war and the
creation of a new army, the transpOrta-
tiOn from Manila to San Francisco of
those entitled to discharge, and the
transportation of the new troops to
their places have been a work of great
magnitude, we'll and ably done, for
which too much credit can not be given
the war department.
During the past year We have reduced
our force in Cuba and Porto Rico. In
nffip nd q
796 enlisted men; in Porto Rico, 81 Of
fcerS and 1855 enlisted men and bat
talon of 400 men composed of native
Porto Et1canS; While stationed through
out the United States are go officers
and 1877 men and in Hawaii u Off
GERS and 459 enlisted men.
PRAISE FOR SOLDIERS.
The operations of the army are fully
presented in the report of the secretary
of war. I can not with hold from Off
GERS and men the highest commenda-
tiOn for their sOldierly conduct in try
ing situations, their willing sacrifices
for their country, and the interest and
ability with which they have performed
unusual and difficult duties in our is
land possessions.
In the organization of the volunteer
regiments, authorized by the act of
March 2, 1899, it was found that no pro-
vision had been made for chaplains.
This omission was doubtless from in
advertence. I recommend the early
authorization for the appointment of
one chaplain for each of said regiments.
These regiments are now in the Phil
ippines and it is important that i'm
mediate action be had.
In restoring peaceful conditions, or
derby rule and civic progress in Cuba,
Porto Rico and, so far as practicable,
in the Philippines, the rehabilita ton
OF postal service has been an import
ant part of the work. It became neces-
sary to provide mail facilities both for
our forces of occupation and for the
no r1raA AfrNr7 70 II
quirement has involved a substantial
reconstruction. The existing systems
were so fragmentary, defective and in
adequate that q new and cOmDrehen-
Sive organization had to Ee created.
American trained officials have been
assigned to the directing and executive
positions, while natives have been
chiefly employed in making up the
body of the force. In working out this
plan the merit rule has been vigorously
and faithfully applied.
The appointment of director general
of posts of Cuba was given to an eX-
pert who had been chief pOstOff1ce in
SpectOr and assistant postmaster gen
eral and who united large experience
with administrative capacity. For the
postmastership at Havana, the range
of skilled and available men was scan
ned, and the choice fell on one who
had been twenty years in the service as
deputy postmaster and postmaster of
a large city. This principle governed
and determined the selection of the
American officials sent not only to Cuba
but to Porto Rico and the Philippines
and they were instructed to apply it so
far IS practicable in the employment
of the natives as minor pOstmasters
and clerks. The postal system in Cuba,
though remaining under the general
guidance of the postmaster general, was
made essentially Independent. It was
felt that it should not be a burden on
the postal service of the United States
and provision was made that any de-
felt in the postal revenue should be
charged upon the general revenues of
the island. Though Porto Rico and the
Philippines held a different relation to
the United States, yet for convenience
of administration the same principle of
an autonOm1st system has been extend
ed to them. The development of the
service in all of the islands has been
rapid and successful. It has moved
forward on American lines, with free
delivery, money order and registry sys-
TENS and has given the people mail
facilities far greater and more reliable
than any they have ever before en-
jOyed. 1t is thus not only a vital
agency Of Industrial, social and busi-
ness progress, but an important in
huence in diffusing just understand
ing of the true spirit and character of
American administration.
DOMESTIC POSTAL SERVICE.
The domestic postal service continues
to grow with extraordinary rapidity.
The expenditures and the revenues will
each exceed 500, ,0OO. 600 during the cur
rent year. Fortunately, since the re-
vivaI Of prosperous times the revenues
have grown much faster than the ex-
penditures, and there is every indica-
ton that a short period will witness
ObIiteratiOn of the annual deficit. In
this connection the report of the post
master general eTnbOdieS a statement of
some evils which have grown up out
side of the contemplation of law in the
treatment Of some classes of mail mat
ter which wrongly exercise the priv
ilege of pound rate, and shows that if
this matter had been properly classi-
fed and had paid the rate which it
should have paid, instead of a postal
would have been on one basis surplus
of 81. .637. 80 and on another s.. .733. .S36.