Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-09

Senteu III regard 10 MS attitude concerning
! the return home of the Colorado volunteers
| serving in the Philippines. His telegram is
as follows:
DENVER, Col, May ., 1899
"Corbin, Adjutant General, Washington,
d. C:
Reported interview of mine in Denver
News SunCay morning concerning Colorado
volunte at Manila is false and malicious.
| Would have denied it earlier, but supposed
it too silly to receive credence. l beg you
will do me the justice to discredit.
"(SigneO CHARLES s. THOMAS
Governor"
| Gov. Thomas was quoted as saying; L
cannot as yet say just what course l shall
follow, but | will exhaust every resource
at my command to bring those boys home.
have tried quiet. peaceable means and
have failed. Now | Will be obliged to resort
to something more forcibe, and it will be
made public. OF course, l do not desire to
take any action that will unjustly hamper
the administration, for l an American.
but do not propose TO sit idly by and see
the volunteers frcm Colorado fighting and
dying il the Philippines in defense of the
policy which is actGatIng those in charge
of the movements of our armies abroad.
In the first place, the volunteer troops
are being detained illegally and in defiance
of the Constitution. They enlisted for the
Spanish war. That war is over. ard still
they are detained in those islands,
The Secretnry's Acknowledgements.
This telegram was shown to the Secre-
tary of War, and he took occasion to reply
as follows.
WASHINGTON. May o. 1899.
Charles S. Thomas, Governor Denver Col:
Your telegram to the adjutant general
mas been handed me, and | desire to thank
you for it. 1t does credit to you and your
state. In the meantime We shall spare no
efforts to effect the speedy return of all the
volunteers in the Philippine Islands. hut it
should be borne in mind that the distance
and question of suitable transportation
make it appear slow to waiting families
and friends. 1t is my desire that they shall
nave every possible comfort. Their conduct
well deserves all that the resources of the
government can furnish.
r. A. ALGER, Secretary of War
tniunteers to- BE Mustered Out
1t Is said at the War Department that in
structions have been sent to Gen Otis at
Manila for the muster out of all the yolun-
teers under his command and that the
troops will be brought home as rapidly as
the transportation facilities at hand will
permit. Ii has been arranged that the vol
unteers in the Philippines shall ,e brought
nome in the order in which they left the
| nted States. Consequently the regime 1pTts
Whlch nave served longest in the archipela-
go VIII be the first to come home This
distinction belongs to the 1st California the
I'd Oregon and a detachment of The Cali
1or7l1a Artillery, which organization started
from San Francisco May 10 1S9S The next
expedition sailed for the PHILIPPINES June
u, and comprised the 1st Colorado the 1st
Nebraska, the 10th PENNSYLVANIA and the
Utah Artillery. From that date until No
Vember u, when the last of the volunteers
left the United States, the organiza tions
went to the Philippines in the followina, or
der: lst North Dakota, 18th Minnesota, 1st
Idaho, 1st Wyoming, 1st Montana, 1st
South Dakota, 1st Washington 2o-h Kan !
Tennessee 1St InII-p ba
cavalry and the lst Wyoming Battery
Colorado Men to Return Soon.
1t therefore appears that the 1st Colorado
will be among the earliest of the heroes of |
the Philippine campaign to return to the
United States, and that, as far as the War
department Is concerned there Is no good
ground for criticiSing its action with re- |
spect to that particular organization The
department has not refused to muster o1t |
the lst Colorado Regiment but on the con- |
trafy, mas made every possible arrange |
Tnent TO that end. The delay in their home
coming IS due solely to lack of Transports |
Wh!ch, up TO this time. have been engaged
in the return of sick and disabled soldiers |
whose condition required their Immediate |
return TO their homes. If the War Depart |
mcut had declined to discharge the yolun-
teer troops in the Philippines who enlisted |
iof service in the Spanish war there might |
nave been some ground for the alleged OH |
JectlohS OF their friends in the United |
MADE by the governor of Colorado, or some |
other official, who believes that the yoI1ln- |
teer troops are entitled to immediate dis |
charge.
Utilizing the Volunteers
Some comment has been made on the fact |
lhat the volunteer troops entitled to dis
charSe have been doing the main part OF |
the lighting in the Philippines since the |
establishment of peace with Spain. No al !
tsnlpt tp IS made at the department to explain |
,h's beyond the statement that the matter |
IS entirely in the hands of Gen. Otis and |
that he is probably utilizing the volunteers
as long as possible in his operations in |
order TO reserve the regulars for long and
continued service in the future. 1t is also
suggested as strongly probable that the |
volunteers are In the vanguard of the fight
ing line from choice, and that il is not
hkeiy that they would be placed there
against their will. The experience of the
late war shows that volunteer soldiers in
Variably prefer active duty at the front i
to any other form of military service
What the Governor Said.
DENVER, Col, May Gov. Thomas,
who had been out of the city several days,
wired AdjItant General Corbin upon his re
turn late last night as follows:
Reported interview of mine concerning
Colorado volunteers is false and malicious"
The governor says he told the interviewer
he had twice requested the return of the |
Colorado regiment, and would renew the
been terminated, the volunteers should be
permitted to return If they wished.
Beyond this says the governor, moth
ing was said except an expression of
general nature concerning the power of the
government to call upon the militia for
service in an offensive war"
Returning TrOOpships.
Gen. Otis sent a telegram to the adjutant
general this morning, saying that the
transport Puebla left Manila for San Fran |
cisco on the 7th instant, and that the
transport Zealandia sailed from Manila for
San Francisco today. Although he does not
say SO. it is supposed that these vessels
carry only sick and disabled soldiers and |
few officers who have been ordered back to
the United States
Gen Shafter at San Francisco notified
the War Department today that the trans
port Roanoke arrived at San Francisco yes
terday from Manila, with the following mil
ttary passengers: Capt. A. W. KimbaI
quartermaster; Surgeon S, ]. Frazer and |
ny1Iic nd tI,,aa