The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-01
ALGER IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.
HAD LITTLE 10 SAY IN APPOINT
MENT or OFFICERS.

Only i.C32-AIser Says He Had Lit
tie 20 Do with Them-Lon
don Times Criticism Denounced az
False.
Washington, July Sl.-One Of the last
official acts OF Secretary Alger. who to-
morrow will reliuqush his portfolio, was
to prepare "a statement covering several
matters regarding the conduct of the war
which have been the subject of criticism
in the public press, particularly in refer
ence TO the appointment OF staff officers
in the volunteer army. The statement
follows:
81 am led 20 make the following state
monts on account of the many criticisms
which have been made by the public press,
and especially on account of a recent ar
ticle which appeared in the London Times
containing assertions which have no
foundation IN truth.
Al the commencement of the war with
| spain, and for several years prior TO that
ume the regular army consisted of only
5000 men, with the minimum number OF
officers prescribed by law. The situation
| can be partially appreciated when il Is
remembered that within sixty days from
| the declaration of war the strength of the
army was increased to 275 900 men, ana
| everything for the equipment OF this great
| force, including clothing tents, trauspor-
! tation. medical supplies, camps and camp
| equippages, and all that pertains 20 equip-
| ping an army for service had TO be man
ufaotured, transported and distributed for
| use.
Left to the Governors.
| From the statement referred to, the
| pubic might be led TO believe that the vol-
| uneer army was ohlcered by men selected
through political influence by the Secretary
| of War by special favor and without any
| regard to fitness FOR the duties they were
to perform AS is well known, the volun-
t0er force, with the exception Of three reg
| lments Of engineers, three regiments OF
| cavalry and ten regiments of immune in
| fantry. was made up of regiments from
| The various states, the officers of which
! were all appointed exclusively by the Cow
Crnors Of The respective states from which
| the regiments came, ana any officer found
| united for service and discharged was re-
| placed 10y another IN the same manner.
Tho President had no voice or control in
The matter.
"The rclurns of the yolun eer army show
that in August 1895 there were 2O7 2li en-
listed men and S7s5 officers in those regi-
mouts. This With he rgular army recru Z
ca up 20 the war strength made an aggre-
gate force Of about 10000 officers and
mon.
Prcaident's Appointments.
"1'he volunteer officers appointed by the
| I teHHAtnL ilhfHbt r. a. al lp-d lVpas vi W -
number al wete taken from the regular
army, and 591 fiom civil life. The scarcity
OF regimen al officers IN the regular SER
vice, owing 70 appo ntmen In the volun-
| teers special recruiting and mastering de-
! tells had 20 reduced their numb that O
have takfn a Large number for service with
The volunteers would have seriously I'M
paired the efficiency of the regular regi-
nents For little over a thousand ap-
pontInonis made by the President, the
number OF applications was over 25 90, and
| each application was accompanied by
certificate of ability, and in most In
| stances the military serViee either in tho
| regular army or a state organization OF
the applicant, and not infrequenuy in
| both. These certificates showed that each
one was as well qualified for he Eoslti ~
he sought ana TO which he was appointed
as could be possible for men IN clvn lie
in this country
"0f the number appointed there weres
for instance, twenty-siX major generals
Of whom nineteen were taken from this
regular army and seven from civil life-
OF these seven all but one were graduates
OF the West Point Military Academy aud
all had distinguished themselves in COM
mand during the civil war OF brlgadler
generals there were 102 appointed, sixty
six from the regular army and thirty-six
from civil life. Those from civil life had
all seen service during the civil war or
on our Western frontier, and all had prov
en- themselves competent to command
Had Little to DO with II.
ut has ben stated and repeated many
times that the Secretary of War made
t'l these appointments when the truth is that
very few we're made upon his recommen-
dation, although he caused the entire list,
Z with the recommendations, to be complied
and placed before the President for his
selection. / would be only too glad to-
have had the honor to have made these
appointments. No better, no more loyal
or more patriotic set OF men as whole
I ever served their country and their ap-
poinlments We're a credit not only to tho
8 appointing power, but TO tho country they
, served
There we're exceptions but that could
I not have been foreseen. In every walk OF
life men arc found who cannot carry out
successfully the work they have UNDER
taken. There We're three regiments OF
| cavalry, the officers OF which were appoint
ca by the Secretary Of War Col. Leonard
Wood. now a brigadler general and COM
manding the departments Of Santiago and
Puerto Principe. was one, Of these. Col.
Grigsby and Col. Torrey both good ofh-
, GERS. were the other two. There were
three regiments Of engineers, the colonels
Of which were all graduates Of the Mill
tary Academy. and not only the officers,
= but the enlisted men were selected with
- view 70 their special fitness and IN most In
Z stances upon the recommendations OF the
coionols themselves, and all proved most
4 ! efficient.
! "There were also ten regiments of i'm
uune infantry. OF whose cOlonels eight
were graduates of the Military Academy,
who were selected for special fitness to
command, and in the short time these reg
lmcnts were In service, developed remark
able prelcincy
Says This Charge Is False.
= Criticisms as to the amounts and meth-
n DDS OF expenditures which could imply the
! wrong or careless use Of money were also
- made BY the London Times. This charge
- IS false SO far as the conduct of the
service was concerned no person with any
knowledge Of tho facts can ever charge
truthfuiiy. and no one can ever show that
d dollar was misappropriated stolen or
embezzied out Of the hundreds OF millions
:. | of anIlara ihlf Mera eHaandal. The rec