St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-02
Alger's Defense.

but he looked and acted more cheerful
than in many months. He prepared
statement which was given out last
evening, answering some Of the criti-
cisms which have been passed upon him
Of late, especially by the English press,
and defending himself, and incidentally
the president, against the charge of
making appointments to the army on
political grounds alone. The statement
SAYS
Il am led to make the following state
ments on account of many criticisms
which have been made by the public
press, and especially on account of a
recent article which appeared in the
London 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 1t Is remembered that within
go days from the declaration Of war the
strength of the army was increased to
275,OOO men, and everything for the
equipment of this great force, including
clothing tents, transportation, medical
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 differed by men
secretary OF war by special favor and
without any regard to fitness for the
duties they were to perform. AS Is well
known, the volunteer force, with the
exception of three regiments Of en-
gineers, three regiments of cavalry and
10 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 manner.
The president had no voice or control in
the matter
1.-THE returns of the volunteer army
show that in August, 1898, there were
207,244 enlisted men and S7S5 officers in
those regiments. This, with the regu-
lar army recruited up to the war
strength, made an aggregate force of
about 275,000 officers and men. The
volunteer officers appointed by the
president numbered, all told, 1882. OF
this number AL were taken from the
regular army and 591 from civil life. The
scarcity of regimental officers in the
regular service, owing to appointments
in the volunteers special recruiting and
mastering details, had so reduced their
number that TO have taken larger num-
Der for service with the volunteers would
have seriously impaired the efficiency
of the regular regiments.
For a little over 1000 appointments
made by the president. the number of
applications was over $4,000, and an ap-
plication was accompanied by a certifi-
cate of his ability, and in most instances
of military service, either in the regular
army or a state organization, and not
infrequently in both. These certificate!
showed that each one was as well quail.
fed for the position he sought and to
which he was appointed as could be
possible for men in civil life in this coun-
try.
"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 had distin-
guished themselves in command during
the Civil war. OF brigadier generals
there were 102 appointed, &c from the
regular army and S6 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.
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 recon-
mendation, although he caused the en-
tire list with the recommendations tc
dent for his selection. l would be only
too glad to have had the honor to have
made these appointments. No better
no more loyal or more patriotic set OF
men as whole ever served their coun-
try, and their appointments were credit
not only to the appointing power but tc
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.
There We're three regiments OF
cavalry, the officers of which were APP.
pointed by the secretary of war. Colonel
Leonard Wood, now brigadler general
and commanding the departments OF
Santiago and Puerto Principe, was one
of these. Colonel Grigsby and Colone
Torrey, both good officers, were the other
two There were three regiments of en-
gineers, the colonies of which were all
graduates of the military academy, ant
not only the officers, but the enlisted
men, were selected with a view to their
special fitness, and in most instances
upon the recommendations of the col.
onels themselves and all proved them.
selves most efficient.
Criticisms as to the amounts an6
methods of expenditures which could
imply the wrong or careless use of money
We're also made by the London Times
This charge is false. So far as the con.
duct of the service was concerned, mt
person with any knowledge Of the facts
can ever charge truthfully, and no one
ever show that dollar was misappro-
priated, stolen or embezzled out of the