The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-25
FLAG WOULD Be D!SGRiCED
Mr. Root Points Out Disastrous Re-
suits of Delay on Army Bill.
Abandonment of Many Points Now Held in
the Philippines and Desertien of
Friendly FiIipinos We Are
Pledged TO Protect.

At the last meeting of the Senate Com
mittee on Military Affairs, the proceed
ings of which were made public yesterday.
Secretary Root made a strong presenta-
ton of the necessity for immediate legis-
lalion for the relief of the army. He
stated broadly that if Congress did not at
once increase the army in substantial ac-
cordance with the recommendations of
the War Department. the United States
would be obliged to abandon large por-
tion of the Philippine Islands where civil
government is established. If the present
garrisOns are withdrawn from certain
portions of the islands the municipal Off
GERS, mostly F1lipinos. will be left defense
less with every prospect of being deprived
of their lives and property, and at the
same time the United States will be dis
graced, the Secretary said, for having
proved faithless to its solemn obligations.
The Secretary argued that it was neces-
sary 10 pass the department bill as a
whole in order to properly adjust the mil
itary organization TO the new conditions
created by an increase of numbers. I'VE
do not, any of u.s." he said, expect that
for any considerable period an army of
600 men will be maintained, and for an
army of $1,000 men the provisions made
(by the cemmittee) are sufficient"
With reference TO the matter of staff de-
tails, the Secretary said that he was con-
WINGED that the control of the permanent
staff departments in the city Of Washing
ton is an evil that ought TO be remedied. and
that it is highly important for the army
that there should be interchangeable serv-
ice between the line and the staff. In an
swer "a an inquiry the Secretary said that
was a corps or regimental formation of
the artillery branch, and that while he
favored the former he really cared very
little about the matter, which he regarded
as purely technical question. He said he
had put the corps formation provision
into the bill because IL had been generally
represented to him as wise provision.
Secretary Root devoted considerable at
tention ir his testimony 10 the army can
teen. urging that II was 4 great means 9f
maintaining the morality. health, and G.s
cipline of the troops. He pointed out thar
the post exchange is a club, where the
men get together TO read, talk, and smoke,
playing checkers and other games ana
drinking under such natural restraints as
the place afforded.
A prohibition of the canteen, the Secre-
tary said, would interfere with enlist
ments, as the men would not enlist II
they knew they were going TO be con-
fined in a reform school He considered
the agitation against the canteen as a
misguided one holding that the abolition
of the canteen would drive the soldiers
out of the post exchange, where they were
subject TO salutary restraints, into the de-
moraliZing and vicious surroundings out
side OF army posts. IL would result in
more drinking and more deception among
those who drink The Secretary also
pointed out that the proposed enactment
would convey an entirely erroneous and
preJudicial view to the public as 10 what
had been the course of the army in regu-
lating the sale of liquor up to this time