The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-12-23
Recruiting In the Philippines.

The undergraduates take a melan-
choly joy in discovering or inventing
proofs that the policy Of MOSQUITO is
disapproved by every one who has been
in the Philippines. For example. the
Evening Post says:
Ono OF the most striking and significant facts
In connection with the relations Of the United States
10 the Philippines is the promp, return to this coun-
Try Of all soldiers who can get away from the island.
Recruits are being sent thithor at the rate OF nearly
1000 a month. yet Gen. CHArrgE has had to cable
for 1000 more cavalry recruits. This Is By no
means due to the losses from disease. or sickness,
or disability. but 10 the circumstance that men
cannot be got to resnlist when their terms have
expired A number Of regiments In or neal
Manila which were reorganiked and riiod up with
fresh recruits early In 1899. have been almost par.
slyIed by the refusal OF these men to- resnlist,-
These facts may be striking and sig
nifcant, but we fail to see that they are.
1t is probably true. perhaps too true,
that the enlisted men whose terms expire
while they are in the Philippines are not
reenlisting there; but there are reasons
for their refusal other than those sug-
gested and given by the Evening Post.
Here it may be noted that. according to
the Post, 80 many mon Of the Volunteers
did stay in the islands after they were
mustered out that they crowded the
labor market; but that Is by the way.
Our laws give to a soldier the right
to reenlist within three months with
II that period counting against him
in computing his term Of service;
there is, therefore. no inducement OF any
kind for a man 10 reenlist, even in this
country, until the last day Of his three
months grace. In addition TO this,
a man whose term expires in the Philip
pines Is entitled to passage home. This
passage. we will say. consumes six weeks
Of his three months grace; he has then
six weeks to spend at home; and IN the
last day of this period he need 60. not
back TO Manila to r~eenlist, but only to
tho nearest recruiting station. His
service is counted as if continuous, and
his pay increased
Great Britain il the only other country
which has an army composed Of men who
enlist voluntarily. serving in tropical
possessions; and it's army differs from
ours in important respects. Our men
enlist for three years only; English
soldiers enlist ordinarily for seven
years /" with the colors," and five years
in the reserve. Besides this, each bat
talon on colonial service has a depot
battalion at home. Men whose time
with the colors IL nearly expired may be
held for another year. II they are IN the
colonies: and in any case, are not dis
charged while abroad, but are sent
home To enter the reserve. their places
being taken bv drafts from the depot
battalions composed Of instructed men
and trained non-commIFsioncd officers
Some British regiments o serving ma
Africa have been absent from England
for eighteen years as their seyen-year
men have reached the end OF their scr
woe, new men frpin the depo, battalions
have replaced them, % serve then time
and then 20 home again Our very
short term 81 service. which, II may be-
noted IL shorter than that 81 the National
Guard ~ any State, and the lack of any
system Of depot battallOns compel the
War Department "a bring n whole rrgi-
meut back al once, OF els 10 let Il be-
~disorganized by the discharge ~ 10
D0n-oommissioned orioers
Of curse, az the anri-eIpansionlsts
hope u may be tia, the Philippines
r-pcl the discharged soldiers but u Is
much acre likely that tho legal induor-
mrnts no g. onllst untl tho last day II
IA" three months l"ays allowed a. llom
arr 4YIto "a rnroIve In preventing nr-
,rIttlug m ths ,slands