The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-09
DISCIPLINE IN
ARMY IS MENACED
Secretary Taft Alarmed at the
Scarcity Of Officers.
FOR INSULAR DEFENSE
Two and Quarter Millions Have Been
Spent for F0rITeSSes In UGGe Sans
Island Possessions.
FOR INSULAR DEFENSE

Of Secretary OF War Taft made public
yesterday Is in part as follows:
"On the 2sth OF November 1904, the
date OF the last annual report. the army
of the United States. according to tho
latest reports which had been received
from the military departments (oct Is.
1900. consisted OF S744 officers and 56.4S9
enlisted men. total OF 6O1sS.
I'm addition there were in the service
3l67 men Of the hospital corps excluded
by the act Of March /. 1887, from cassi-
hcation as part OF the enlisted force Of
the army. There were also in the SER
vice q officers and $40 mon Of the Porto
Rico regiment and 100 officers and 1878
enlisted Philippine scouts.
AT the date Of the last reports received
from the military departments (Oct. Is.
1905). the actual strength OF the regular
army was 1850 officers and Sc 064 enlisted
men. This Is a total net decrease OF the
regular army during the year OF 369. These
figures do not include 1929 enlisted men
OF the hospital corps. There were also In
the service 20 officers and 5b2 enlisted men
of the Porto Rico regiment and 115 Of
hcers and 5O59 enlisted Philippine scouts.
This is a net increase OF In the
! Porto Rico regiment and OF 1896 in the
! Philippine scouts. Including the hospital
corps. Porto Rico regiment and Philippine
| scouts with the regular army. there was
a total net increase over last year OF 500.
I The army during the past year has re-
mained virtually as organized in 1902.
Its maximum strength. not including the
hospital corps as now fixed by executive
order. is CO. 475 enlisted men
ffFTHn pf enlizfuanufg in
/ the army during the fiscal year ended
June 81, 1906 TeXC1UgfVe or the hospital
corps and Philippine scouts). was 33 739.
OF this number 13 .329 were re-enlistments
and 20.4l0 were original enlistments. Dur
ing the past year 1873 officers have been
! lost to the army, either by death resigned
dismissed. deserted or retired, while 4S.459
| enlisted men have been lost TO the army
| for the same causes.
MORE OFFICERS NEEDED.
"In my last annual report attention was
called to the insufficient number of Of
fcers available for duty with troops This
l. a condition which has always obtained
more or less in the army. but Of late years
has assumed proportions which constitute
a menace TO the discipline Of the army and
to its effectiveness as a fighting machine.
"The draft Of a bill is now being pre-
pared for submission TO congress, and il
the proposed legislation hould be enacted
II will provide the army with 113 addi
/ tional officers. The number. added to
4 the AZ officers now detailed at state col
eges and with the militia, will enable the
department. to restore 155 officers TO their
proper duties with the line of the army.
where their services are needed.
INsULAR DEFENCE.
"The first appropriation for the defence
] IDf xnyac nv
congress April 2l 1904. and another ap-
preparation was made March 3. 1905, the
total appropriations for this purpose ag-
gregating to date $2254.920. During the
past year the construction Of batteries for
the defence OF Manila bay and Subig bay
| I'm the Philippines has been continued. and
work has been commenced on the installa-
tion Of batteries for the defence Of the i'm
portant naval station at Guantanamo bay
| Cuba.
| Although the work has been prose-
cuted with all possible energy and dis
patch, the defences OF our insular posses
sions are far from being completed. owing
to the length OF time necessarily required
to construct a modern fertilization with
it's concrete foundation and other heavy
| construction work pertaining TO the en-
placements for the guns, and 10 build the
guns and gun carriages and assemble and
|
for modern forthcauons to be most effec-
tive must be made many years In advance
OF anticipated necessity for defence.
STATE MILITIA.
''The reorganization OF the militia. be-
| gun I'm 1893. has progressed steadily dur
| ing the year, and with few exceptions
| the militia now conforms to the organiZa-
| tion OF the regular army as TAR as prac-
| ticable.
1T is estimated that about g per cent
| Of the organized militia would respond
to call FOR troops 20 repel invasion or
| TO suppress insurrcctiOn against the au-
! thority OF the federal government The
| militia of the states and territories Dec.
/ 81. 1904 as shown by the annual returns.
| was l2l .90e consisting Of 9l4 officers and
! 1924 on-commissioned oulcers. musl-
clans, privatcs etc.
HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.
During the past fiscal year SO. $50. .e23 es
| has been expended under the direction Of
| the chief OF engineers In connection with
| the Improvement Of rivers and harbors
! throughout the country. As compared
] with the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904,
! this is an increase of $S06.70S. So
june c' 20. 1907. are sici ass 9s7, against sios-
| 6S6 $50 for the year ending June 80. 1906
THE PANAMA CANAL.
The secretary reviews the history OF
/ tho Panama canal from the time the
| work was started by tho French company
/ detailing at considerable length the work
| OF the two commissions that have been
/ appointed by our government lie says
] that hy the first of this month, already
/ past SEQ O0o.0OO will have been spent In the
/ work.
/ Referring 20 the labor situation IN
! Panama he stated that the payroll now
i contains 1900 names and that II will
/ probably take 5000 men 20 complete the
/ work The report states that most of
/ the labor must be Imported. and an ellen
\ population Of 50G1 people must be count
! cd on 10 be cared for I'm the canal gone
/ The work that has been done along the
| tines OF sanitatlan-hx -hx-Lhn- commission.
Il how tho streets have been paved I'm
! Panama sewers Installed, and n water
supply furnished, Is described.
MAGIC HAIR STAIN.
] Tor hrnun or hlack nrenareh no