Evening star., 1900-10-11
MAY CUT DOWN FORCE.
Reduction of Garrison in Porto Rico
Recommended.
ANNUAL REPORT OF GEN. DAVIS
The island Should Be Adequately
Protected.
NATIVE TROOPS PRAISED

|
The War Department today made public
the annual report of Brig. Gen. George w.
Davis. commanding the department of
Porto Rico. 1t states that when the organ
ization of the civil government shall have
been completed and the civil machinery is
working well there will be no necessity
to retain in the island so large force as
| at present. Gen. Davis says the reduction
OF the garrison to aggregate of eighteen
companies can certainly be made, and per-
haps still greater reduction will be possible.
| He says that he cannot conceive it pos
sible, however to limit the garrison to
| force just sufficient to take care of the guns
at San Juan, and he points out that the
! Island of Porto Rico must have in the fu-
| ture. as it had in the past, great military
| Importance. 1t was three times attacked
by the English and once taken by the
troops of that nation. The Dutch once
occupied the capitol Spain expended more
| than S4,GO0.000 on the fortifications of San
| Juan. and upon the surrender to the United
| States the Notifications were found to be
of great strength and the arma mentS
! tensive.
Should BE Adequately Protected.
| Gen. Davis adds: ''It is inconceivable that
the United States will leave the island
without adequate protection of men, ships
| and guns; the only land owned by the
| United States In the West Indies Land for
| a naval station has already been reserved
| and a coaling and repain station will prob
| ably be erected at San Juan Gen. Davis
says the armament should be increased
| and modernzed and the guns cared for by
| sufficient force of artillery. He says
the experiment of utilizing the natives as
| soldiers has proved a very marked success.
! judging from the appearance of the organ
| iZation as 1t was seen on parade. review
and in camp. While there has been
test Of the nerve and courage of the ma
| tives in battle. yet Gen Davis expressed
| the belief they will prove satisfactory.
The men usually small, weighing ten
| or fifteen per cent less than the average of
| American soldiers, but they are tough and
| wiry and have good endurance They are
tractable and obedient. and show will
| ingness and anxiety to learn. They adopt
| the ways of the American readily and are
fond of his food. Generally the native
troops compare favorably with the Amer
leans respects health and availability
for duty. Among the native soldiers there
il much less drunkenness than among
Americans Absences without leave are
also less frequent Gen Davis recommends
the continuance OF the Porto Rican regi-
ment in the service. with third battalion
added to the present force. retaining one
battalion mounted.
Distribution of Relief.
During the year over 3OW0.N0 pounds OF
relief supplies have been distributed by the
quartermaster's department. 1t has been
found impracticable to the native cat
tie for subsistence, and the refrigerated
beef from this country has been generally
acceptable. The cost of the relief supplies
distribute ed in aid of the hurricane sufferers
was SS31 ,4s0. Nearly S1O00.0O0 have been
expended in road construction. The work
of relief is set forth in considerable detail
Some 200 human beings perished in the
hurricane. and many more died afterward.
In the local elections which were held Cen
Davis says there was never present at or
near voting pace an armed soldier, and
the bayOn conspicuous by its alb
sence. The main election, however under
the act of Congress establishing insular
legislature with one house elective, has
not yet been held.
4 Summary of Events.
Gen. Davis closes his report with the fol-
lowing summary of events during the mill
tary occupation of Porto Rico:
The important service rendered by the
army in Porto Rico brought to Il close
May l, 1:W0. when in obedience to orders
and The will Of Congress the executive gov
eminent of the island was delivered in"
the charge of Mr.. Charles II. Allen. who
had been commissioned as governor of
Porto Rico by the President of the United
States. The term of military occupation OF
the island by the United States may be
divided into four periods each character
ized by some special feature condition
The first was the period Of active mill
tary operations of the American army
against that of Spain. 1t commenced with
the landing at Guanica on July -. 1S.)S.
and ended when a knowledge of the exist
ence of peace protocol had been comlnu-
nicated TO the contending armies, August
II. 1S3S
The second period may be described AS
the time elapsed between the cessation If
hoStilities between the Two armies and the
evacuation OF the island by Spain October
Is, 1900, period when assassination, arson,
and all kinds of personal violence by ma
tiyeS against Spaniar were common in
many localities; when the old regime had
not entirely passed nor the new been fully
installed; when hostile operations continued
by both the American and Spanish troops
against these moving banditti. each force
operating within the territory controlled
by it--in fact, a period OF evacuation oc-
cupation and transition.
THE third period began on October Is
when the government 9f the island and of
. its inhabitants was strictly military, a pc
riod when in technical sense, state of
war stil continued, yet 80 opposing armies
cnntended for mastery. This period ended
April II. 1899. when the treaty of peace
was ratified and proclaimed by the Presi-
dent a date which marks the conclusion
of the state OF war. and the resumption
of peaceable relations by the United States
and Spain. During this and the preceding
period the laws of The United States recog-
niZed and authorized The use of the mill
tary commission for enforcement of mar
tial law among the civil populace as well as
! in the army.
The fourth period extended from the date
| OF signing of the treaty of peace to the
! first day of May of the current year. after
| which date only the laws of the land could
! be enforced and those through civil in
| sirumentality only.
Rule of the Military Governor.
''rhe comma nder of the troops in Porto
| Rico was assigned to his trust by the Presi-
dent of the United States and by virtue OF
his assignment the local commander be-
! came the personal representative OF the
| chief executive. who was the comma nder-
/ in~chief of the army: and Congress had