The daily Republican., 1902-11-17
GOOD WORDS
FOR THE ARMY.
Inspector General Breckin-
ridges Latest Report is
Very Exhaustive.
ENTIRE SERVICE PRAISED.
Officer Defends the Conduct
of the Soldiers in the
Philippines.

WASHINGTON. Nov. f7.-The an
nual report Of General J. G. Breckin
ridge, inspector general of the army,
a voluminous document and cover
every phase of the military establish
ment and each department bureau ant
command In the army. 1t contain
more than fifty recommendations an.
suggestions relating to improvement
In the army, most Of which pertain t,
technical matters and minor conditions
General Breckinridge finds much t,
commend in all branches of the servic
and reports progress and Improvement
everywhere.
The most serious criticism is In re
gard to absenteeism where officers ar
on detached duty, leaving the regi
mcnts short Of officers. Thus, in tn,
Philippines especially, it is found tha
many companies are without captain
and the companies in command of new
and untried officers. He attributes thi!
to lack of officers in the army TO ill th,
details and detached assignments.
General Breckinridgc shows that in
structions in the army is progressing
satisfactorily. lie recommends the for
titicati0n Of Pearl harbor. in the Ha
waiian Islands, as strategic point
He says water transportation in the
army is rapidly assuming stable ano
economical methods.
He has the following to say regard
ing his inspection in the Philippines;
During my tour in the Philippine
1t was evident on all sides that tht
army as a whole was laboring patient
ly and faithfully to solve the many
vcXing problems continually presented
to it. The difficulties encountered ana
the hardships endured never can be
fully appreciated by any one who has
not been on the ground and observed
the daily life of officers and men 7,0OC
miles from home influences and assp
Citations, living in communities either
openly or secretly hostile, depending
almost entirely for their subsistence
upon the commissary, where one is al
ways afraid to take even an ordinary
drink of water without ascertaining
first whether it has been cooked. Crit
les at home may sometimes search for
cpithcts to apply to our general Off
GERS, but these officers are no less kind
hearted than their critics and were
anXiously mindful of the sulfcrings
which necessarily fall upon the limo.
cent in warfare as well as the guilty
and were deviSing means by which the
poor might be cared for and fed.
THAT the army performed its duties
well and bore its hardships uncom.
plainingly is well known to all who
have kept in touch with it since the
In fact, it has only done those things
which We expect Of it and which we
will continue to expect of American
soldiers.
''Thrrr has been a good deal of dis
cusSiOn in the public press and else
where concerning the treatment of the
native Filipinos by the American
troops, and some rather serious charges
have been brought against the army
which, however, have not been sub.
stantiated. The conditions of war In
the Philippine Islands have been per-
haps unusual and from reasons arising
from the conduct of the Filipinos them.
selves. who, rs the authorities agree,
are sometimes extremely cruel and
treacherous. In the conduct of the !
American army toward them the eXcr- |
else of uncxampled patience is claimed,
and the humanity of the troops ell
gagged has no parallel in the history Of I,
dealing with ASiutirs"