The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-08-04
ALGER TO HIS CRITICS
His Reply to Them on the Eve of
His Retirement from the
Cabinet.
APPOINTMENT OF STAFF OFFICERS.

Not Selected Through Political Influence,
and but Few Chosen at All by the Secre-
tary, He Declares-Would BE Proud To
BE Able to Father the Whole List-Very
Few Were Failures and Most of Them
Did Credit to Their Posts.
Washington, Aug. lone of the last
official acts Of Secretary Alger, who
today will relinquish his portfolio, was
to prepare a statement covering sew
eral matters regarding the conduct OF
the war which have been the subject
of criticism in the public press, par
ticularly with reference to the appoint
ment of staff officers in the volunteer
army. The statement follows: Il am
led to make the following statements
on account Of the 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.
Situation When War Commenced.
cat the commencement of the war
with Spain, and for several years prior
to that time, the regular army con-
sisted Of only $4,000 men, with the
minimum number of officers prescribed
by law The situation can be partially
appreciated when it is remembered that
within sixty days from the declaration
of war the strength of the army was
increased to 275,OO0 and everything for
the equipment of this great force-in-
Guiding clothing, tents, transportation,
medical supplies, camps and camp
equipage, and all that pertains to equip
ping an army for service had to be
manufactured, transported and distrl-
buted for USE
Governors Appointed the Officers.
From the statement referred to the
public might be made to believe that
the volunteer army was Differed by
men selected through political influ-
ence with the secretary of war, by spe-
cial favor, and without any regard to
fitness for the duties they were to per-
form. AS is we'll known, the volunteer
force, with the exception OF three regl-
ments Of immune infantry, was made
upOf regiments from the various states,
the officers of which were all appointed
exclusively by the governors of the
respective states from which the regi-
ments came, and any officer found I'M
fitted for service and discharged was
replaced by another in the same man
ner. The president had no voice or
control in the matter
appointment of Volunteer Officers.
"# The volunteer officers ap-
pointed 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 regi-
mental officers in the regular service,
owing to appointments in the volun-
teers, 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 regiments. For little over a
thousand appointments made by the
president the number of applications
was over $4,000, and each application
was accompanied by certificate OF
his ability, and in most instances his
military service, either in the regular
army or state organization, and not
! infrequently in both.