The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-31
STRENGTH OF THE ARMY.
The Annual Report of Adjutnnt Gen.
eral Eoshin Made Public.

Corbin. AdJitant General of the Army
was made public yesterday and con-
tains much matter of interest. The re-
port covers the. operations of the army
in the Philippines, and in China. and
touches on Cuba, Porto Rico, and Hawaii.
The strength 81 the Regular Army is
shown as being 2,5S5 officers and GS,S61
enlisted men. The volunteer forces num-
Der 1913 officers and 31,079 men, total
of $500.
AT present these forces are distributed
as follows: In the United States. 1888;
in Alaska. LOSS; in Porto Rico, 2.046; in
Cuba. 5.46S; in the Philippines. 69.l61;
| IN Hawaii, 219; in China, 1850. The rum
her of deaths during the year was 1904.
In referring to the volunteer regiments
the report says:
"Of the 100000 men called into the mill
tary service under the act of Congress
dated April 90, 1898. for the prosecution
of the war then existing between the
United States and Spain, all had been
mustered out of service at the date of
last report with the exception of the First
| Tennessee Infantry. That regiment. then
en- route for the United States. was nus
tered cut at San Francisco November %,
| 1899.
I'm view of the briefness of the unex-
pired service OF the volunteers it was
thought proper to discharge those who
had been invaded to San Francisco from
time to time. rather than return them to
duty in the Philippine Islands.
| ION September 6. 1900. there were 435
| invalided volunteers in the Department
of California-234 in general hospitals. 1854
at the Preside. San Francisco, and 81 at
Fort Mason: 3S5 being reported as con-
valescent and able to travel were dis
charged
The casualties in China are given as
| follows: Killed. officers and 30 men.
| Wounded, officers and 40 enlisted men.
| Under the head of West Point the re-
port says:
1.-The Military Academy at West Point
| is in most satisfactory condition. The
provision which Congress made at its last
session for an increase of 100 cadets filled
a need long felt by the service, and will
result in, great benefit both to the army
and to the country at large.
The wear and tear of time has told
on many of the buildings, and much
| money has been spent from time to time
in repair Of buildings that would have
been better spent in the erection of new
ones. This question has been fully con-
sidered by hoard of officers convened
for this special purpose, the report OF
which is SO thorough and satisfactory that
it is submitted in its entirety and your
favorable consideration requested. The
Superintendent of the Academy will be in
structed to submit special estimates based
on the report of this board.
1.-The board of officers appointed by di-
rection OF the Secretary of War fer the
consideration Of proper regulations, with
a view to the establishment of a war
college for the army has not yet formu-
lated its conclusions on this important
subject. The purpose of the Department
in establishing this college is to further
the higher instruction of the army; to
develop and organize, in accordance with
coherent and unified system. the exist
ing means Of professional education and
training. and to serve as co-ordinated
and authoritative agency of this Office
through which all means of professional
military information shall be at all times
at the disposal of the War Department
The following reference is made to the
post exchange and the canteen system:
THE operation of the post exchanges
during the past year, despite the attacks
of the opposition outside of the army,
which have been persistent and unre-
hitting. has been especially gratifying
Every complaint OF specific violations of
abuses. has been promptly and impair
TALLY investigated and in every instance
found to have been unwarrnted.
Reports from the Philippine Islands
indicate that the post exchange has be-
come an absolute necessity, cur troops
being scattered at something over 400
stations. at small towns and villages.
where it is quite impossible to pr
chase anything beyond the ordinary
Of hot COLI nf
beer in these exchanges has pre-
vented the soldiers from drinking the |
vile native connections known as ami |
sado' and 'bino,' or vino which in |
the early days of our occupation. pre- |
scented a very serious problem to the |
military authorities, is proven by abun- |
dant testimony.
Similar reports have been received
from Cuba, where the conditions are
very much like those in the Philippine
Islands; several officers. including Cen
eral Lee. having reported that drunken
ness has almost entirely disappeared |
since the sale of beer has been permitted .
in their commands. The chief surgeon |
at Santiago de Cuba reports that after
the troops We're scattered, owing to the
outbreak of yellow fever in 1899 can
teens were discontinued at many posts !
in eastern Cuba, but that alcoholism and
ed to an alarming extent, the latter al
most fourfold at some posts. and as the
increase could not be traced to the food
or water the surgeons attributed it to
rum which is easily procured at very
slight cost in that section; that canteens
were then opened, and the subsistence of
these troubles was as remarkable as their
rise lin one post, in one month. intesti-
nal troubles decreased so per cent?. He.
therefore. believes that to close the can
teen In that country without first clos
ing all possible avenues for the procur-
ing of rum within radius of ten miles
would be sanitary suicide. and from
practical observations is led to the con-
clusion that the closing OF the post can
teen in Cuba would be an unjust ifiable as
well as a dangerous experiment
What has been said of Cuba is equal
~ applicable to Porto Rico. The inspec-
tor general of that department, in his
annual report for 1900, remarks as fol-
lows:
Here we find exceptional conditions. all tend
ing in marked degree TO drag the soldier down
to a lower social place than any of our army
has ever known before. With native rum at ,
or cents per drink. and the cheap cOmplacency
of the degraded female attendants in the saloons
which abound near every garrison, it is easy to
discern the causes to which many of
drunkenness and other disorders attributable.
Because of the absence of suitable rccreative re-
sorts when off duty and the wide gulf which
foreign language has placed between them and the
better classes of the people, the men forced
to seek diversion among the lower elements. |
understand that efforts will be renewed at the
next session OF Congress to prohibit the sIle OF
beer in post canteens, and j therefore beg to
record the conviction that, far garrisons in
the islands are concerned such legislation would