Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-12-06


| the Asiaric coast would open Increased
and profitable opportunities for a more
| Orient than is now AFFORDED by the trans
/ Atlantic, continental and trans-Asian
matter.
AN ARMY OF 100000 MEN.
The personal strength of the army is
1OO,0 600 men-65, 900 regulars and 5000 vol
unteers. Under the act of March 2 1899
! on the SOth of June next the personal
| the regular army will be reduced to q
AL officers and 29,02 enlisted men. In
1888 board Of officers convened by Pres
ident Cleveland adopted a comprehensive
scheme of coast defense Notifications
over 500, 1900. The plan received eiii the
approval of the congress and since then
and the work Of fortification has steadiIV
| progressed More than 500. OO0 900 have been
guns, with ali the complicated and sci
entihc machinery and electrical appliances
necessary Tor their use. The proper care
OF this defensive machinery requires men
trained in its use. The number of men
| ascertained by the war department at a
minimum allowance to be is, 400. There
ed States other than the coast defense
fortified tons The number of these posts
gress. More than S22,OOO,0OO have been ex-
pended in building and equipment, and
they can only be cared for by the regular
army The posts now in existence and
others to be built provide for accommo-
dauonS for, and if fully garriSOned, re-
quire $4,000 troops. Many of these posts
are along our frontier or at important
strategic points. the occupation of which
is necessary; We have in Cuba between
5000 and 5000 troops. For the present
our troops IN that island cannot be with
drawn or materially diminished, and GER
tain1y not until the conclusion of the la
bors of the constitutional convention now
in session and a government provided by
the new constitution shall have been es-
tablished and its stability assured.
In Porto Rico we have reduced the gar
r1sons to 636, which include 500 native
troops. There IS no room for further re-
ductiOn here. We will be required to keep
considerable force in the Philippine is
best information obtainabIe we shall need
there for the immediate future from So
GO to 6O,C0O men am sure the number
may be reduced as the insurgents shall
come to acknowledge the authority of the
surfing indications. 1t must be apparent
5000 and T that diving PRESENT SENT condti0ns
in Cuba and the philippines the president
force to the present number of 600 men.
Included in this number authority should
PHILIPPINES up to 1900 which the Taft
commission believes will be more effective
e eis I'd n6 tI
diers. The full discussion of this subject
by the secretary of war in his annual re-
port is called to your earnest attention.
HONOR MEDALS FOR VOLUNTEERS
I renew the recommendation made in
my last annual message that the con-
for the Volunteers. regulars. sailors and
marines on duty in the Philinnines who
service after
their terms of enlistment had expired.
| favor the recOmm endatiOn of the sec
f,on1 the Ii~a Of the orT11v Wb oI 5ce
ciHS OccU~ in the 9diutant g0fe~aPS do
0!Iarterma Ster generals department, sub
SiStence Department. paw department
ordnance department and signal CORPS,
Inended for its faithful and effective serv-
Ice in active military operations in the
mfnfstration.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY OF MAIL
The continued and rapid growth of the
and increasing business i activity 'e of the the
country. Its most striking new develop
livery. This has come almost wholly
within hin the last year a6a ,o At the beginning
routes in operation was only 391 and most
OF 6fese 6 ma be been running less than p
the number had increased to 2.614. reach |
ing into "A states and territories and |
number of applications now pending and |
awaiting action nearly equals all those |
the, close of the current fiscal year about
1000 routes will have been established, |
at the scattered homes of about $780, 900 |
Of rural population. This service anne |
duces to good roads and quickens and ex-
tends the dissemination of general infor- |
to allay the apprehension that it would |
pc SO expensive as to forbid its general |
n.
It's actual application has shown that it
increases postal, receiDts and can be ac-
es of the service. so that the augmented
revenues and the ACCOMPLISHED savings
The evidences 1tEc,, Donf to e these con- con-
clusfoCs are prescribed in detail in tho
which, with its recommendations, is rec
commended to the consideration of the
special service. however requires such a
large outlay of money that it should be
involves.
NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
Very efficient service has been rendered
surrection in the philippines and the re-
isfactory settlement has been made of
the long pending question of the manu-
price has been secured and the necessity
for a government armOr plant avoided.
I approve the recommendations of the
secretary of the navy for new vessels
and for additional officers and men which
the required increase of the navy makes
necessary. commend to the favorable
action OF the congress the measure now
pending for the erection of a statue to
L commend also the establishment of
naval naval reserve and Of the grade of vice
recommended by the secretary, for suit
officers who rendered the most distin-
guished service during the recent war
recognition from the congress.
AREA OF PUBLIC LANDS.
The total area of public lands as given
by the seGrefaE z so Of sf the interior is aR
81, VS., $50 acres are undisposed of and
154, 145 1872 acres have been reserved for
va-IoUs purposes. The public lands dis
posed of during the year amount TO 49,
453, 1856 acres, including 81, 423. 09 acres
OF Indian lands, an increase of All, 474. 50
over the preceding year. The total re-
ceipts from the sale of public lands dur
ing the fiscal year were 81, 379, 75S. 10, an
increase of 81, 300, $40 rs over the preceding
year. The results obtained from
our forest policy have demonstrated
its wisdom and the necessity in the