Washington sentinel., 1900-04-21
The CostIiest in the World.

troops for the Philippines, why the
official admission has recently
been made that a state of war ex
lists there. No doubt It is source
OF pride to us as a nation that, a:
we have everything else in the
world on the most magnificent
scale, we have also the most eX'
pensive military equipment, IN
which, as patriots, we must exulti
even while, as taxpayers, we may
vince and feel as if we could get
along with less. 1t is true that orr
present military establishment is
too small for universal conquest.
We have got to make it larger. We
have but total oil 100, 900 men in
active service, only four times as
many as have hitherto sufficed
when not engaged in war. If, as
President Mckinley alleges, we
have been at "peace" during the
last year, we have been keeping
$4,000 soldiers on dress parade, as
an object lesson in Statehood to
loving and initiative people. These
have reveled in the Kindergarten
training we are benevolently be-
slowing, while a few malcontents
growled aimlessly on the outskirts
oi the towns and cities in which we
have been keeping school.
And what does this display cost
the "tolling masses" who so will
ingly vote the supplies to keep it
up7 Why, it is shown by the re-
cent discussion in the House of
Representatives on the army APP
preparation bill that we pay, during
the current year, SI3s,a97653, ex-
elusive OF pensions. for our "boys
in blue" There is nothing stingy
about us as paymaster. France
keeps up an army OF $4,000 sol,
diers for considerably less, paying
out only SIa5, 900, 900, and Ger
many spends only SI36, ,ooo, 900 on
nearly six times the number we
boast. Russia keeps 1900, 900
men, ten times our number, at a
cost OF but $40, ,ooo, 900 additional
to our own. Alter our volunteers
for the Spanish war passed judg-
ment on our attempt to possess
ourselves unlawfully OF the Philip
pines by refusing to re-enlist, we
have been keeping regulars out
there and in Cuba on the basis Of
awage 10 to per cent higher than
the soldiers receive who remain in
what it is now proposed to con-
slider "the United States"
We have expanded and we have
got to keep on expanding, espec
tally in the matter of the "large
repressive force" which General
Otis admits we will be obliged to
maintain in the Philippines for
some time to come-repressive Of
the affectionate disposition OF the
people towards US. Ii is true that
Mr.. Root claims that the cost Of
the war in the East has been less
than $50, 900, 900. But it is also
true that Mr.. Root failed to include
the enormous sums paid for trans
port service between the United
States and Manila, as we'll as the
cost of arming and equIpping the
volunteer regiments sent out last
summer and autumn, and the coal
bill Of the Pacihc troop ships,
though the United States is now
the largest purchaser OF soft coal
for such uses in the world.
No doubt he had an abundance
OF ingenious reasons for desiring
to withhold the Information which
did not transpire but was elected
by vigorous cross questioning in
the House debate. But il was
certainly not in accord with Amer
lean precedent for the Secretary oi
War of the United States to make
even an Intellectual attempt to min
imize the cost of an army which is
Justly the source OF so much ma.
tional pride. What it costs in life
is not worthy of so much consid-
Grafton, OF course, but shiploads oi
coffins have been sent, and it may
be added that, by official figures,
since the American occupation oI
the Philippines, June 1, 1898, up
to Feb. II, 1900, the actual NOR
tality in the islands has been 6s
officers and 1860 men, total o
1925, or an average of "a deaths
per month. No account is in.
cluded of sickness and insanity
but War Department officials have
recently published statements thal
Gen. Otis's campaign is costing
upwards OF 900 men every month
today. The inside estimate o
dead Filipinos is, we believe
as, 900.