The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-29
SOLDIERS WANTED AT ONCE.
PLANS MADE TO GIVE Otis A MORE
POWERFUL ARMY.


IT Is Determined That He Shall Have
10000 Men When the Rainy Sen
son CIOses-Provisional Army of
$4,000 Men VIII Now BE Raised.
Recruiting officers to Begin the
Work at Once-Nnr Department
Expects No DincuIty.
Washington, June 2S-Secretary Alger,
Adjt Gen. Corbin and Col. Bird assistant
quartermaster general in charge Of trans
portation, had an hours consultation with
the President to-day relative to the ques-
tion of reinforcements for Gen. Otis.
A definite decision has been reached to
continue recruiting men at all the recruit
ing stations for service in the Philippines,
and Secretary Alger said when he left the
White House, after the conference that
Gen. Otis would have 10000 men when the
rainy season closed for a resumption of
active operations.
There are seventy recruiting stations in
the United States and enlistments are TO
be taken at all of these stations. The en-
lstments are to be for service in the reg
ular army and recruits are to be organized
into regiments or assigned to regiments
already formed after enlistment No or
ganizations are such are to be accepted. if
sufficient recruits can be obtained by reg
ular enlistment.
Gen Corbin said the eniistments would
be for three years, although the law for
the creation of the provisional army of S5,-
900 in excess of the regular army of 5000
provides only for such force until 1901.
Arrangements are 10 be made at once for
increasing the transportation necessary TO
get these additional troops to the Philip
pines.
To Wait for Good weather.
The decision to reinforce Gen. Otis by
the end Of the rainy season is interpreted
to mean that aggressive campaigning will
cease until the bad weather ends. Until
that time our operations will probably be
confined to occasional excursions to places
in close vicinity to our lines where the in
surgents may have congregated in force.
BY remaining quiescent under good shelter
during the rainly season, ii is hoped the
health of our troops win be conserved and
the danger from climatic fevers reduced
TO a minimum.
Gen Otis has cabled the war department
that he has the skeleton organizations Of
two of the regiments which it Is proposed
department. this is said to mean that Gen.
Otis has the officers for these regiments
selected and that they are ready TO be fill
ed with enlisted men. How many of these
can be secured from the volunteer regi-
ments now in the Philippines is not
known.
1t is stated at the war department that
The recruits now being enlisted at the rate
Of LOCO week cannot be used for the vol
unteer army provided for in the act of
March 2, authorizing 5000 men, although
it would be an easy matter to transfer
these men with their own consent to the
volunteer service, if il should be determin
ed to raise additional troops.
VIII Begin at Once.
Later in the day it was definitely decid-
Ell to begin the enlistment for the first
volunteer service under the act of the last
Congress. The reports to the adjutant
general based upon reports of the re-
crpiting officers and on close estimates as
20 the number of soldiers in the Philip
pines and in each command in Cuba and
Porto Rico, show that the regular army
Is up to its full authorized strength.
The additional soldiers needed must be
obtained under that section of The act of
Congress authorizing the enlistment of vol
unteers. The only exception will be in
the case of the few enlistments that viii
be made from time to time to fill gaps in
the regular army caused by casualties and
by expiration of enlistments.
The officers scattered among the princi-
pal cities of the country who have been
enistlug regulars only, Will be instructed
Immediately 10 prepare TO enlist volunteers.
The present indications are that about TO-
O0 men win be wanted.
Volunteers will not be accepted in organ
izationsy Secretary Aiger is determined to
adhere 10 that rule Looking over the act
OF Congress he has determined that the
pteaN Ns..a~ otrr Wfnt a
troops "at large Indicates a purpose on
the part OF Congress 10 follow out the
plan successfully operated in the case OF
the immune regiments. 1t is the present
purpose to disregard state and local lines
IN securing the recruits and to weld them
into organizations. Thus the regiments
Nnnot be known by state names, but sim
ply under the designation of first, second,
third etc. volunteer United States infan-
try or cavalry.
No Trouble Anticipated.
No difficulty IS anticipated in securing
the men needed for it is believed that the
1000 men who are weekly Offering them
selves at the recruiting Office, VIII be even
more willing to enter the army as two
year volunteers than as long terra regu-
lars.
As to the officers for these volunteer
regiments, the war department intends to
fill the commands in the first place by pro-
noting officers now in the regular army
Who give promise of showing ability as
organizers and managers Of the raw re-
cruits, and in the second place by COM
missoning many OF the officers of the
volunteer organizations which covered
themselves with glory during the war, and
nave been or are about TO be mustered out
Of the service.
The war department has carefully pre-
served the records Of these officers and
already has at hand long list of such OF
mem as have exhibited sodierly qualities
calculated to make them of service in or