The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-12
NEGROES DISCHARGE UPHELD.
TAFT EXPLAINS THAT THE PUB
Lie GOOD DEMANDED 1T.

nuaI RepOrt-More Orrcers Needed
Secretary Praises the General star.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE annual re-
nor Of the Secretary OF War deals extern
s;yely with the dismissal Of the negro troops
Of the Twenty fifth Infantry because OF the
Rrownsville affair. After reciting in detail
the facts in the case, Secretary Taft says: !
Under these circumstance the question
srises Is the Government helpless? Must
i, continue in its service a battalion many
NJ the members OF which show their willing
ness to condone a crime Of a capital character
committed by from ten to twenty OF it's menu |
hers and put on a front Of silence and ignor-
ance which enables the criminals to escape
inst punishment? These enlisted men took
the oath Of allegiance TO the Government
and were to he used under the law TO main
tain ~ supremacy. Can the Government
propPrly. therefore. keep in tts employ for
the purpose of maintaining law and order
sny lorger a body Of men from S to 10 per
cent If whom can plan and commit murder
and rely upon the silence Of a number OF their
companions to escape detection?
II may he that in the battalion are a num-
her of men wholly innocent. who know neither
whom the guilty men are nor any circum-
stance which will aid in their detection,
though this cannot be true Of many. Be-
cause there may he innocent men in the bat
talon, must the NrONtTHIlcHt COUklluc W uSr 10
10 guard communities OF men. women and
children when it contains 40 dangerous an
element impossible OF detection? Certainly
not.
When a man Cnlists in the army he knows
that for the very purpose OF protecting itself
the Government reserves to itself the absolute
right Of discharge. not as a punishment.
but for the public safety or interest. In
such \ case as this the Inconvenience and
hardship TO those innocent Of participation
or knowledge arising from arbitrarily termi-
mating the contract OF enlistment in accord
anCe with the right which the Government
by statute reserves must be borne by them
IN the public interest. II goes without saying
that IL the guilty could be ascertained they
should and would be punished. but the guilty
cannot he ascertained; and the very impos-
slhility Of determining who are the guilty
makes the whole battalion useless TO the
Government as an instrument for maintain
ing law and order.
The only means Of Kidding the military
service Of a band Of would be murderers Of
women and children. and actual murderers
Of one man, is the discharge OF the entire
battalion.
Secretary Taft asserts that the members
Of this battalion we're not dishonorably dis
charged. They we're discharged without
honor" which ia merely the ending Of a
contract and separation from the service
under the right reserved in the statute for
the protection Of the Government.
Secretary Taft says further that barring
the men from further service does not con-
stitute a PENALTY. II facts should hereafter
he disclosed or a new state of facts arise
from which it can be inferred that the public
service will suffer no detriment from the
reentry OF any one of these men into the
service his ineligibility can be removed by
a mere executive order.
Except for the Brownsville incident
Secretary Taft reports that the discipline
in the army has been good. The number
Of cases tried in the summary courts was
slightly less than in the preceding year.
The United States regular army in the last
wear has been decreased by l ,446 men. Its
actual strength on December 0 was 3,7Oe
officers and 81, $50 enlisted men. The pres
ent maximum strength OF the regular army,
under authority Of law, IL 90 $50 men.
Secretary Taft again oallH attention
20 the fact that the army has not enough
officers, either in the line or the stan.
He recommends legislation providing that
the detail to the general stan OF line officers
below the rank of Major shall create vacan-
Cies in the line. A bill OF this character
failed of enactment in the last session OF
Congress and the Secretary renews his
recommendation that some provision DE
made.
Secretary Taft SAYS that Notwithstanding
the efforts of the recruiting officers, the
need of recruits in the last year could not
Ia IlllX met. Inc uiI1Cltly ulOICuSNA
rather than abated. The relative number
of assertions in the army has continued
TO increase, the number for the last year
being IA per cent. of the whole number OF
enlisted men in service during the year,
as against 6.S per cent. in the preceding
year. Eight and four-tenths per cent.
Of the white soldiers in the service deserted,
~ against only % per cent. OF the oolored
soldiers. Nfty-eight per cent. OF all the
desertions in the year were by men in their
first year Of service, and considerably
more than half we're in the first six months
OF service.
In the Regular army, exclusive Of the
Porto Rico Provisional Regiment and the
Philippine Scouts, twenty-five officers and
as1 enlisted men were killed in action or
died OF wounds or disease.
Secretary Taft says that the General
STAFF has recommended a change in the
assignment of commands to the general
officers Of the army. There are now -four
geographical divisions in the United States
proper, each in the command OF a Major
General. Included in the divisions are
nine departments. An order will Probaoly
he issued in the near future abolishine
divisions and bringing the Brigadier-Gen
erals commanding the departments into
immediate relations with the War Depart
ment at Washington. Experience snow,
that the Intervention of a MaJor-Generai
in these geographical divisions is not OF
any particular utility.
hecretary Taft says he believes the cost
~ sending an expeditlonary force 10 iuDe
should be paid out Of the funds Of the Cuba
Treasury.
The Secretary reports a steady and pro
gressive improvement in the health o.
the army. The Secretary urges. legisla'
ton 30 promote the efficiency OF the medi
cal department.
The General STAFF has rendered %eficien
service during the year. The work oi
the General STAFF incident 20 the recent
despatch Of the expeditionary force e
Cuba says the Secretary, was done will
much precision, such absence OF all friction
and such completeness az In itself amply
10 Justify the existence OF this necessary
fundamentally for the administration o
army affairs" =,
A considerable portion OF the report i
devoted to the matter OF coast defence
hoth domestic and insular, and Mr.. Tar
outlines in a general way the work tina
remal7s to be done md urges that the plai
be carried out. The total cost OF com
3siEs the plan o: the Taft board. whicl
Zsvisef rhe coast and harbor defence schem'
Of the Endicott board OF 1888. includlnI
ammunition and sites, is estimate at $50,
s7s, $3.50. It will take sl9,s73,S95 to carr.
out the plans for f%ortiRying the insuia
possessions and 1882 ,8s2 TO protect TN
noo. - fho papama canal