Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-12-07
THE ARMY,
The President Recommends an In.
crease to $4,000 or 10000 Men.

VhS ffe810ent recommends I'm Inc
crease to $4,000 or 10000 Men.
The present strength of the army is loo..
900 men. 5000 regulars and 5000 yolun.
| teers. Under the act of March 2, 1893. on
| the 30th of June next the present volun.
| tesr force will be discharged and the regu.
| lar army will be reduced to 2,447 officers
| and 29,025 enlisted men,
| In 1888 a board of officers convened by
President Cleveland adopted eoimsp pr chen
| which involved the outlay of something
over 500 100000. This plan received the ap-
proy Of the AND haaG 1hen and
the work of fertilization has steadily
progressed.
Investment in Guns and Forts.
More than s60,O0O,0Oo have been invested
in a great number of forts and guns, with
all the complicated and scientific machin-
cry and electrical appliances necessary
for their The pr9pep eare nI
In its use. The number of men necessary
to perform this duty alone is ascertained
by the war department at minimum
There are S. or more military posts in
the United States other than the coast
The number Of these posts is being. cons
stantiy zoo increased me- e by the congress More
| building and equipment. and they can only
be cared for by the regular army The
built provide for Observation-Disclosures for and,
| II fully garrisoned. require 26,OO0 troops
Many of these posts are along our frontier
| or at important strategic points, the occus
| patton of which Is necessary,
The Need of Soldiers,
We have in Cuba between 5000 and 6,6,o
| troops. For the present our troops in that
Island cannot be withdrawn or materially
clusion of the labors of the constitutional
| convention now in session and-a govern
beea ~ ths
| assured.
In Porto R BIG we have reduced the gar
troops. There is no room for further re-
keep q considerable force in the philip
the best information obtainable We shall
ne ed there e to- Ter the immediate future from
i.y Of the United GATES 81 Which u there
are assuring indications.
SSFisE Rrs.sas eenalsioasS I'm n c S and
PRESENT nunbe1 't 81 o 'G inslud DC a
this number authority should be given to
to l.. ooo which the raft tt commission rs b ap
| lieve viii be more effective in detecting
snd suppressing suerrillas, .assassins and
The full discussion Of this subject by
| the secretary of war In his annual report
| - called 20 your earnest attention.
A Medal for Volunteers.
| I renew the Recommendation made in my
| last annual message that the congress pro.
| vide special medal Of honor for the vols
1antseEs regulars; sailors and nd, marinss on
enlistment had expired.
!, ! favor the recommendation of the Sec
| rotary OF war for the detail OF officers
from the line Of the army when vacancies
occur In the ad5utant generals depart-
| quartermaster generals department. sub.
nance department ard Signal corps. :
ghs a oi M sf aS ss ee ghy
| field and the difhcult work Of civil admins.
i tration.
The Postal Service.
The continued and rapid growth of the
postal service is a sure index of the great
and increasing business activity of the
country. Its most striking new develop
ment IS the extension Of rural free delivery
| This has come almost wholly within the
last year. At the beginning of the fiscal
! year 1ss9-1900 the number of routes in
operation ps alton was only as1 and most Of these
the 18th Of November, 1900 the number had
increased, to 2,614. reaching into A states
and serving a
now pending and awaiting action nearly
| equals all those granted up to the present
time, ana by the close OF the current aScal
| year about 1000 routes will have been es-
i tablished, providing for the daily delivery
i Of mails at the scattered homes of about
$4,000 of rural population.
Value of Rural Delivery.
This service ameliorates the isolation of
farm life, conduces to good roads, and
Quickens and extends the dissemination OF
general information Experience thug far
has tended to allay the apprehension that
4 1t would be so expensive as to forbid its
general adoption or make It serious bur.
den. Its actual application has shown thsf
| 1t increases postal receipts, and can be aes
companied by reductions in other branches
of the service, 80 that the augmented rev.
enues and the accomplished savings to-
gether materially reduce the net cost, The
are presented in detail in the annual re-
port of the postmaster general which with
Its recommendations Is recommended to
/ the consideration of the congress. The full
development Of this special service. how
ever, requires such a large outlay OF money
that 1t should be undertaken only after q
careful study and thorough understanding
of all that 1t involves.
The Navy.
Very efficient service has been rendered
/ by the navy in connection with the insur-
rection In the Philippines and recent dis
turbance In China.
A very satisfactory settlement has been
! made OF the long-pending question Of the
| manufacture Of armor plate. A reason
able price has been secured and the ne
oessity for government armor plant
avoided
4 l approve Of the Recommendations Of the
for additional officers and men which the
REQUIRED Increase of the navy makes necpE-