The sun., 1901-06-02


II the lowest number for such a regiment
| The first battallons Of three Of the new In
fsntry regiments have already been sent
TO Manila: and an important order issued
last week transfers two OF these from their
original regiments to other organization,
90 that the Twenty-sixth Regiment will
be completely formed In the ISLAM q at
once. and the Thirtieth Infantry will finish
It's organization there In a short time. The
other regiments will be formed here and
will be sent to Manih, in their entirety, after
their recruiting Is completed. The cavalry
regiments are organizing In this country.
no part OF any Of them having been ordered
to Manila as yet The new Second Battalion
OF the Engineers Is under orders for the
Philippines. and will sail from San Fran
cisco on June 25.
The decision OF the Secretary OF War
to raise the strength Of the artillery arm
TO the limit allowed by law at once instead
one-sixth OF the total number OF officers
entitled to promotion whenever the en-
listed strength Is increased by lso2 men.
has been put into effect. The first addition
Of that number Of men has been completed
and the resultant promotions, dating from
May 8. will be made within few days
Recruiting for the cavalry and infantry has
been suspended. because enough recruits
are on hand to complete the authorized
strengths Of those arms. and all recruits
are enlisted in tho artillery. where tho
new field batteries and coast artillery
companies will soon be organized.
The Volunteer regiments still In tho
islands will all be brought back within
the next month and their places taken by
Regular regiments. Then the return Of
those regiments that have served longest
there will begin. Twenty-nine COM
panies troops and batteries have been
in the Philippines for from two years and
half to nearly three years; Headquarters
and Companies E and +. Fourteenth In
fantry, have been there since July 1898,
leaving here in May Of that year. The
Medical Department has advised the Secre-
tary of War that troops may be retained
in the tropics for three years. and here-
after that length Of time as a rule viii be
spent by the various regiments in our Far
Eastern islands.
While the staff departments have been
nearly filed under the act OF Feb. 2, the
appointments and promotions In the line
authorized have not been made entirely.
and many regiments are still without their
proper complement Of officers. Tho new
cavalry and infantry regiments are without
First Iieutenants, and the batteries and
the companies OF artillery are short OF
commissioned officers. The sudden pro-
motion of many subalterns OF the older
regiments leaves many Of these short
handed. even those serving out Of the
country being left with few Lieutenants.
This condition will be changed largely.
when the Volunteer officers recently ordered
for examination for appointment in the
Regular service have passed the examining
boards. though the large percentage OF
them who have failed to satisfy the eHamin-
ers indicates that the task Of filing vacan-
cies will take longer than was expected
OF Is desired. II retired officers could be
utlllLeu Otl lt'I ulAlIlh uHNdlu VI
ninety officers on the active list could he
sent back TO their regiments. thus relieving
the present stringency. Such use OF re-
tired officers rs not authorized as yet. how
ever: and 1t must be said that many OF the
active officers now on recruiting service
are really on the sick list. and will re-
turn 10 their regiments as soon a. they
are well enough. their places being taken
by other officers on sick leave.
In spite Of various drawbacks. there
fore. the increase In the army Is most sat-
isfactory; recruiting progresses rapidly.
and the newly appointed officers. chosen
thus far wholly from those who have seen
active service during the past three years,
give promise OF valuable work In the en-
larged army. II the development Of the
last four months continues in the same
gratifying manner. the Army act Of Feb. ?
will have proved It's right TO the title an
act to Increase the efficiency OF the army
of the United States"