The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-19
SERVANTS FOR OFFICERS.
RECOMMENDED BY GEN. CORBIN
 IN HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
Says They Should be Provided for Those in Active Service Philippine Army to be Reduced by 2,O0O n Month From Now on Until Juno, 19O2-Losscs of the
 

Washington, Oct. 18.-The annual re-
 port Gf Major General Henry c. Cor
 bin, adjutant general of the army, com prehensively reviews the work condi-
 tion and needs of the military estab- | lishment. General Corbin submits a | table to show that the army in the | Philippines is to be reduced by expired enlistments at the rate of about 2,000 a
 month from now on until June, 1902 The losses from all causes in the reg
 ular army and the volunteers from July i, 1900, to June 30 last, totalled 16.924
 officers and men in the former and S,191 in the latter. The casualties to the
 troops in the Philippines since the date
 June 30 last were 115 officers and 3,37S
 men killed and 1S2 officers and 2,646 men
 wounded.
 General Corbin invites special atten-
 ton to the remarks of Colonel Mills, superintendent oe the West Point mill itary academy, upon the improved dis cipline and general excellent condition of the cadet corps. It is safe to pre- dict, says General Corbin, that hazing of brutal nature is a thing of the past at the academy, and that it will not soon be gain subject for the con- sidera ton of the war department.
 Tba oapava1 cove thot hoe hoon ra ported to him that retired army officers detailed at full pay as military instruc- tors in some instances, do not even live at the colleges and only occasion ally visit them. This state of affairs he says should be corrected.
 General Corbin recommended that the old law requiring that each candidate from the ranks for commission in the army be a "non- commissioned of- ficer in good standing who has display ed an aptitude for command and con- trol of men," be revived. While great many excellent young men have come into the service as officers under the present law, which opens the way for commissions to enlisted men who have had two years service, General Corbln
  CTS who have entered the army as of- ficers in this way who are not up to the requirements of their rank.
 General Corbin's recent tour of the Philippines and his brief visit to Japan and eastern China bears fruit in some suggestions General Cor bin believes that the army transport service on the Pacific is costing the considerably more than the use of commercial steamships for the latter would have the | denied to the government, of transporting passengers, freight and ! mails to the Orient both on outward and homeward voyages and would meet the needs for increasing American trade in the Orient. He therefore sug gests that congress with safety could offer inducements to United States shippers to install line of steamers under charters that would permit them in time of necessity to service as re- serve army and navy transports. By | this, says General Corbin, the govern nent interests would be far more econ ,mically and just as efficiently adminis- tered.
 He says that officers in active ser vice should be provided servants, en- isted as such, and with uniforms to them from the rank and ie
 He also strongly recommends that congress shall authorize the retirement if not to exceed two major generals on he active and one on the retired list, with the rank of lieutenant general. He points out that the distinguished ser ices of Major Generals Merritt, Brooke lnd Otis fully entitle them to this lonor.