Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-08
TO BE GIVEN REST
Troops Longest IN the Philippines to
Be BHught Homo;
MOVEMENT Els; ALREADY BEGUN
Order Recently Sent to General
osis
-
THREE BATTALIONS PICKED

The War Department has taken the In
tt'ai steps toward renovating the military
forces in the Philippines by returning in
| small detachnasufs the troops who have
seen longest fsefyice there and replacing
| them by recruitE raised In this country
The movement asgan the first of the pres
ent month. wheel an instruction was sent
to Gen. Otis to tick out. a battalion from
each of the three regiments which, had
been longest in the Philippines namely. the
l4th. 18th and sd Infantry. and return
them to the United States, The 18th IN
1antry Is scattered through the Island of
Panay, the 23d Is IN the Island of Cebu and
Joio and the 18th. Is at Manila. The men
picked for return win be those whose terms
OF enlistment are about to expire, or those
broken in health 80
while General Otis has not yet signifed
what force he requires to compensate for
the withdrawal Of these three battalions
the department is proceeding on the as
sumption that the recruits gathered in
NeW I ork ready to ship for Manila on the
Sumner when.that transport is completed
at the navy yard will suffice. The Sumner
VIII start on the 22d instant, If ready. The
olnclal order in the. case and General Otis
response are as fof1ows:1 ~
Adjutant Generals Office,
Otis, Manila: =
Home battalions will be designated by
you from 14th Regiment, United States In
rrantryi 18TH Regiment United States In
Iantry' I'd Regiment United States In
Iantry. to be sent to the United States. At
tach invalid cers-desiring to return and
those In your opinion who should be sent to
the United States. Invalid enlisted men
and men having less than six months to
serve who do not intend re-enlisting will
be transferred to- home battalions. Men
having a year Or more to serve will be
transferred to battalions remaining. Ar
irving at San Francisco the commanding
officer OF each battalion will report to COM
manding general Department of California
Tor instructions. Advise about what date
departure and strength of commands. and
II other troops should be sent to replace re-
turning battalions.
By order Of the Secretary Of War.
Manila, March 4, 1900
AdJutant General, Washington:
eighteenth Infantry at several stations In
Panay. I'D In Cebu and three stations in
Jolo. VIII designate home battalions trans
fer and attach as directed and will move
within month. Strength reported later al
together. =. OTIS.
Battalions Instead of Regiments.
The officers to return In charge of the bat
talon will be those who have seen the
hardest service or can best be spared. The
policy Of bringing home battalions instead
Of regiments. Is In accord with the plan of
home battalions" adopted by the army last
summer. which contemplates the retention
In this country of at least one battalion of
every infantry and cavalry regiment sent
beyond the limits of the United States. The
home battalion Of each regiment is retaiped
as a recruiting and instructing nucleus for
the entire command. the intention being
that three battalions Of each regiment
should alternate in the tour Of domestic
duty. giving each a chance to recuperate
after service In the tropics. 60 "
ita has been possible to carry out this sys-
TEN In the cases of the LIST, I'd, 9Th. 9Th and
10thSnfantry and Sthan 10th Cavalry, each
of Whtch has two bataliions in Cuba. one hav-
ing been withdrawn, as well as in the cases
of the 9th and 18th Infantry and the Sd
Cavalry. from each Of which two battalions
were sent to the Philippines and the other
battalion remained at home.
The 4th Cavalry and the Sd. 4th, 9Th, 9th,
18th, 18th. 18th. 18th, 10th. Goth. 21st and
22d Regiments Of Infantry complete, still
remaining in the Philippines. will each send
home a battalion in the near future, and
after them the twenty-five volunteer reg1-
ments will be similarly reduced at the front,
The existing volunteer organization expires
by Limitation July /, 1900.