The Washington times., 1908-12-04
Ainsworth's Report Shows
Total Fighting Strength
Now Is 70, loo Men.
DESERTIONS FALL
OFF IN NUMBERS
Physical Tests Ordered by the
President Result in Several
RetiTementS.

the business Of recruiting an army
from the people OF the United States
was attended with much more success
during the past year according 10 the
report OF the adJuant general Fred 9.
AinsWOrth. made public today, than l.
was Tor the year ending in 1907.
The total authorized strength of the
army was S7,724-a little less than 5000
greater than IL was Ia 1897 Despite
this the army was only 9,Sl5 men short
OF the authorized strength during the
past year and the increase in the actual
strength was D.,6s. The total strength
Of the army, including the Philippine
scouts. is 7S,166 officers and men.
Whether the cause lay with business
depression or not. the enlisted men
were much less inclined TO desert
The Official returns General Aims
worth reports, show 4,505 desertlons
from the enlisted force Of the army
during the fiscal year ended June 80,
1908 This number is 46 per cent OF
the whole number OF enlisted men IN
service In the army during that year.
In the preceding fiscal year the mum
Der OF assertions was GO per cent OF
the whole number Of enlisted men in
service during that year
Less Than IN Seven Years.
The relative number OF deseTuOns
VAS less In 1908 than in any fiscal year
since 1901. and there has been marked
decrease in that number during the
past two years. In the last annual
report mention was made OF what are
believed to be the principal reasons Tor
the decrease IN the number OF deseT-
uOus from the army. Those reasons
and the more recent strenuous efforts
TO apprehend deserJers and make their
punishment after apprehension a GER
talnty have no doubt, continued 10
operate as important factors ia re-
ducing the number of assertions from
the army"
Some Of the retirements in the grades
OF the higher officers were due 10 the
physical test ordered by President
Roosevelt The results Of the hrsU year
Of the test are interesting.
Some Reports Not In.
The adjutant general says.
Reports OF the results OF the examln-
atoms and tests for officers serving Ia
the Philippine Islands and in Cuba ana
for many Of the Officers serving abroad
have not been received. OF the Officers
in whose cases reports have been re-
ceived. nine GOur colonies ana five
observation-disclosures OF engineers) we're
excused from taking the test on ac-
count OF being engaged upOn clViI work
OF technical character; one "a lieuten-
Rnt-cOlOneD was excused because he
made application for retirement after
thirty years service; and three Call
eolonels) were excused because Of their
respective retirement in the near future
Reports OF the results OF the DreiIm-
mary examinations received showed
nineteen officers (eighJ colonies, four
lieutenant colonies, and seven maiors)
physically unit Tor the test or these,
three Zone OF whom has been retireD
were ordered before retiring boards,
Tour were found 10 be temporarily dis
qualified only, one was reported 10 be
fatally III, one was excused because ne
was not physically fit for the test. one
is to be retired after four months
leave, one was found to be uuit for
duty and was passed over for a wear
TO give him an opportunity 10 recover.
one Was ordered 10 the Army ana Navy
General Hospital at Hot Springs, Ark.
onS IS 10 nave an operation, one is soon
20 be promoted and retired, he HAVING
been fund disqualified upon examination
Tor promotion and final action has mon
Oeen taken in I'VE cases"
Confederate Data.
Ut the Work or collecting the records
Of the Confederate soldiers. which is
being done under the supervision OF the
adjutant general. the report says.
''The whole number of Confederate
military index-record cards prepared .uu
70 and including June 30, 1903 was 4
31A14S. That number represents the
number of record entries carded and
does not represent individuals in ser
vice. a considerable number of record
entries appearing IN the case of one
soldier ia many instances. 1T is he
heved, however, that when tbe roiIar-
ton OF Confederate records in the War
Department has been made as nearly
complete as II IS possible to make -
and the reproduction Of those records
by the tndeX-reCord card system has
peen completed, an approximation that
VIII De much more clearly correct than
any estimates heretofore made by any
ones or the number OF individuals In
service In the Confederate Army car