Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-11-20
THE ARMY.
Principal Features of Annual Report
of Lieut.. Gen. Miles.

1ClACkRa1 ceHvureS OF annual H0D0Et
of Lieut.. Gen. Miles.
Washington. Nov 19.-The feature of tho
annual report of Lieut. Gen. Miles, COM
manding the army, is chapter dealing
with the need for general reorganization
question, he says: "The events Of the
past two years and half have resulted In
condition that the nation must prepare
to meet. The need for an efficient and we'll
organized land force for an indefinite period
IN the future is most obvious, and the or
ganization of such force cannot be wise
Iy avoided. There are weighty reasons why
such service as Is now demanded of the
army cannot be performed by a temporary
organization"
Size of Permanent Force.
Gen. Miles renews his recommendation
that the permanent force of the army
should be one man for each thousand of
population of the United States. He sub
mits draft of bill embodying his views
and recommendations on army reorgani-
cation
Force Greatly Reduced.
The report shows that the urgent de-
mands for troops for remote stations has
reduced the number in the United States
to much smaller force than has been
maintained at any time during the past
~ years In fact, says Gen. Miles. the
force has been SO much reduced that at
the present time there are not one-fourth
enough troops properly to care for and
man the Notifications which have been
erected on the sea coast at an expenditure
OF nearly s55,O0O.0O0. In addition to the ar
tillery deficiency, the present home force
Is not sufficient to occupy the interior garri-
sons properly. or to protect life and prop
erty on the western frontier and what
is sun more serious, the government is left
without troops to relieve those who have
tual number of troops remaining in the
United States after the dispatch of SOL
diers to Cuba, Porto Rico, Alaska and the
philippines Is said to be 99S officers and 49,
S9S enlisted men.
Gen. Miles says that during the past two
years the army has been engaged in two
hemispheres, under all conditions and
hardships. and has on all occasions exhib-
tied courage. stability. excellent marks
manship. and devotion to duty.
The Chinese Campaign.
touching upon the Chinese campaign.
Gen. Miles compares the American con-
tingent in the Picking expedition with
tnose OF other nationalities, and says: at
Woulo De difficult to name any occasion
on which troops engaged in action were
better commanded, were more steady under
hre, or where they made the soldiers sac
rihoe with more unselfsh patriotism. or
rendered a higher tribute to the honor Of
their country"
Gen. Miles calls attention to the fact
that under the law the volunteers in the
philippines must be withdrawn and dis
charged before July next. wherefore, he
says, 1t will be necessary to begin their re-
turn home almost Immediately.
Our Coast Defenses.
on the extension of the coast defense
system, Gen. Miles says that in this great
work ST, 900, 900 have been expended already.
and at least 100000 will be required to
carry out the present project For the
next hscal year the sum of s11, 1921, 900 is es-
timated as necessary to defray the cost ne
fortifcatfons, barracks, and sites on the
coasts. The largest figure is s2,724, 4S5 for
New York; next comes California, with
1875; Maine. s1,2s5,s25; Oregon and
Washington, $l.lo6. COZ. and Virginia, sos5. asa.
Porto Rico is assigned s3a2. 400, while the
national capital is set down for ST.. 600.