Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-12-06

troll. Manila once within telegraphlc
reach. connection with the systems Of
the Asiatic coast would open increased
and profitable opportunities for more
direct cable route from our shores to the
Orient than is now afforded by the trans
Atlantic, continental and trans-Asian
lines. urge attention to this important
matter.
AN ARMY OF 10000 MEN.
The personal strength of the army 10
10000 men-65,0O regulars and 5000 vol
unteers. Under the act of March 2, 1883,
on the S0th of June next the personal
volunteer force will be discharged and
the regular army will be reduced to q
AL officers and 29025 enlisted men. In
1883 board of officers convened by Pres
ident Cleveland adopted comprehensive
scheme of coast defense fortitications
which involved the outlay of something
over sl000O0,0OO The plan received the
approval of the congress and since then
regular appropriations have been made
and the work of forttication has steadily
progressed. More than 600 have been
invested in great number of forts and
guns with all the complicated and sci
entiiic machinery and electrical appliances
necessary for their use, The proper care
of this defensive machinery requires men
trained in its use The number Of men
necessary to perform this duty alone Is
ascertained by the war department at
minimum allowance to be lSi@, There
are IS or more military posts in the Unit
ed States other than the coast defense
Notifications. The number OF these posts
Is being constantly increased by con-
gress More than So 900 600 have been ex-
pended In building and equipment. and
they can only be cared for by the regular
army. The posts now in existence and
others to be built provide for accommo-
dations for. and If fully garrisoned, re-
Quirc f,000 troops Many OF these posts
are along our frontier or at important
strategic points. the occupation OF which
Is necessary. We have In Cuba between
5000 and COCO troops. For the present
our troops in that island cannot he with
drawn or materially diminished, and GER
tainly not until the conclusion OF the la
bors of the constitutional convention now
In session and a government provided by
the new constitution shall have been es-
tablshed and its stability assured.
In Porto Rico we have reduced the gar
risons to 1876. which include 500 native
troops. There Is no room for further re-
ducton here We will be required to keep
considerable force In the Philippine !s-
lands for some time to come, From the
best information obtainable we shall need
OOO IN On nm men | am sure the number
nav he reduced as Inc Insurgents shall
come ia acknowledge the authority Of the
JInited States of which there are az
surinr Indications. ii must be apparent
that we viii require an army OF about
GOUO and that during present conditions
in cuba and the PHILIPPINES the president
should have AUTHORITY 70 lnc ,nO oSo , the
Included in his number authority should
ha given Ia raise native troons In the
ph,Iinnimes nm In IL oo0 which tho Tnf,
nomm,esjon believes will be more effective
in Injecting and sunnrossing gucrrlllns.
o am and ,adrones than our own sol
49, s,sn. M f,,,, dtsnnss,an ~ thle uubicct
H,ets s av aa ' ~ wa IN h,s a~rnn re
n ny ,' ,s called 10 vour EARNEST attention
po'' IL '"'''' w ''"' ''''
HONOR MEDALS FOR VOLUNTEERS
ropow tho rocomme,dot,o, made In
M, l,st ANIMAL n,nse,gn tbot ,ha con.
n ,,,s ,", nrov,do " n sneci"i modal NJ honor
g. ,ba voimnt cove roor,ors soilnrs ana
r"r r, tn w, n,, f., ,o phI,n",nes VIA
,ni,,nto r,,u ra,,ai od l., ,hn sar,ice n ftcr
salr r,,,s ',,'' nnI,s, ~ hoa ovnroJ
WA fa,or tho rnoo,, 1I, ' ~ n COO.
iawo' w ,e'U c ~, ','" atnu VI nrrcors
49,. ~, ' ~, W. -, NV WIN, ,,,, ", vaaan
LII, III .,,u nv -, ',n n,, ".ut Will Az
r,eS "ontr 40 e,n "",,'" onar,nont
pp ", asnorois donor,,oont euh'
,''" In snnu,
e.s '.s f s't Fly, ,i,,,u 1911,
g nv. ''pa,' ,'en. "no a'h n,u, 'oap'
nns n,nv ua', I'M, ~ ~ ,on m,snN e"m,'
NV, III i's la,',,,u' ",o onvu.Nt No,
n az III ne',e lm in oper"'l1ns ~ .,e
mr,u lily we u'''cu'' Wo'N VI cNh "o-
Hihis'ra'lon'
RURAL FREE DELIVERY or MAIL.
The continued and rapId prowth of tbc
nostal servire 10 ",re ,ndoS ny H.. % ',ront
and i,creosina hsin, ,,'u n,, vi " ha
country lis most str,Eirg ', nav dove,om'
ment IL the extereion ~ rnroi froo do-
livery This has coma nIno,, whnilv
within the iaet veor ihn ho,inninog
| NJ tho ascal veor ieoo- 1ooG ,ha ,,,,f,hnr %
ro,,tee in onaratjnr wou oviy All o,,d MOD,
Of these bad been running I lnss IN ihan 70
months IN tho I5,h ~ Novo,nbor iaoo
The number had lncreoeed to . IA ron ,cI,
Ing into IA states and territorlcq and
serving a population of l,SOlb24, The
n wai,po o, nppcnt,"ns now hcndhg and
.N"'.,e "N,ioh neatly 'uuu'N Hn 'nuro
granted up, to the present time and by
inc close or the current fiscal yenr about
4,Uo routes VIII nave been eslahlished,
provlding tor the dally delivery or mails
u. lhe scattered MONIES or nboul 5M0,WW
OF rural population rms service ame-
l,orates the ISOLATION or farm llfe, con
uuces 70 good ROADS ana qulckens ana ex-
lenus t'e nlssenlna'lon OF general lnror..
ilali0n, experience mus inr mas tendcd
70 allay me apprehension ihat 1t would
W 80 eApenslVe US 10 lorplu lls general
4auop'loi or MAKE II serious nurdcn.
,ls hcluai hpplicalloli mas SHOWN mat u
increases postal receipts ana can be nc
coHlpahlcd by renuctions ID 0ther pranch.
es OF lhe service so that NE augmented
revenues ana NE ACCOMPLISHED savings
,ro , nihle'la,ly reduce the net cost
Lhe evidences which point TO these con
cIusiot,s ure presented N detall IN the
annual rsnorl OF me poslmas'er general
which, WIN us reconfncnnatlohs' Is rec
Commended no TO- NE CONSIDERATION o. Ne
special service, however, requires such
large outlay OF money that 1t should he
Undertaken only AFTER n careful study and
thorough understanding OF all that II
Involves.
NEEDS OF THE NAVY
verv oa,o,an, ssr,,,oo ha. hao,, .o,ao.s
'.v"t '.is,. ,,, M o.e ~, 'v ~, ~
srrrection in the PhIllnnines and The re-
cnnt disturha ncea In China A vary ant