The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-03-30
NO CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS.
Too Late to Use Them in the Island
| of LuxOn.

uHteerS. he SAID that tnl5 might pe s'dtei
with authority. The law under with the
President is authorized to issue call ii
emergency demands it gives him authority
to enlist temporarily in the service for alb
soluteiy necessary purposes in the fhilip-
pine Islands volunteer men or officers in
| dividually or by organization now in these
islands, and about to be discharged. pro-
vided retention shall not extend beyond the
time necessary to replace them by troops
authorizedS to be maintained under pre-
vision of theaet and not beyond the period
OF six months. This is a part Of section Ii
of the Army Reorganization bill.
Section Y says that to meet present
emergencies of the military service thu
President Is authorized to maintain the
Regular Army mt a strength Tot exceeding
$1,000 enlisted men. to be dis
tributed among the several branches of the
service, including Signal Corps, according
| TO the needs Of each branch. and raise
force of not more than 80. 900 volunteers; to
! recruit as may be determined from tle
country at large. or from localities where
their serviees are needed. organizing the
same into not more than twenty-seyen reg
iments of Infantry, OF regular war siren tn,
as provided In the regular army. and three
regiments toibe composed of M n Of special
| qualifications Of Workmanship and work
! manship. tosbe organized as cavalry for
! service, mounted Of dsmounted. Provided
| that such increased regular and vo unit er
| force should continue in the serves only
I during the necessity therefor, and not latel
I than July IL. 1900.
The strength of Regular Army iEfan ry
/ regiment is 1926 officers and men.
General Otis has been given authority
to muster out any men without consulting
Nt-hn ic dor
stood, the volunteer service men do not
care TO come home until the present move
ment against Aguinaldo has been brought
! to successful conclusion. The provision
| in the law which calls for a cavalry of ex-
pert horsemen and marksmen for foot and
mounted service is really a provision for
Rough Riders and sharpshooters. 1t was
stated at the War Department yesterday
that it would be utterly impossible to get
raw recruits out to Manila in time to be OF
any service in the present campaign, which
must be discontinued not later than June,
when the rainy season will have reached
its height and land operations will be beset
with, difficulties practically insurmounta-
| ble 1t takes about three months to re-
cruit, equip.s and drill into any kind of
shape regiment of raw men. 1t would
be necessary. to have experienced officers
to complete the work in this time. There
is great lack of transportation in the Pa
ciiic. Last week when the City of Pueblo
reached San Francisco her charter expired
The transportation company from which
she was hired by the Government. now
that the war is over and there is no dan
ger to its ship and plenty of freight to
carry, demanded the surrender of the
Pueblo. 1t Was only through the influence
brought TO bear on Senator Perkins, who
is president of the company which owns
the Pueblo. that the Government was able
| to get forward the Ninth Regiment, now on
its way to Manila. There are only three
Government transports running between
San Francisco and Manila-the Grant, on
her way from Manila to San Francisco; the
Sherman, which recently landed troops at
Manila and is preparing to return, and the
Sheridan. now due at Manila. These boats
are excellently equipped for carrying COM
fortabiy officers and men. There are gym
nasia and baths and plenty of ventilation.
The Government has tried to purchase yes
sells, and has even employed sailing ships
In carrying animals.
1t would be practically impossible to get
fresh volunteers to Manila b. fore the mid
die of the summer if the regulars row as
| signed to Manila duty were carried out to
the Philippines in advance OF the 70 I'M
teers. AS consequence the argument is
| in favor of retaining the men new in ser
| vice at Manila and re-enlisting them as
/ organizations or individuals. War d part
ment officials say, and enlisting up the Reg
ular Army from mustered out voun GERS
who would be ready to go into the service
! with a full knowledge of its requirements.
| Eleven thousand men have applied for
enlistment at the army's various recruit
! ing offices since the Army Reorganization
bill was signed Acting Secretary Meikle-
| john states.
/ Recruiting for the Regular Army is pro-
I crossing most satisfactorily both in num-
| bers and high class OF young men Offering
Returns received by the Adjutant General
| UP to the close of yesterday show the en-
I listed strength as being over s.xty-two
! thousand. within less than three thousand
| of the maximum, which, at the present
! rate of enlistment will be reached within
/ ten days.
| The exact number of men in the Phi lip
! pines, according to Acting Secretary M
! klejohn. is IS, 900, 10000 of whom are VOL
unteers and l2.00O regulars. There are
| 1900 men under orders to 60 forward, AMI
one regiment. the Ninth Infantry. is on its
way to Manila. sailing from San Francisco
/ last week.
| The Secretary does not believe that the
situation in the Philippines should cause
I extraordinary anxiety. The IS. 600 may be
called for finally, but the call will not be
made until the conditions in the Philip
! pines are less promising than they are
! now.
| Representative Hull, author of the Hull
| Army bill. was a caller on Adjutant Gen
eral Corbin yesterday. He said the Presi
| dent told him before Mr. Mckinley went
| South that he would not call out the vol
unteer troops, and would save the country
life and money. The President believed
| then that the regulars would be fully equal
! 10 all the needs of the service. Senator