New-York tribune., 1906-12-12
REPORT ON THE ARMY.
RECOMMENDATIONS Made
Need of improvement IN Coast
Defences Discussed.

Washington. Dec 1.-THE report OF the Secretary
OF War, an extract Of which was made public to-
day. shows that on October Is. 1896, the actual
strength of the regular army was S,7O9 officers and
"a CSC enlisted men, total net decrease of the army
during the year of LAG There were also in the
service p officers and 554 enlisted men OF the Porto
Rico regiment and JIG officers and sob enlisted men
Of the Philippine Scouts. This is net increase OF
2 in the Porto Rico regiment and net decrease OF
<5 in the Philippine Scouts.
Considerable attention is given I'm the report 60
the breach OF discipline Of the Negro troops at
Brownsville. Tex. The portions bearing on this
were published several days ago. The report says.
in part:
the fact that the army has not enough ofioers.
either IN the line or the staff, and stated that as
lation that the detail 10 tle General Staff of line
officers below the rank of major should create va
eapcies in the line A bill! covering this general st
session. bur failed OF enactment; renew my my
that adequate provision for additional of1cers VIII
be made by Congress during the present session;
curing the fiscal year ended june So 1905 exclusive
81 q oS5 She ID Hospital E Corps anS Philippine Scouts WIS
1s.224 original eniistments. The PERCENTAGE of
The corTespondfne iigure for the preceding fisca
of which lSS2s were re-enlistments and 204l0 were
original enlistments. OF the 2i.0S3 accepted apph
birth, a We're Indians Is were born in the Philip
pine Islands enlisted for band musicians). and 70
Z IL
phcants. 22sE were white, 1,359 colcred, -
Indians. % Porto Ricans ana I3
EllipInoS Twenty three thousand three hundred
and eiehty-One We're enlisted for the line of the
army 6s2 for The staff departments and 20 for the
Porto Rico Provisional Regiment Of Infantry.
In making these 2S.451 enlismeuis for the line OF
the army and the Porto Rico regiment the recruit
ing officers examined SsIS5 men. OF whom s57S4 or
shout = per cent of the whole number, were re-
jected as lacking in either mental. moral or
physical qualifications
Notwithstanding most indefatiGable efforts the
part of recruiting officers. the need for recruits dur
ing the last Scdi year could not be fully met, and
The difficulty increased rather than abatei as
pared with the year before
The relative number of deSertions in the army
has continued 70 increase the numbe- for the last
fiscal year being "a per cent of the whole number
Of enlisted men ia service during that year,
against 6S per cent during the preceding year. The
average for the three years l92-l904 81 per
and the ten years 1885, 1905 the average
per cent Of the total number Of enlisted mon in
service.
de-s in the service during the year deserted
against only 25 per cent of the cOlored soldiers.
Fifty eight per cent Of all the desertions during
fhe year deSertions of in their first year
Of service and considerable than half OF inese
desertons during the first six months OF
service. Ninety per cent Of tho deserters were Of
birth and hat % per cent Of foreign birth
As 50 per cent of the original enstments in 1904
~ cent in 1906 ana SO per cent in 1906 were
native born IL appears that the natives contributed
only their proportiOnate share 10 the number or
deseruons.
The following statement shows tho losses from
sQ causes in the army. including the Porto Rico
Provisional Regiment and the Philippine Scouts
during the year ended juno 50 1905: