Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-25
ONLY FOUR OFFICERS NAMED
Order Of Ex-Secretary AIger Speci
flying Amounts.
A PREC ENT STATED

Secretary Roots Letter.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, April 25 1900.
20 the Senate of the United States:
l have the honor to reply 10 the following
resolution, dated April q, 1900, received
April %:
Resolved, That the Secretary of War is
hereby directed to report to the Senate the
following informal ton:
First. Whether any officer of the army
of the United States who is now or who
has been, duty either in Cuba or Porto
Rico since the date of the declaration of
war by the United States against Spain
has received any compensation for any
service of any kind whatsoever other than
the compensation to which such officer of
the army is. such, entitled by law to re-
ceive as his salary and allowances.
Second. If any officer of the United
States army has during said period while
on duty in either Cuba Porto Rico, re-
ce1ved from any source any compensation
other than that which he is, as such Off
Ger, entitled by law to receive as his sal
ary and allowances; what is the name and
rank of each such officer, and what the
amount or amounts received by him; the
date or dates on which each of said
amounts was SO received; on what account
the SAID amount or amounts were paid; by
Whom said payment or payments were au-
thorized, and out of what fund or funds
said payments were made
secretary
of War. dated, respectively, March l, 1895;
April 19, 1889, and May ., 1899, copies of
winch are annexed hereto, allowances have
been paid four officers of the army who
nave been required to live in the city of
havana. and to perform important civil
functions in connection with the admins
trauon of the government of Cuba as fol-
lows: N
rate of $500 per year
10 the military governor of Havana. at
the rate of 5000 per year.
Io the collector of customs for the Island
OF Cuba, al the rate of 81 800 per wear
To the treasurer of the Island of Cuha
at the rate of Sl,SO0 per year
ihese payments were in addition to the
salary ana allowances which the said Off
GERS were entitled as such to receive ont
Of the treasury of the United States. 1 am
not aware of any other payments of the
character described in the resolution to anv
ollicers IN Cuba. l annex hereto a report
received some months since from the head
quarters division of Cuba showing that
none other have been made. The payments
nave been made monthly from the dates
stated IN SAID orders until the present time
Inc precise dates of payment will appear
IN an 1temized statement of receipts and
expenditures now in the course of prepa-
ration under a previous resolution of the
senate. Payments to the military governor
OF Havana will cease with the termination
OF that office on the LIST day of May, 1900
The names and ranks of the officers re-
ceiving the payments were: AS military
governor of Cuba, Maj. Gen. John R.
Brooke, until the 18th day of December
1899, and Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, u S.
", since that time; as military governor of
Havana, Brig. Gen. William Ludlow; as
collector of customs for Cuba. Maj. Tasker
NJ. Bliss; as treasurer of the Island of
Cuba, Maj E. F. Ladd U. S. v
No allowances have been made to any
officer in Porto Rico other than the statu-
tory salary and allowances out of the treas
ury of the United States
The payments specified were made out of
the revenues of the Island of Cuba on ac-
count of government thereof, and they were
made on that account for the reason that
1t was impossible for the said officers to
properly perform the necessary duties per-
tanning to their positions without the eX-
penditure of the full amount of such allow
ances in addition to their statutory sal
aries and allowance out of the treasury of
the United States.
The aggregate of the payments thus made
prior to the first day of the present month
was S17,441. &C. The total receipts of the
Island of Cuba collected by these officers
during the period covered by the aforesaid
expenditure therefrom amounted to $21,
026,512 I6, and the total disbursements un-
der their direction amounted to $19,2S0,
51221
Similar allowances to officers of the army
performing civil functions in Mexico and
California were approved by Congress by
the act of March 3, 1Si9, and the act of
February g. 1858. "a copy of the second
section of the said first mentioned act is ana
neXed hereto.)
The said payments were authorized by the
President of the United States upon the
oral advice of the Attorney General that
the same were in all respects lawful. Very
respectfully, ELIHU ROOT
Secretary of War.