The age-herald., 1900-12-04

l
 suant of the provisions of the electoral
 law of Aprl IS, 1900. and the amendments I thereof"
 | The election was held on the 18th of Sep l tember and the convention assembled on
 the 5th of November, and Is now in ses- l sion.
 In calling the convention to order, the l Military Governor of Cuba made the fol- | lowing statement: "As military Governor l of the island, representing the President of
 the United States, I call this conventon to
 order. It will be your duty first to frame
 and adopt a constitution for Cuba, and when that has been done to formulate what in your opinion ought to be the re- l lations between Cuba and the United 1 States
 "The constitution must adequately se-
 cure stable, orderly and free government. 1 When you have formulated the relations which in your opinion ought to-exist be- l tween Cuba and the United States, the I government of the United States will l doubtless take such action on its part as
 shall lead to final and authoritive agree 1 ment between the people of the two coun- l tries to the promotion of their common in- 1 terests
 "All friends of Cuba will follow your de- l Alterations with the deepest interest, earn estly desiring that you shall reach just | conclusions and that by the dignity individ- ual self-restraint and wise conservatism, which shall characterize your proceedings, the capacity of the Cuban people for rep
 
 illustrated.
 '"rhe fundamental distinction between true representative government and dictator ship is that in the former every represen-
 tative of the people in whatever office, con- fines himself strictly within the limits of his powers Without such restraint there can be no free constitution Under the order pursuant to which you have been elected and convened you have 1 no duty and authority to take part in | the present government of the island Your powers are strictly limited by the terms of that order.''
 When the convention concludes it's la Dor I will transmit to the Songress the con
 clusions as framed by the convention for its consideration and for such action as 1t may deem advisable. Gable Communication. I renew the recommendation made in my | special message of February 10, 1900, to
 the necessity for cable communication be-
 tween the United tSates and Hawaii, with extension to Manila. Surveys have shown the entire feasibility of a chain of cables
 which as each stopping place shall touch l on American territory so that the system | snail be under our own complete control Manila once within telegraphic reach con nection with the systems of the Asiatic coast would open increased and profitble opportunities for a more direct cable route | from our shore to the Orient than is now | afforded by the Transatlantic, Consinent- | al and Transatlantic lines I urge atten- l ton to this important matter.
 The Army.
 The present personal strength of the | army is 100000 mem, 65 900 regulars and 8, 600 l volunteers. Under the act of March ?, 1S99 on the 3Oth of June next present volunteer | force will be discharged and the regular | army will be reduced to 2,447 officials, and | @,025 enlisted men,
 In 1888 a board-of officers convened by | President Cleveland adopted a compre- hensive scheme of coast defense fortifica- uons, which involved the outlay of some thing over one hundred million dollars.
 This plan received the approval of the Congress, and since then regular appro- priations have been made and the work of fortification has steadily progressed
 More than $60, ,000, GOO has been invested in a great number of forts and guns, with all the complicated and scientific machinery and electrical appliances necessary for their use. The proper care of this defensive ma chnery requires men trained in it's use. The number of men necessary to perform this duty alone is ascertained by the War Department at a minimum allowance to be IS, ,420
 There are ffty-eight or more military
 posts in the United States other than the
 coast defense fortifcations.
 The number of these posts is being con stantly increased by Congress. More than $22S, ,OOOO,0 900 has been expended in building and equipment and they can only be cared
 
 in existence and others to be built provide for accommodations for, and if fully gar I1soned, require 26,000 troops. Many of these posts are along our frontier or at import ant strategic points, the occupation of which | is necessary.
 We have in Cuba between 5000 and 5000 | troops. For the present our troops in that l island cannot be withdrawn or materially l diminished, and certainly not until the con- | cluSion of the labor of the constitutional | n q on
 ment provided for by the new constitution shall have been established and its Stabil- l ity assured.
 In Porto Rico we have reduced the gar risons to 1886, which include S96 native troops. There Is room for further re- duction here. We will be required to keep
 a considerable force in the Philippine Isl- ands for some time to come. From the best information obtained, we shall need there for the immediate future from 50000 to 60,OOO men. I am the number may be reduced, as the insurgents s-slr-.. ooine to acknowledge the aut' ilJy of the United States, of which .fNere are assuring indi- cations.
 IL -..4s, De apparent that we will require an army of about 5000, and that during present conditions in Cuba and the Philip ! pines the President should have authority i to increase the force to the present num-
 Der of 100000. Included in this number
 thority should be given to raise native 1 troops in the Philippines up 15 000 which l the Taft commission will be more effective 1 in determining and suppressing guerrillas,
 assassins and Ladrones, than our own sol diers.
 The full discussion of this subject by the l Secretary of War in his annual report Is called to your earnest attention. 1 renew the recommendation made in l my last annual message that Congress pro l vide a special medal of honor for the vol l unteers regulars, sailors and marines on
 duty in the Philippines, who voluntarily
 remained in the service after their terms of enlistment had expired. I favor the recommendation of the Sec
 retary of War for the detail of officers of
 the line army when vacancies occur in the l adjutant generals department; in the in-
 spectors department; quartermaster's de-
 partment, subsistence department, pay de- i partment, ordnance department and signal corps. The army cannot be too highly ] commended for its faithful and effective