The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-06
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
Greatest Praise Due to Officers and Men
of the Army.

OF the Army.
Since my last annual message and
in obedience to the acts of congress
April 90 and 90, 1898, the remaining vol
unteer force enlisted for the Spanish
war. consisting of 34,s34 regulars and
110,2O2 volunteers, with over 5000 vol
unteer officers, has been discharged
from the military service. OF the vol
unteers, 667 officers and 14,S31 men were
serving in the Philippines, and 1850 of
the regulars who were entitled to be
mustered out after the ratification of
the treaty of peace. They voluntarily
remained at the front until their places
could be filed by new troops. They
were returned home in the order in
which they went to Manila and are now
out of the service and returned to She
ranks of citizenship. l recommend that
congress provide special medal Of
honor for the volunteers, regulars, sail
ors and marines on duty in the Philip
pines who voluntarily remained in the
service after their terms Of service had
expired.
BY the act of March 2. 1899, congress
has given authority to increase the reg
ular army to a maximum not exceeding
650 900 enlisted men, and to enlist
force of $4,000 volunteers to be re-
cruited from the country at large. By
virtue of this authority the regular
army has been increased to the num-
Der of 1893 enlisted men and 2,24S Of
ticers. and new volunteer regiments
have organized aggregating 33050 en-
listed men and 1924 officers. Two of
these volunteer regiments are made up
of colored men, with colored line Off
GERS The new troops to take the places
of those returning from the Philippines
have been transported to Manila to the
number of 5S1 officers and 26.322 en-
listed men of the regular army and 594
officers and 1888 enlisted men of the
new volunteer force, while 504 officers
and14,119 men of the volunteer force are
on the ocean, en- route to Mania. j..
The force now in Manila consists OF
9O5 officers and 3O50s regulars and 594
officers and 15.3SS of the volunteers,
making an aggregate of 1,4s9 officers
and AZ, 966 men. When the troops now
under orders shall reach Manila the
force in the archipelago will comprise
2,O51 officers and 63.4S3 men.
Work of Great Magnitude.
The muster-out of the great volunteer
army organized for the Spanish war
and the creation of a new army, the
TRANSPORTATION from Manila to San
Francisco of those entitled to discharge
and the transportation of the new
troops to take their places have been a
work of great magnitude, well and ably
done for which too much credit cannot
be given the war department.
During the year we have reduced our
| force in Cuba and Porto Rico. In Cuba
we now have 1884 officers and 1926 en-
listed men; in Porto Rico, 81 officers
| and 1856 enlisted men and battalion
| of 400 men composed of native Porto
Ricans, while stationed throughout the
| United States are 901 officers and ISL
men, and in Hawaii II officers and 455
| enlisted men.
| The operations of the army are fully
| presented in the report of the secretary
| of war I cannot withhold from ofncers
| and men the highest commentator Tor
| their soldierly conduct in trying sltua-
tons, their willing sacrifices for their
| country, and the interest and ability
with which they have performed un-
| usual and difficult duties in our island
| possessions.
In the organization of the volunteers
| authorized by the act of March 2. 1899,
it was found that no provision had been
made for chaplains. This omission was
doubtless from inadvertence. l recon-
mend the early authorization for the ap-
| pointment of one chaplain for each of
| said regiments. These regiments are
now in the Philippines and it is import
ant that immediate action be had.