The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-19
COST OF PHILIPPINES
HEAVY LOSSES OF REGULAR AND
VOLUNTEER TROOPS.
C0RBIN'S ANNUAL REPORT
YEARS LOSSES 1924 REGULARS
AND 25,OoO VOLUNTEERS.

Casualties for Three Years 115 on
GERS and 3,37S Men Killed and 1S@
Omcers and 2,046 Men Wounded.
The Adjutant General Makes n
Number of Interesting Recommen-
dations-OnIy Non-Commissioncd
Officers should BE Promoted From
the Ranks-Oficer's Servants
Should Be Enlisted.
Washington. Oct. 1S.-The annual re-
port of Maj. Gen. H. c. Corbin, ad-
jutant general of the army compre-
hensively reviews the work, condition
and needs of the military establish
ment. Cen Corbin submits a table to
show that the army in the Philippines
is to be reduced by expired enlistments
at the rate of about 1000 month from
now until June, 1902. The question
whether the regiments thus depleted
in strength are to remain so, or be re-
cruited to their full roster, he says,
is one requiring the very earliest con-
sideration, for if the latter is contem-
cial recruiting.
The losses from all causes in the
regular army and the volunteers from
July 1, 1900. to June 30 last, totaled
1924 officers and men, and in the for
mer and 25,O09 in the latter The cas-
ualties to the troops in the Philippines
since the date of the first arrival, June
| So, 1898. to June 80, last, were lis off,
GERS and 1878 men killed, and 1S2 Off
GERS and 2646 men wounded
Gen. Corbin invites special attention
to the remarks of Col Mills, superin-
tendent of the West Point Military
Academy, upon the improved discipline
and generally excellent condition of the
| cadet corps. 1t is safe to predict, says
| Gen. Corbin, that hazing of a brutal
nature is a thing of the past at The
academy, and that it will not soon be
again a subject for the consideration
of the department.
Gen. Corbin recommends that the
cadets of each graduating class be sent
to Fort Monroe for practice and in
| struction in sea coast gunnery.
No Commissions for Privates.
He recommends that the old law re-
quiring that each candidate from the
ranks for a commission in the army
| be a non commissioned officer in good
standing who has displayed an apti-
tude for command and control of men"
be revived. While great many excel
lent young men have come into the
service as officers under the law which
opens the way for commissions to en-
listed men who have had two wears
service, Gen. Corbin says there has
been number of others who have en-
tered the army as officers in this way
who are not up to the requirements of
| their rank.
To Do Away with Transports.
Gen. Corbin's. recent tour of the
/ Philippine Islands and his brief visit
| to Japan and Eastern China bears fruit
in some interesting suggestions. He
! believes that the army transport SER
vice on the Pacific is costing the gov
| ernment considerably more than the
use of commercial steamship lines
would, for the latter would have the
advantage, denied to the government,
| of transporting passengers, freight
| and mails to the Orient, both on out
ward and homeward voyages. and
would meet the needs for increasing
| American trade in the Orient. He
therefore suggests that Congress with
| safety could offer inducements to Unit
ed States shippers to install a line of
| steamers under charters that would
| permit them, in time of necessity, to
serve as reserve army and navy trans
| ports.
A Domestic Cable Needed.
An equally important need of the SER
vice, he says, is a domestic cable from
the Pacific coast to the Philippines. The
| present cable communication through
| Europe, Asia, China and Japan. he
says, for various reasons, should be
discontinued at the earliest possible
date. The rates charged by the exist
| ing cable service are exorbitant $23S
per word being the regular tariff on
messages between Washington and
| Manila.
Changes In Uniforms.
Gen. Corbin suggests the need of
many changes in the uniforms of Off
GERS and urges that the matter have
the early consideration of a competent
| board. During the recent military op-
erations in China the good name and
discipline of Gen. Chaffee's army
was several times called in
| to question by the rowdyism
of non-combatants dressed generally
in the uniform of soldier. Gen. Cor
bin therefore urges that farriers
teamsters and the like should have
uniforms different from the regularly
enlisted soldier. He also says that Of
ficers in active service should be pro-
vided servants, enlisted as such, and
with uniforms to distinguish them from
( the rank and file.
He strongly recommends that Con-
gress shall authorize the retirement of
not to exceed two major generals on
the active and one on the retired list
with the rank of lieutenant general. He
points out that the distinguished SER
vices of Maj. Gems. Merritt, Brooke and
Otis fully entitle them to this honor.
Honors Won hut Long Delayed.
Justice has been already too long de-
| layed, he says, in the matter of the
medals for exceptional war service
recommended by the late President Nc
inleKy in his message to Congress for
| 1899, for the volunteers, regulars, sail
ors and marines on duty in the Phil
| ippines, who voluntarily remained in
| the service after their terms Of enlist
ment had expired in order to serve
| their country in an extremity. and he
urges that this matter be brought to
the attention of Congress with renew
ed emphasis. He also cordially approves
a movement to give service medals TO
all officers and men of the regular and
volunteer troops who honorably served
in the war with Spain in the Philip
pines and in China.
-s--~
Three Trainmen Die I'm Collision.