Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-12-07
FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS.
Army Should Be 6O,OOO to 10000
The Navy, POstoficcs, Etc.

| Army Should Be 10000 to 100000
The Navy, POstofiiccs, Etc.
| The present strength of the Army is
| 100, 600 men-65, 600 regulars and 35 1000 vol
unteers. Under the act of March 2, 1899.
| on the Both of June next the present vol
unteer force will be discharged and the
! Regular Army will be reduced to 24U
| officers and 29.025 enlisted men. In 1883
| a board of officers convened by President
| Cleveland adopted comprehensive
| scheme of coast defense and Notifications
which involved the outlay of something
over s10O, COO. 900. THIS plan received the
| approval of the Congress and since then
regular apropriati tions have been made and
| the work of fortifcat!on has steadily
| progressed. More than $4,000 600 have
| been invested in a great number Of forts
and guns with all the complicated and
scientific machinery and electrical appli-
ances 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 ascertafned by the War Department.
at minimum allowance, to be Is. S.420.
There are 5S more military posts in
! the United States other than the coast
defense Notifications. The number Of
| these posts is being constantly increased
| by Congress. More than S22, 600 have
| been expended In building and cquipping
| them. and they can only be cared for
| by the Regular Army. The posts now in
existence and others TO be built provide
accommodations. for, and, IL fully gar
| risoned, require 26, 0c0 troops. Many OF
| these posts are along our frontier or at
important strategic points, the occupa-
| ton Of which is necessary. We have In
| Cuba between 5000 and 5000 troops. For
| the present our troops in that island can
] not be Withdrawn or materially dimin-
| ished, certainly not until the conclusion
of the labors of the constitutional conven-
| ton now in session and a government pro-
| vided ty the National Constitution should
| have been established and it's stability
assur d. In Porto Rico we have re-
ducee he garrisons to 1886. which include
1896 native troops. There is no room for
further reduction here We will be re-
| quired to keep a considerable force in
| the Philippine Islands for some time to
come. From the best information OBJ
tainable we shall need there for the i'm
mediate future from $4,000 to $4,000 men.
/ am sure the number may be reduced as
the insurgents shall come to acknowledge
the authority of the United States. OF
which there are assuring indications.
It must be apparent that We will re-
quire an army of about 10000, and that
during present conditions in Cuba and
the Philippines the President should have
authority to increase the force to the
present number of 100000. Included In
this, authority should be given to raise
| native troops in the Philippines up to
Is 0O0 which the Taft commission believes
will be more effective in detecting and
suppressing guerillas, assassins and Ia
drones than our own soldiers.
The full discussion of this subject by
the Secretary of War in his annual re-
port is called to your earnest attention
The Navy.
Very efficient service has been rendered
by the Navy in connection with the insur-
rection in the Philippines, and the recent
disturbance in China.
A very satisfactory settlement has been
made of the long-pending question of the
manufac cture of armor-plates. A reason
able price has been secured, and the
necessity for Government armor-plate
plant avoided.
The Hawaiian Islands.
Much interesting information is given In
the report of the Governor of Hawaii as
to the progress and development of the
islands during the period from July Z,
1898. the date of the approval of the joint
resolution of the Congress providing for
their anne xation up to April 30 1900 the
date of the approval of the act providing
a government for the territory and there
after. The last Hawaiian census, taken
in the year 1896, gives a total populatio
of I09 O2O, of which ,019 were native Ha-
waiians The number of Americans re-
ported was 84S5. The results of the FED
eral census taken this year show the
islands to have a total population of 154,-
001, showing an increase over that report
ed in 1896 of 1881, or 4.2 per cent. There
has been marked progress in educational.
agricultural and railroad development OF
the islands.
The Twelfth Census.
The Director of the Census states that
the work in connection with the 18th GEN.
sus is progressing favorably. This Ma
tional undertaking, ordered by the Con-
gress each decade has finally resulted IN
the collection of an agregat ton OF stats,
tical facts to determine the Industrial
growth of the country, Its manufacturing
and mechanical resources, its richness In
mines and forests the numbers of its
agricultural districts. their farms ara
portunities, as well as questions pertain
ing to sociological condit ons. =.
PrecautiOn Against Extravagance.
In our great prosperity we must guard
against the dangers 1t invites in extrav-
agance in government expenditures and
appropria tions, and the chosen represen-
tatives of the people VIII. doubt not, fur
nish an example in their legislation OF
that wise economy which, in a season OF
plenty, husbands for the future. In this
era of great business activity and oppor-
tunity caution is not untimely. 1t will
not abate but strengthen our confidence.
1t will not retard but promote legitimate
Industrial and commercial expansion.
Our growing power brings with 1T temp
tations and perils requiring constant Wig
flance to avoid. 1t must not be used to in
vite conflicts, nor for oppression, but for
the more effective maintenance of those
principles of equality and Justice upon
which our institutions and happiness de-
pend. Let us keep always in mind that
the foundation of our Government is lib
erty; its superstructure peace.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.