The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-26
WORK is WELL DONE
ADJT. GEN. CoRBTN COMMENDs
MILITARY ADMINISTRATION In
THE PHILIPPINES
PRAISE FOR GEN. cHAFFEE
The Adjutant General Recommends
Action Looking to the Improve.
ment of MaiI Service to
the Islands.

! WASHINGTON, Sept. 24-Maj Gen.
Corbin, the adjutant general of the army,
returned from the Philippines this morn
ing. While he declined to submit to a
formal interview, he talked freely of the
affairs in the island, particularly of the
work accomplished by Gems. Sternberg,
Weston and Greedy. The general is great
ly pleased with the conditions obtaining
in the archipelago, and was particularly
gratif1ed to find the health of the army
so excellent, and to see for himself evil
dence of the good feeling among the Of
ficers and soldiers. The general is of the
opinion that the work of the heads of
staff departments In the Philippines has
been of great advantage In the adminis-
tration of military affairs
1t happens that with the authority back
of him, and the full cooperation Of Gen.
Chaffee, commander of the division of the
Philippines, what would have been rec
concentrations by Gen. Corbin already
have been put into operation, so that the
report he will make to the secretary Of
war will be rather in the nature of a
statement of things accomplished Large
economies have been effected in nearly
every branch Of the military service in
the Philippine islands.
Every action, of the staff departments
was based upon a complete understand
ing with Gen. Chaffee and the local mil
itary authorities The organization of the
troops serving in the division into sep
arate brigades within the various de-
partments will result in better military
administration all along the line. It gives
the brigade commanders substantial COM
mandS and increased powers, such as the
convening of general courts-martial, and
relieves the division and department
commanders Of many details of ordinary
discipline, and permits them to devote
their time to more important matters Of
administration.
Gen. Watson consolidated the depots of
his department, thereby relieving a num-
Der of staff officers, with consequent saw
ing in money. Gen. Sternberg reduced
the number of hospitals and consolidated
the medical supply depots throughout the
archipelago, leaving but one of three in
Manila. On his recommendation, the hos
pital at Nagasaki was abandoned, as also
was the hospital ship Relief, which had
become no longer needed. The ship was
turned over to Gen. Chaffee for the In
ter-island transportation trade.
INSPECTED FOREIGN TROOPS.
BY the courtesy of the foreign officers
in China, Gen. Corbin inspected all the
foreign troops at Shanghai, which in
cluded contingentS from the English
German and French armies. He found
them In an excellent state of discipline,
but in no sense are their discipline, phys
ique or equipment superior to our troops
in the Philippines.
Gen. Ludington, Quartermaster general,
had not completed his work when Cen
Corbin left. He is confronted with prob
lens of greater Importance than those of
the others. The troops in Luzon, for in
stance, are almost entirely quartered in
''conventoes,'' or church property, and
now that quiet and order are restored,
these are needed for church and school
purposes 1t will be difficult for the
troops to be quartered elsewhere until
barracks are erected. and this important
question will be thoroughly Investigated
by Gen. Ludington and complete
scheme prepared.
Gen. Corbin said that the necessity for
a regularly established mail service be-
tween Manila and this country is one of
great Importance not only for the COM
mercial interests, but for the soldiers and
officers serving in the archipelago for
there is now no certainty when mail will
be received from home The practicability
of establishing an efficient mail service
is illustrated by the facilities offered by
the Canadian Pacific steamers carrying
mail to the Orient, where the people of
the ports In China and Japan, where the
steamers touch, can determine within an
hour the date of the arrival of the next
mail; and so strict Is the penalty for fail
ure to deliver the mail on schedule time
that the people can depend upon their
mail with the exactness of the service in
Washington. AS 1t is now, the postofice
department is doing all in its power to
accomplish this end, and the local post