The Grit-advocate., 1905-12-15
UNCLE SANS ARMY.
Interesting Annual Report Of the Sec.
retary Of War.

Washington.-In his annual report
the secretary of war says:
AT the date of the last reports re-
ceived from the military departments
October Is. 19O5) the actual strength
OF the regular army was $3.50 Oficers
and 56,064 enlisted men. of whom AS
5O2 were In the United States. l1.9O3
in the Philippines and the rest In Ha.
wall. Porto Rico. Alaska or en- route
OF the total there were 1852 genera:
officers and staff. 1885 cavalry. 14.S4S
artillery. 24,5S4 infantry and 3.054 re.
cruits and miscellaneous. The decrease
for the year was 1863. There were
also 3.029 men in the hospital corps.
577 In the Porto Rico regiment and
5.164 Philippine scouts.
During the past year there has beer
slight increase in the relative num-
ber of desertions as compared with the
preceding year.
III compulsory probationary serv-
Ice were established at one of the re-
Siutih6 ocpoiS al tlClOub duu uuue-
sirable recruits could be eliminated
from the service at a comparatively
trifing expense before their actual en-
listment; and If the first enlistment
should be made in all cases for a Pc
riod Of one year it is believed that rel
atively fewer men selected as de-
scribed would desert the cOlOrs.
Gable communication with Panama
"a hoH II oil thnr 10, T-v, oil
foreign lines, or via an American line
line across Mexico
Unless provision is made for ca
Bile controlled directly by the United
States, with shore ends on American
soil, it will be necessary in times oe
emergency to depend on the good will
of others and thus imperil certainty OF
action by the United States.
II visited the isthmus year ago
and again this year. l am able to see
marked difference. even in outward
appearances, and to say with much
emphasis and certainty that real work
has been done and is being done. The
effect of better housing for the en-
ployes, the influence of the successful
efforts Of the sanitation department,
to stamp out yellow fever. the conf
dence of the American subordinate en-
gineers, foremen, clerks. rodmen and
others that there is competent and
skillful head to the enterprise in Mr..
Shonts, knowing what is being done in
each department and co-Ordinating in
all departments, tends to give an at
mosphere of conscious progress, indi-
vidual interest and patriotic pride in
the great task of great nation. The
Panamanians feel the change and are
accordingly happy and contented vita
things as they are.
There is not the slightest danger
to the sugar and tobacco interests of
this country in admitting free the
sugar and tobacco products Of the
Philippine islands.
1.-The greatest possible expansion of
the production of these two crops in
the Philippine Islands cannot have the
slightest effect upon the price of Ell
ther commodity in the enormous mar
kets of the United States. The pro-
posed bill. if passed. will. therefore,
result solely in benefit to the people
of the Philippine islands. without the
slightest injury to anyone in the
United States. | am not of those who
think that she measure will of itself
produce prosperity in the Philippine
islands. 1t will doubtless aid their
prosperity, but its effect in convincing
the Philippine people that we are anx-
ious for their welfare and are willing
for this purpose to give them the
benefit of the great markets of the
United States will be of the greatest
value"