New-York tribune., 1901-04-21
LIMITING ARMY INCREASE.
ropcE OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND
MEN NOT REQUIRED UNDER
PRESENT CONDITIONS.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]


ursshington April 2O-The rapid improve
asnt Of conditions in the Philippines and the
,vsction that concerted resistance to American
overeignty has practically ended with Agui-
,aldos declaration have again brought the sub
,ec, Of limiting army increase before the author
,.ses and the disposition is manifested to begin
military retrenchment Immediately.
Iieutenant-General Miles has recorded himself
9. opposed under the circumstances to raising
.,s army TO the 100000 maximum authorized
;, Congress in the Presidents discretion and IN
. formal recommendation TO the Secretary Of
War reiterates his plan for placing the army
neace footing with soldier to every one thou
.snd Of population. General Miles also urges
,be increase Of the artillery once to its maxi
mum. as contemplated by Congress, rather than
70 wait five years 10 bring the corps up TO the
strength which would enable it barely to care
for the costly coast defence system. His COM
uunication, which is under favorable con-
sideration by Secretary Root, is follows:
Headquarters of the Army,
April 3, 1901.
The Honorable Secretary of War.
Sir: In view Of the present condition Of af-
fairs Il is recommended that the strength of
the army be limited TO soldier to every
thousand population, namely, 10000 and that
the artillery corps be recruited without further
delay, so as TO provide thirty batteries Of field
artillery and 126 batteries of coast artillery as
1901 % ~ NELSON A. MILES.
Northumberland
The reasons for the decision reached by the
War Department to enlarge the artillery the
rate OF 20 per cent a year rested on what was
then thought TO be the more urgent demand for
large cavalry and infantry forces in the Philip
pines. and the probability that for some time
the bulk Of the army must consist Of those two
arms and be maintained beyond the Pacific.
This belief has been almost dissipated. and it is
now thought that General Chaffee will not
ouire more than 10000 active men next fall,
when civil government viii be in full operation,
and that, with the recruits under orders for the
Department Of the Pacific and men homeward
bound from Manila. not over 10000 altogether
viI be needed for foreign service and not more
than 10000 for home stations. including Alaska.
Porto Rico and the temporary force in Cuba.
In support Of the proposition TO complete the
artillery corps Immediately, IT is said that the
demands on this branch Of the service are fully
important and imperative to-day at any
time in the last two years, and in that period
the necessity for the enlarged corps has been
constantly recognized crying" Until this
week the plan favored by the authorities has
been 10 raise the army TO 1000 and then let
II settle down gradually to a permanent strength
10 De governed by conditions. II was held that
the decrease would be rapid account of the
great number Of men who had enlisted for
citenelI, ana VINO would not re-enlSt for peace
service. Il now appears that II will be exceed
ingly difficult, with the present rate of recruit
ing due 10 prosperity at home and little promise
OF fighting, to force the cavalry and infantry
arms beyond the 10000 point before next winter
while the artillery finds all the high class re-
cruits wanted without any trouble. Under Sec
retary Roofs recent decision TO promote artil-
ery officers only in proportion as the corps is in
creased, II is taken for granted that promotions
VIII be rapid with the approval of General
Anes's recommendation, and that this important
arm viii become as attractive TO West Pointers
as II has been in the past