Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-03
NO CALL FOR TROOPS
Volunteers Will Be Recruited as
the Regulars Are.
nine REGIMENTS TO BIZ RAISED FIRST
Gen. Otis Forces for the Fall Cam
paign.
J REGIMENTS 10 BIZ RAISED FIRST
g E ETTING PICK ED ZEN

that there is no prospect of such action.
The interesting statement was made, how
ever, that there are now practically 5000
men at Gen. Otis command whenever lie
wants them. The troops necessary to bring
his command in the Philippines up to this
figure can be shipped to him as fast as
transports will take them away from San
Francisco.
The recruiting for the regular army.
which has been quietly going on for some
months past. has brought that establish
ment UP to within 300 men of its Maximum
strength. This is regarded as an evidence
of very nice calculation on the part of the
recruiting bureau, the fear having been
that the new enl1stments might run over
instead Of under, the legal requirements.
The 1000 volunteers necessary to fill up
the three skeleton regiments now in the
Philippines being rapidly enlisted in
this country. The department does not
wish TO send these recruits TO Manila in
the midst of the rainy season. The result
Is they are being held. together with the
new enlisted men of the regular establish
ment. at the Preside of San Francisco,
where they have the benefit of a fine rifle
range. good quarters and sufficient ground
for drills, etc. 1t is the intention now to
hold this reserve force the Pacific coast
until about the end of the rainy season,
by which time they Will he well drilled and
seasoned and fit for any duty to which they
may be set.
Gen. Otis Force.
The force that will be at Gen. Otis dis
poSal when the troops now in this
country reach him at the beginning of the
fall campaign may be summarized as fol-
lows: Seventeen regiments of regular in
fantry. 25,S40 men; three new volunteer
regiments. 4, 134 men; four batteries Sd Ar
tillery, 4s9 men: ten batteries of the 9th
Artillery, LEO men; the 4th Cavalry l. .230
men; an engineer battalion. 2IO men; Sig
nal Corps. $50 men; total 80 273 men.
There will be considerable addition to
the legal strength of the cavalry regiments
drawn from this country to fill vacancies
arising in active service. This will bring
the total force up to nearly $4,000 men.
Recruiting Was Easy.
The work of enlisting the new troops has
been much easier than was expected. In
spite of gloomy prophesies the recruiting
officers have not only found all the men
they wanted TO serve the three-year term
in the regular establishment but have been
able TO get them in accordance with the
strictest requirements of the enlistment ex-
animation These men are being weeded
over and over again. The result will be an
exceptionally fine body of regulars. 1t has
been even easier to get recruits for the vol
unteer organizations. The term of service
is only for two years. and the requirements
dIt IOl 50 severe dS IN IDe regular service.
The department therefore feels that it can
get volunteers to practically any figure
whenever 1t is decided to enlist them.
Recruiting the Volunteers
The War Department has nearly perfect
ed all of the details of the project for the
enlistment OF volunteers. There is TO be
nothing in the nature Of call. but as here
tofore stated the soldiers will be obtained
In the regular method through the efforts
of the recruiting officers of the regular
army stationed in the various large cities
To that end the department has already
fent out 10 these officers full instructions
for their guidance. as well as blanks for
enlls;ments and everything is in shape
TO begin recruiting at the word from the
War Department 1t was stated by the ad-
9utant general today that the department
contemplates raising in all nine regiments
forming three brigades and the instructions
to the recruiting officers based on that
idea Each regiment will have a strength
of l.S26 men. making total force of II 934
men That will be almost twice the num-
Der of men which General Otis reports will
be necessary to give him the force of 80 =
on electives. which he requires The gen
erals shortage. according to his last report
to the department in the regular branch
was 6.3-sS; but The surplus will prove very
convenient. for 1t is beginning to be real
lzed that even regulars cannot be kept in
The Philippines for more than year al a
time without severe moral and physical suf-
tering- Therefore, the surplus will serve a
useful purpose il enabling the department
70 reheve these regular regiments in turn.
Whipping Recruits Into shape.
The officers in charge of the recruiting
division estimate that ii will require three
months hard work to get all the new ma
terial into shape for service in the Philip
pines 50 that by the greatest diligence and
assuming that the movement begins at
once, the recruits cannot be placed in
fUsaTst s4r
ly b~Eun in October. These officers say that
there Will be no necessity for the estab-
llshm, Mt Of camps Of organization. The
Preside at San Francisco will serve to meet
the needs of the department in that regard
The 1000 troops now there will be dis
patched at an early date TO Manila in or
de- 10 afford accommodations for the in
coming recruits at the Presdia- II it
should turn out, some of the officers hone
and expect that many of the veterans of
the war with Spain come forward TO enlist
Tor service at an earlier date. not requiring
so much Of the time of the drill sergeant
to prepare it for service
There is no diminutiOn in the number of
applications for army commissions that are
flowing in upon the War Department but
SO far no appointments have been an
nOunced.
Commissions to Be Awarded
The proposed organization of nine volun-
teer regiments Will place a number of i'm
posal of the President. Although there will
be three new brigades, Adjt. Gen. Corbin
says that IL is not likely that more than
one additional brigadier general will be
needed, the other two being provided for by
officers of that grade now in the army
whose terms are now about to expire. Gen.
Grant, who is now in the Philippines. is in
this category, and he will probably be one
of the three new brisa6ier generals An
other general officer in the Philippines
is also available for reappointment to the
provisional army.
Probably the most important point in
connection with the proposed volunteer or
ganizatiOn is the Presidents declared in
tentiOn 10 appoint none but officers Of the
regular army to the command of the nine
new regiments. Nearly fifty regular army
officers held rezimental commands during
the recent war in the volunteer establish
ment, and the nine colonies to be assigned
10 the new regiments Will be selected from
among that number. The selections will be
based entirely upon the records of the off,