The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-04

an adequate force Of artillery officers and
men who make the handling of such ma
chinery their business. This is practi-
cally a new requirement for the army
1t Gid not exist to any considerable extent
| prior to the building of the new fortifi-
cations. The number of men necessary to
| perform this duty is capable OF exact
! computation, and the number required
| according to the men most familiar with
the business is, at minimum allowance
| 1920.
A Permanent Army of 10000.
1.-THE facts which have now stated in
dictate that We require permanently an
army of about $4,000 American troops, and
that during the present conditions in Cuba
and the Philippines about the present num-
| Der of 100000 are required. Provision
| should be made for a minimum force OF
| $4,000. and with an authorized maximum OF
100000, and with authority to substitute
coded by Spain. as that shall become prac-
| ticabie, native troops under the command
| of American officers.
Those elements of war, therefore. which
| require the longest time for preparation
| should receive special attention in the
| formation of a Regular Army, and these
| which can nest speedily be made ready
should be supplied by the volunteer. These
considerations lead to the conclusion that
the Regular Army should be made par
ticularly strong in its engineering force
and material; in its artillery, which cannot
possibly be improvised and which cannot
be handled by unframed men, and in its
cavalry. which requires far greater time
for selection. equipment, and training than
does infantry.
In the organization of such an army
as Congress may authorize, 1t is plainly
desirable to keep in mind the relation
which the different branches of the Regu-
lar Army will bear to the entire body Of
troops, in case Of war, which will be COM
posed chiefly of volunteers. Much as We
desire peace. and strenuously as
we shall always endeavor to pre-
serve it, we cannot. of course. expect
to be free from war in the future any
more than we have been in the past. The
ornaments of other powers are SO great
that almost any conflict in which We may
be SO unfortunate as to become involved
will require a very much larger force
than any standing army which we are
willing to maintain.
For such conflict the country relies,
| and justly relies. for its main strength
upon the volunteers who will always be
available for its defence. We should ar
! range our Regular Army so that IL shall
! be the strongest where volunteer forces
are the weakest. so that the combined
army of regulars and volunteers may be
symmetrical, well balanced, and properly
distributed among the different branches
of the service and properly trained and
| disciplined for every kind of military
| operation.
| Wars, of course, always come unex-
! pectedly. and modern wars proceed with
great rapidity from the very outset.
An Appropriation for Indians.
In speaking of the Alaskan Indian Sec
rotary Root says:
For years he has extended his hospi-
| tally TO adventurous white men. His hut
has been shelter for the shipwrecked
| sailor and frost-bitten miner. Poor as
were his supplies. they have been opened
| to the weary and hungry traveller. The
! tales that could be told of acts of charity
on the part Of the Eskimo would in them
selves constitute a powerful plea in his
behalf. But few of these people now re-
man. and they are enfeebled by disease
and privaton. Under the great rush of
whit. men following the discoveries OF
! gold the game and fur bearing animals
upon which they depended have almost
disappeared. and their means of subss-
| tence are practically gone. ! strongly
| recommend that 4 moderate appropriation
| be made for their relief"