Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-01
SECRETARY OF WAR HAS
so,1sa FIGHTING MEN UNDER
HIS JURISDICTION.
BEST PAID In THE WORLD
United States Soldier Gets Almost
Twice the Wages OF Any Other
Report Mentions Progress Of the
Militia and Tolls Of the Philippines.

Washington, D. c., Nov. 29.-Secre-
itary Of War Taft's first report, recit-
ing the operations of his department
Tor the last year. has been made pub
bic.
/. The report shows that the actual
strength of the regular army of the
UNITED States October Is, when the
Hast reports we're received from the
military departments. was 8, 744 Of
Ulcers and 56,439 enlisted men, to-
Ital of 60,183. This strength was dis
ttributed among the different branches
of the service as follows: General Of
Ulcers and staff organizations, 4,108;
cavalry, 1886; artillery corps, 1850;
infantry, 25,546; recruits and miscel.
slaneous detachments, 2,103.
Some interesting points are brought
in connection with the recruiting SER
vice of the year. The accepted ap-
plicants numbered 1880 men, of
whom 26.791 were enlisted for the line
Of the army. In making these enlist
ments the recruiting officers examined
f110,243 men, Of whom 82,452, or about
lseventy-five percent, were rejected as
lacking in either mental, moral or
physical qualifications. OF these 2,2S5
Ewere rejected as aliens and 4,608 as IL
l1iterates.
The military secretary reports that
the probable number of enlisted men
who will be entitled to increased pay
for length of service during the fls-
cal year-that is to say, the men who
will be serving under re-enlistm ent
after the expiration of one or more
terms of service-will be 27,742, or
about one-half of the total enlisted
strength of the army, and of these TO-
SS3 men will have had a continuous
service of five years and upward.
Best Paid In World.
One Of the most interesting pages In
the report, especially in view of pres
ent military operations in the far east,
is devoted to comparison of the pay
of privates in the army Of the United
States with those of the armies Of
other powers. The United States sol
der is the highest paid fighting man
in the world-receiving almost double
the amount received by his English
cousin, Tommy Atkins" who ranks
second in the financial scale. The rank
and file In other armies are not re-
munerated sufficiently to offer more
than striking contrast to the troops
of this country.
The poorest paid soldier In the
world is the Russian, who, up to yes
terday's cablegrams, has been dis
tinguished in recent history princi-
pally by the activity of his retreating
from the Japanese. The Russian pri-
vate receives the princely stipend of
IL cents month. His Japanese adver-
sary receives 60 cents per month. The
pay of other foreign soldiers is: Aus
tro-Hungary, 70 cents; France STA;
Germany. $3.50; Great Britain $7.14.
Besides his $13 per month the
clothing allowance Of the American
soldier is of the amplest. while, as the
secretarys report declares, the ration
furnished has long been the wonder OF
military men of foreign nations.
Progress of Militia.
Considerable space in the report is
given to the organized militia Of the
several states and territories the
auxiliary of the regular army. The
secretary of war is gratified to state
that very satisfactory progress has
been made toward bringing the or
ganized militia to condition equal t.
that of the regular establishment, re
specting armament and equipment
The strength of the organized militia
Of the United States on October l
1904, was 115,937, consisting of $50;
officers and lot, 1872 enlisted men. Tht
secretary estimates that about rs pc
cent of this force would respond to {
call for service under the federal gov
eminent.
In the matter Of cost of the regula
military establishment the figures o
the report show a steady decreas'
since provision was made for
greater standing army following tn
Spanish-American war. Upon the es
innate for s12S,OOO,O00 for 1901 the ar
preparations were $114,500,000 and tn
expenditures $1O5 100000; upon TIN
estimate for s113,50O,OO0 for 1902, tn
appropriations were $116,0O0,O00 an
the expenditures $40 100000; upon tn
estimate of s99,SOO,O0O for 1903 the az
preparations were S92,000,000 and tn
expenditures S70,O00O 900; upon the es
innate for 100000 and the exper
ditures s69,OOO,O0O. A corresponding
decrease is foreshadowed for the mex
two years.
Philippines and Tariff.
The Philippines, whose government
comes under the direction of the Dc