The times., 1899-12-06
THE ARMY.
Strength of the Force at Home ard
Abroad

4k1E A1NN1
Strength of the Force at Home ard
Abroad-
Since my last Annual Message. and in obe-
dience to the acts OF the Congress Of April
- and 2G, 1898, the remaining volunteer
iorce enlisted for the Spanish war. CON
sisting of &4,SS4 regulars and 1lo.2o2 yolun-
teers, with over .0CO volunteer officers, has
been discharged from the military service,
OF the volunteers. 667 officers and 1881
men were serving in The Philippines and
1850 of the regulars, who We're entitled to
be mustered out after the ratification Of
the Tsaty Of p5ace. They voluntarily re-
mairsd at the front until their places Could
be filed by new troops. They we're re-
turned home in the order in which they
went to Manila. and are now Al! Of them
out OF the service and in the ranks OF Citi-
zanship. 1 recommend that the Congress
provide a special medal OF homer for the
volunteers, regulars, sailors. ard marines
on duty in the Philippines who voluntarily
remained in the service after Jh0ir terms
Of enlistment had expired.
BY the act of March >. 1899. Congress
gave authority to increase the Regular
Army to a maximum not exceeding G5,0GN
enlisted men, ana TO enlist a force of 81, 600
volunteers, to be recruited from the coun-
Try at large BY virtue of this authority
the Regular Army has been increased to the
number OF 81 999 enlisted men and 2.2fS Of
dCCTs. and new volunteer regiments have
been organized aggregating 33,050 enlisted
men and 1924 officers Two of thsse yoluu-
teer regiments are made up Of CoIor5d men
with colored line officers. The new troops
to take the places Of those returning from
the Philippines have been transported to
Manila to the number Of 5Sl officers and
26,322 enlisted men of the Regular Army
and SEA officers and 15,3SS enlisted men
Of the new volunteer force while 504 Of
ficers ard IA f19 men OF the voluE.-er force
are on the ocean en- route to Manila.
The force now in Manila consists Of 90j
officers and 30,57S regulars, and 594 officers
and 5,3SS of the volunteers. making an
a aggregate of I 499 officers and 1886 men.
When the troops now under orders shall
reach Manila the force in the archipelago
Will comprise 2.05l officers and G3, 1873 men.
The muster out of the great volunteer
army organized for the Spanish war and
the creation Of a new army, the transpOTta-
ion from Manila to San Francisco of those
entitled to discharge and the transpoTta-
tiOn of the new troops to take their places
have been a work of great magnitude well
ana dblN NOUe, LOT which 100 BltCu CIGUtJ
cannot be given the War Department
During the past year we have reduced
our force in Cuba and Porto Rico. In Cuba
We now have 33l officers and 10 796 enlisted
men; in Porto Rico. 81 officers and 2Sj5
enlisted men and a battalion Of 400 men
composed of native Porto Ricans; while
stationed throughout the United States are
30 officers and 1917 men, and in Hawaii
- officers and 453 enlisted men
Praise for Our Soldiers
The operations of the Army arc fully pre-
sented in the report of the Secretary OF
War. l cannot withhold from officers and
men the highest commendation for their
soldierly conduct in trying situations, their
willing sacrifices for their country. and
the integrity and ability with which they
have performed unusual and difficult du-
ties in our island possessions.
In the organization Of the volunteer reg
iments authorized by the act OF March >
1899 il was found that no provision had
been made for chaplains. This omission was
doubtless from inadyertenCe. l recommend
the early authorization for the appoint
meLt of one chaplain for each OF said regi-
ments These regiments are now in the
Philippines, and il Is important that i'm
mediate action be had.
In restoring peaceful conditions, orderly
rule and civic progress i'm Cuba, Porto
Rico, and. so far as practicable, in the
Philippines. the rehabilitation of he postal
service has been an essential and impOr-
tant part Of the work. II became necessary
TO provide mail facilities both for our
forces of occupation and for the native
population To meet this requirement has
involved a substantial reconstruction. The
existing systems were so fragmentary, de
and ipgHEUu1iA that nd
comprehensive organization had to be Gre
ated American trained officials have been
assigned 10 the directing and executive
positions, while natives have been chiefly
employed in making up the body OF the
force In working ont this plan The merit
rule has been vigorously and faithfully ap-
piled.
Cuban Postal Service.
The appointment Of Director General of
Posts Of Cuba was given to an expert who
had been chief Postodice Inspector ana As
sistant Postmaster General. and who united
large experience with administrative ca
pacity For the pcstmastersip at Havana
the range OF skilled and available men
was scanned, and the choice fell upon one
who had been twenty years in the service
as deputy postmaster and postmaster Of
large city. This principle governed and
determined the selection of the American
officials sent not only to Cuba, but to
Porto Rico and the Philippines. and they
were instructed to apply il so far as
practicable in the employment OF the ma
tiyes as minor postmasters and clerks The
postal system in Cuba though remaining
under the general guidance of The Postmas-
ter General was made essentially inde-
pendent 1t was felt that it should not be
a burden upon the postal service of the
United States and provision was made that
any deficit in the postal revenue should be
a charge upon the general revenues OF the
island
Though Porto Rico and the Philippines
hold a different relation to the United
States yet. for convenience of administra-
ton. the same principle OF an autonomous
system has been extended to them. The
Development Of the service in all Of the
Islands has been extended to them. The
development of the service in all the ISL
ands has been rapid and successful 1t has
moved forward on American lines. with
free delivery, money order and registry
systems. a-sj has given the people mail
faciitiea Ear greater and more reliable
that any they have ever before enjoyed. Il
ia thus not only a vital agency Of indus
Trial, social, and business progress but