The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-01
ALGER MAKES A STATEMENT
ANSWERS CRITICISMS OF 1MERI-
CAN PRESS AND LONDON TIMES.

CAN PRESS AND LONDON TIMES.
Says Mckinley Made Most of the APP
pointments to the Volunteers Army
No Better Men Ever Served Thetl
COuntry-OnIy II Few Appointments
Made by the War Secretary.
Washington, July 31.-One of the last
official acts of Secretary Alger, who to-
morrow will relinquish his PORTFOLIO was
to prepare a statement covering several
matters regarding the conduct of the
war which have been the subject OF crit
icism in the public press, particularly
with reference to appointments in the
volunteer army The statement follows:
IT am led to make the following state
ment on account of criticisms which
have been made by the public press and
especially ON account of recent article
which appeared in the London Times
containing assertions which have no
foundation in truth.
In thr Beginning.
"At the commencement of the war
with Spain and for several years prior
to that time, the regular army consist
ed of only $4,000 men with the minimum
of officers prescribed by law. The sit
uation can be partially appreciated
when it is remembered that within six
ty days from the declaration of war
the strength of the army was increased
to 275OO0 men, and everything for the
Of 1r1U
clothing, tents, transportation, medical
supplies, camps and camp equipage,
and all that pertains to equipping an
army for service had to be manufac-
tured, transported and distributed for
use.
Could Not Show Favorittsm.
From the statement referred to the
public might be led to believe that the
volunteer army was officered by men
selected through political influence by
the secretary of war by special favor
and without regard to fitness for duties
they We're to perform. AS it is well
known the volunteer force with the ex-
ception of three regiments of engineers
three regiments of cavalry and ten reg
iments of immune infantry was made
up of regiments from the various states
the officers of which were all appointed
exclusively by the governors of the re-
spective states from which the regi-
ments came, and any officer found un-
fitted for service and discharged was
replaced by another in the same man.
ner. The president had no voice or con-
troll in the matter.
Explanation of the Appointments.
tfNha of bp
show that in August, 1898, there were
207244 enlisted men and S,7S5 officers in
those regiments. This with the regular
army recruited up to full strength made
an aggregate force of about $50, 900 Off
GERS and men. The volunteer officers
appointed by the president numbered,
all told, 1,032. Of this number AL We're
taken from the regular army and 591
from civil life. The scarcity of regi-
mental officers in the regular service,
owing to appointments in the volun-
teer and to special recruiting and mus
tering details, had so reduced their
number that to have taken a larger |
number for service with the volunteers
would have seriously impaired the eff
ficiency of the regular regiments. For
little over a thousand appointments
made by the president the number of
applications was over 25,O00 and each
application was accompanied by a GER
tificate of the applicants ability and in |
many instances of military service, |
either in the regular army or separate |
organization and not infrequentIy in |
both.
Some of the Big Appointments
"These certificates showed that each
was as well qualified as the other. OF |
the number appointed there were, for
instance, twenty-siX major generals of |
whom nineteen were taken from the |
regular army and seven from civil life.
OF these seven all but one were gradu-
ates of West Point military academy,
and all had distinguished themselves in
command during the civil war. Of
brigadier generals there were 102 ap-
pointed, sixty-six from the regular
army and thirty-six from civil life.
Those from civil life had all seen SER
vice during the civil war or on our
western frontier and all had proven
themselves competent to command.
Mckinley SeIectei>NI ost of Officers.
"It has been stated and repeated
many times that the secretary of war
made these appointments, when the
truth is that very few were made upon
his recommendation, although he caus-
ed the entire list, with the recommend
ations, to be compiled and placed be
fore the president for his selection. |
would be only too glad to have had
the honor to have made these appoint
ments. No better, no more loyal or
more patriotic set of men, as whole,
ever served their country, and their ap-
pointments were a credit, not only to
the appointing power, but to the coun-
try they served. There were exceptions,
but that could not have been foreseen.
In every walk of life men are found
who can carry out successfully the
work they have undertaken.
Officers Appointed by Alser.
There We're three regiments of cav
airy the officers of which We're appoint
I'd by the secretary of war. Colonel
eonard Wood, now brigadier general
and commanding the departments OF
Santiago and Puerto Principe, was one
If these. Colonel Grigsby and Colonel
rorrey, both good officers were the |
,ther two. There were three regiments l
.