Evening star., 1900-12-24

RETURN OF VOLUNTEERS
FURTHER ACTION OF THE WAR DE-
PARTMENT POSTPONED.
Waiting on Congressional Legislation
to Provide the Troops Needed
in the Philippines.

| As result Of a conference between the
| Secretary of War and Quartermaster Gen
| eral Ludington it has been decided that no
| further action can be had with regard to
| the return of the volunteers from the Phil
| ippines until Congress makes provision for
| their replacement. The War Department is
| considerably embarrassed in this matter by
! the failure of Congress to make provision
| before the recess for the relief of the mill
| tary situation in the Philippines. Acting
| upon representations made by General Mac
! Arthur, the department has concluded that
it is absolutely necessary to maintain an
army of 10000 men in the Philippines until
the current policy of establishing munich
pal governments throughout the archipela-
go has been fully executed. 1t Is stated at
| he department that any reduction of the
| military strength below that figure under
| existing condi ions would undoubtedly prove
| most disastrous to the interests of the
| United States.
There are now about $4,000 troops. regu-
| lars and volunteers in the Philippines. and
arrangements have been already made for
bringing home 1900 of that number No
further reduction will be made, however.
| until the War Department is fully adv 'sed
of the purpose of Congress with regard to
army legiSla ton. When the necessary au-
thority has been given it is the purpose Of
the department to bring home as rapidly as
possible all the volunteers and regulars
whose terms of enlistment expire on the
3Nth of June next. but not before il is pos
sible to replace them man for man W tn
new recruits enlisted under the terms of
the new army bill 1t therefore appears
that after the 5000 volunteers have left
the Philippines no more troops will be with
d1 avn from that country until they can be
relieved by fresh troops recruited in the
United States ill accordance with legislation
yet to be enacted
It is expected that Congress will act
promptly on the army bill soon after 1t re-
assemblies in January. but even in that
event it is said at the War Department,
that it will not be possible to get the fresh
troops to the Philippines inside of two
months time. The general homecoming
movement of the mass of the volunteers
will therefore have to be postponed until
about the 1st of February. That will give
the QuartermaSter' department but five
months time to bring home the remainder
of the volunteers and the regular troops
whose terms will expire at the same time,
aggregating about 40 600 men. before the
1st of July. This undertaking is believed
to be beyond the capacity of the transport
service as at present organized and may
neceSSitate the charter of additional steam
ships. All arrangements in that line, how
ever, will be held in allegiance until definite
information has been received OF the in
tention of Congress with regard to the pro-
posed increase of the regular army.
Recent cable advices from Gen. MacAr-
thur indicate a strong desire on the part of
the volunteers generally to return to the
United States, and that comparatively few
OF them are likely to re-enliSt without the
most liberal inducements are offered. 1t is
understood that General Macarthur has
recommended that bounty of $3.50 be al
lowed to each soldier in the Philippines
who re-enlists for another term. and the
plan is said to meet with the favor of the
ohlclals OF the War Department.