The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-24


Some at least of the volunteers at San
tiago are very anxious to get home. An
officer of one Of the immune regiments
stationed at that place who was at the
war department OF Saturday. stated to
the adJutant general OF the army that
there was an immense amount of sickness
among the volunteers. and that about all
of them We're looking forward anxiously
to the time when they would be ordered
home If this officers statement is to be
relied upon as much as 80 per cent. of his
regiment have been attacked by malarial
fever since it has been az Santiago This
would Indicate that the climate at that
place is anything but healthy.
There is no immediate prospect, however,
that any considerable number of volun-
teers viii be discharged for a year at
least, and it may be that the most of
them will have to serve out their full
term Of two years. 1t was thought when
Congress convened in December that there
would not be very much opposition 20 in
creasing the regular army to such an ex-
tent as would permit of the discharge Of
most of the volunteers. As yet however,
there Is no prospect that the bill provid-
ing for an increase of the army Will be
passed by this Congress. About all of the
Democratic congressman are against
the bill and there are quite a
number of Republican congressman
who are in sympathy with them.
The Democrats, and the Republicans who
are acting with them, are willing to pro-
vide for a volunteer force of $1,000 men
to take the place of the volunteers now
In the service, but that Is the most they
will consent to. They take the position
that an increase of the regular army to
100000 men means militarism and imper-
rialism.
If the bill increasing the regular army
which is now hanging fire. should not be
passed at this session of Congress, the
most of the volunteers now in the SER
vice would have to serve out their terms
of enlistment. because their services are
needed in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Phil
ippines. II they are homesick, therefore,
they might as well get over that feeling
as quickly as possible, and make up their
minds to live a soldiers life for the next
year or year and a half.
There is one complaint that the govern
ment ought to take notice Of however,
and that rs that at Havana, the volun-
teer engineers, being required to do work
that is for the benefit of the Cubans. are
not receiving any compensation other
than that which they get as volunteers.
Cubans are doing similar work and are
being paid the wages which engineers and
mechanics command in Cuba. The Gu
bans are not nearly as efficient as the
volunteers, and yet they are paid more
than twice as much as the volunteers
are. II would be only fair that, if the
volunteer engineers are required to work
on public improvements in Cuba, they
ought to be paid the wages which Cubans
receive for similar work. The engineers
in our army did not volunteer to build
bridges and construct roads in Cuba not
needed for military purposes. 1t is un-
just, therefore, to require them to do this
kind of work unless they are paid for it.
If the government fails to deal fairly with
its volunteers it viii not find it easy to
get them again if an emergency arises
an which there will be an imperative need
for their services.