The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-07
Supplies for Operations in China
VIII Be Sent There.
Decision Reached by Secretary Root
Last NiSht-So More Troops to BE
Withdrawn From the Philippines
Plans for Sending Additional
Forces to the Celestial Empire.

| L
for service in China was the most impor
tant under discussion. General MacArthu
| has protested 10 the Secretary of Wa
against a further reduction at this time o
his military force, and complained that th'
withdrawal of the Ninth Infantry NIGH
affect the free acceptance of the amnesty
proclamation already issued.
| General Otis sustained General MacAr
thur in the position that troops should ne
be withdrawn from the Philippines. and il
| was decided that General Macarthur
force will not be further drawn upon tc
| supply troops for service in China. This
| conclusion is considered vitality necessary
1 at this time. as the Filipinos have had I'M
| der consideration for several weeks the
general amnesty proclamation, and any
| withdrawal of troops would. in the opinion
| of General Macarthur and General Otis,
| be followed by efforts on the part of the
! inSurgent leaders to reorganize their forces
| and open hostiities anew.
Another question disposed of last night
| was whether base of supplies for the
| Chinese expedition should be established
| at Manila or at San Francisco. The War
Department has recognized that the send
| ing of a large force to China will necessi-
and maintenance. To do this will require
good base of supplies and it has been
decided to establish this at Manila and
send the supplies from there to China by
special transports.
Orders will be issued today for General
Macarthur to send to Taku a complete
hospital equipment and medical supplies
for a field hospital of $50 men. This hos
pital equipment is only for the troops al
ready ordered to China and will be greatly
enlarged when other troops are ordered.
Plans for sending additional troops to
China, under tentative orders for the Phil
ippines, are still under consideration by
the Secretary Of War. Adju;ant General
Corbin announced yesterday morning that
the order designating certain troops for
service in the Philippines TO go by way Of
Nagasaki Japan, would be made public
later in the day but Secretary Root de-
cided not to approve the schedule submit
ted by General Corbin until he conferred
with General Miles and General Otis.
Before promulgating the order Secretary
Root will see that it meets with the
approval of the Lieutenant General Com
manding the Army. and it is not improb
bic that some changes may be made
in it By the Secretary himself. He OK
planned yesterday that the schedule pre-
other than tentative. as he desired to
fully consider the subject before making
any changes in the position of troops aow
In this country.
IL is admitted that within the next three
months nearly 5000 troops are TO be sent
from the United States to the East. To
DO this Will require many changes in the
garrisons of this country. The problem of
transferring troops from one post 10 an
other SO as TO fill all the posts of the
United States and at the sa.le time per-
init the departure of 5000 troops kept the
officials o. the Adiutant Generals depart
ment busy ali day yesterday. Schedule
after schedule was prepared and sub
mitted to General Corbin before one was
determined upon which met with his ap
prevail. Even then il could not be said
TO be final, and for this reason General
Corbin refused to make it public. He ex-
planned that it would undoubtedly be cub
iect TO change by either the Secretary OF
War or General Miles. and until 1t was ap-
proved and promulgated in the form of an
official order he would not give It out for
publication.
The problem Of selecting troops for SER
vice in China was made harder By reason
of the scarcity of troops NOW in this COM
try. Garrisons in the United States are
now held by the smallest number of troops
possible, and there is but one regiment OF
infantry now in this country that has not
some part of ii in foreign service. 1t is the
Fifteenth Infantry. with headquarters at
Plattsburg Barracks, and the officials now
contemplate sending the entire regiment
out of tie country. not even retaining a
home battalion. OF the cavalry there are
but TWO complete regiments at home. tie
First and Ninth. All the other troops row
in the United States are merely home bat
talions Of some regimental organize ton,
either in Cuba, Porto Rico, or the Philip
pines.
It was stated at the War Department
that the schedule submitted to Secretary
Root includes the following troops: Fiji
teenth Infantry, two battalions of which
are now under orders, and the remaining
battalion may be included; First Cavalry,
two battaiions of which are recommended !
but entire regiment may be sent; Ninth
Cavalry, two battalions recommended but |
may be changed 10 entire regiment; home !
battalion. Second Infantry. consisting uf |
e, F, H, at Fort Thomas, Ky, |
G. at Columbus Barracks. Ohio; home bat
talon of the Fifth Infantry. consisting o. |
Companies l. X L. NJ. at Fort Sheridan,
H.; home battalion Of Eighth Infantry. |
Of Companies ]. X, l., NJ, at Fort |
Smelling. Mimi: one Of the returning bat
talions each of the Second Infantry, Fifth
Infantry, and Eighth Infantry, ordered |
,nfne from Cuba and home battalion of the |
Third Cavalry, stationed at Fort Myer, Va
OF the Second, Fifth, and Eighth lnfan-
ry two battalions will return from Cuba.
I is the intention of the officials TO have
complete battalion of strong, healthy
men picked from each 81 TIE two returning |
)attalions ana use them for foreign SER
ice. In this way the Second, Fifth and
eighth Infantry would each have two bat
alions in foreign service composed Of ac-
I've, strong men, and have a small home
battalion which could in the mean time
DC recruited up to its full strength.
An indication OF the number Of men |
Shich the Department intends to send TO
Hagasah before the end of September Is
'hown by the preparations by the Quarter
master General for the Transportation nv
iea. Plans have already been made for
he transportation Of more than 1000
roops and II is expected that additional
transports will be placed in service to
,rovide for the transportation of at least
,0O0 troops 10 the East before the 1st of
october Should this number be diverted
I NagasaM and go to Taku 1t will make
he entire American force in China very
ear eight or nine thousand men.
The War Department issued an order
yesterday directing that all supply ships
nd transports leaving for Manila shall
ouch at Kobe and await orders. The
upply ships Conemaugh and Leeianaw,
which left San Francisco on July ] for
ianila, will be signaled to stop at Kobe, I
nd then proceed 10 either Taku or Chefoo,
o that the troops now in China may not
ant for anything.