The evening times., 1899-12-02
sBcRsrAnY ROOFS REPORT.
He Urges the Erection Of . Memoril
Bridge at washinEt0n.

He Urges the Erection OF MemOr1el
Bridge At washinKton.
Secretary Root has submitted to the
President his annual report. He says, in
part:
The total expenditures Of the army for
the year ended June 80. 1899. are shown
to be $3.50, ,567 $50; appropriations for year
ended June 30. 1899. $124.504.371: esti-
mates for year ending June 80, 1901, 1885,
9O3,551. A deficiency appropriation Of $751;
100000 Is asked for the year ending June
80, 1901. OF this sum $35, 100000 Is availa-
BILE from the 1899 appropriation, making a
really new appropriation Of only $l6,00o.-
600 necessary"
The following figures showing the num-
ber Of officers and men of the army are
given: Regular army, 81 1893 enlisted men
and 2,24S officers making total OF 64,2
and a new volunteer force OF SO .O50 enlisted
men and 1,524 officers. making an aggre-
gate Of 34,574.
1.-THE troops now;in the Philippines COM
prise 9O5 officers and 30.57S men OF the
regular force, and 5S4 officers and 1885
men Of the volunteer force. making an ag-
gregate Of 1,49s officers and IS, ,s66 men, and
when the troops on the way have arrived
the total force constituting the Eighth
Army Corps will be 2.o5l officers and 6a.-
483 men, 80,
To show that the philippines are net
unhealthy the report states that the death
rate from disease-among the soldiers has
been 1920 per thousand, as compared to
20.74 in Washington.
The report asks for an increase OF men
in the artillery service and says that the
present heavy artillery force is but about
one-fifth OF what 1t should be. 1t Is rec
commended that the West Point Military
Academy be enlarged and the number OF
cadets increased; that Congress enact laws
for Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines,
permitting natives in these islands to as
sist in carrying out the laws until such
time as they are capable OF governing
themselves.
The report further recommends gen.
eral reorganization of the army, and that
Congress declare definitely, by statute,
what general laws Of the United States are
to be extended to the Porto Ricans, such
as, for instance, the postal, banking. Gus
toms, navigation, and internal revenue
laws, the laws against counterfetting and
antitrust laws, and provide for Federal
officers to execute these laws just as they
are executed In the various States and
Territories There should also be made
provision for Federal judiciary IN the
island, and q form Of local insular goy-
ernment provided which should have COM
plete control over the rights. property and
obligations Of the people Of the island.
OF Cuba, the report says, the control
which We are exercising in trust for the
people Of Cuba should not be, and OF
course will not be, continued any longer
than is necessary to enable that people to
establish a suitable government to which
the control shall be transferred. which
shall really represent the people OF Cuba
and be able to maintain order and dis
charge its international obligations"
The future Of the Philippines is left to
the Philippine Commission to solve. In
conclusion, the report says:
'T renew the recommendation so fire.
quentiy made by my predecessors that pro-
vision be made for the erection in the Ma
tional Capital Of suitable monument in
memory Of General Grant. The bill which
was introduced in the first session, Fifty
fourth Congress- at the instance OF the
Society of the Army Of the Tennessee ap-
pears to contain adequate and suitable pro-
visions.
1T is greatly to be desired that progress
be made toward the erection of the pro-
posed Memorial Bridge between the city of
Washington and the Heights of Arlington
The value Of the sentiment inspired in all
the people Of our country who visit the
National Cemetery upon these heights, and
are affected BY its associations, cannot be
oyerestimated. The cemetery Is now prac
tically far removed from the city by the
long, circuitous. and disagreeable approach.
The proposed bridge would afford digni-
fed and suitable approach to this historic
place, make 1t accessible to all the people
who inhabit or who visit Washington. and
the bridge under proper treatment, can be
made itself an architectural structure
worthy to rank with the monument 20
Washington, the Capitol. and the Congress
sional Library, as an ornament to the
Capital City.
After the bridge should come the con-
struction of broad avenue connecting Ar
lington with Mount Vernon, and making
the access from the Capital to the home of
Washington worthy of the reverence in
which all Americans hold his memory"