The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-05-23
HONOR TO ARMY
OF PACIFlCATION
Credit Due The United States Troops
In Cuba.
THEIR CHART OF THE ISLAND.
Military Surveys That Prevent the Pos
sibility of Cubans Ever Successfully
Carrying On Guerilla Tactics in the
Event of a Campaign by American
Troops on the Island.

LAthN0ud A0BtNldlls ASAAAiNhNN -
constant practice in every department
of military experience, save the SUI
preme test of battle, the army of
Cuban pacification, after bloodless
campaign of six months, may fairly
take rank as the crack corps of the
forces Of the United States With
out having been called upon to fire
a shot or make a single hostile DEM
onstration it has to its credit a list
OF achievements of which officers and
men are justly proud.
Among its moral triumphs have
been the maintenance of a standard
of discipline and sanitation of more
than Japanese excellence and the
preservation of perfect self control
while in contact with an unsympa-
thetic population. It's greatest ma
terial achievement has been the pro-
duction based on countless reconnais-
Bapces and surveys of a chart OF the
Island of Cuba, which officers declare
60 be the most mlnutely perfect milf
tary map in existence. With the COM
pletion of this work the possibility
of successfully carrying on guerilla
tactics such as formerly enabled the
Cubans indefinitely to prolong their
revolution against the overwhelming
forces of Spain may be said to have
vanished.
Familiar with Every Trail.
Should United States troops ever
be called upon to take the field in
Cuba they will begin the campaign
with the inestimable advantage of
perfect familiarity with the topog-
raphy of the whole island, including
every trail and bypath and every
mountain fastness in which Gomez,
Garcia, Maceo and other heroes OF
the war for independence were wont
to bid defiance to Spanish pursuit
Added to this the increase in rail-
road facilities and the completion Of
the projected system Of highways
throughout the island will afford
such ready means for the rapid trans
portation of troops as will take any
attempt at hostile concentration little
short of impossible.
The Army of Cuban Pacification,
which originally numbered $500 men
of all arms without including ma
rines has now dwindled by the natur-
al process. of discharges on eXpira-
tion of enlistments to about $500
men. There are also under General
Barrys command about 1000 ma
rines.
These it was proposed to withdraw,
but on account of the difficulty of OBJ
tanning recruits sufficient to fill up
the ranks of the army they will be
retained in compliance with the re-
quest of General Barry, who believes
that his force is none too large as it
is. OF these troops nearly 1000,
uuartered in Camp Columbia form
the garrison of Havana, and the re-
mainder are scattered over the island
IN 80 posts, II of which are occupied
by marines.
No Charge of Trespass.
Against this force there is yet to
be registered a single trespass upon
the persons or property Of the peo-
pie, the protection Of whom against
each other has been tho main object
OF the army's presence, and this is
the feature Of the campaign of which
the commanding general is most
proud. 1t is true that there have been
few clashes between rural guards
and the American forces in which
the unarmed soldiers have been at a
disadvantage with their machete-
wearing opponents, but investigation
has shown that these occurrences al
ways have resulted from the jealousy
of the Cubans, and in no instance
have the soldiers permitted them
selves to make reprisals, even at the
cost of submitting to continued
taunts of cowardicc.
Not the least onerous condition of
army life in Cuba Is the deadly mo-
notony of existence in the small pro-
vincial towns. As q relief from this
the men welcome the reconnaissance
and practice marches which are con-
Quoted in such a fashion as to make
them as attractive as possible to the
rank and file, the commands moving
only in the early hours of the morn
ing, in the cool Of the evening and
at night.
At Camp Columbia as in all other
posts, the days routine of duties Is
arranged with view to sparing the
men all unnecessary work during the
heat of the day. Drills begin at Z
In the morning and are over at Q
and during the afternoon the men
are encouraged to follow the custom
OF the country Of taking a siesta
General Barry's latest contribution
TO the comfort of the men has beer
the establishment of bathing quar-
ters at Marianao Beach, within {
short walk of the camp.