Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-19
OUR ARMY.
Past Year Has Been
Exceptionally Good.
More En|istments and Fewer
Oesertions.
Secretary Of War Makes Interest.
ing Annual Report.

mates Vi tHe w ar department Tor the
next fiscal year. as shown by the an
nual report of the Secretary of War,
amount to $1S9.755,O39, an increase of
about $52.000,00O over the appropria-
tions for the present fiscal year This
increase is largely for river and harbor
work, and other public works of a civil
character. for which purpose about
$24,000,000 is asked. OF the balance,
about $10,500,000 is an additional esti-
mate for the support of the army,
Military Academy and the militia. For
military public works. such as fortifi-
cations, arsenals, military posts. etc,
the estimates call for an increase of
ST., 100000. Secretary Wright especially
recommends an addition Of 612 officers
to the army. and also approves a policy
for the elimination from the service of
all officers who fail to maintain the re-
quisite standard of efficiency.
The necessity for more officers. the
report states, is due to the unavoidable
detachment of officers from their re-
gular service with troops. Their
detachment for recruiting duty. for
duty as instructors in the army and
at State institutions. as well as with
Territories, has occupied the time of a
large number of officers. At present
there are on detached duty 691 officers.
and 1871 additional absent on leave or
on account of sickness. Besides this.
examinations, courtmartial service and
numerous other kinds Of special duty,
though temporary in character. make
considerable increase in the number
of officers that are constantly unaVall-
able for regular service with their COM
mands. He adds that it would be a
measure of wise economy to provide an
extra number OF highly equipped
officers for these added duties that
have been thrown upon the army. as
the result would be highly beneficial
in case of war To provide for the 612
additional officers the secretary states
there will be added an annual cost Of
between $4,000 900 and $3.000,000.
Another method for increasing the
efficiency of the army he states. is to
eliminate officers who have not the
highest qualifications. The present
law on the subject does not apply
above the grade of captain. and it is
said, has utterly failed to accomplish
it's purpose except in cases Of physical
disability.
The report shows that the army. is
now only 9231 enlisted men short OF
the authorized strength, due to great
Improvement in recruiting. During the
past year there has been an increase
in the actual strength of the army of
1865, making the present strength
Ais officers and 6S.512 enlisted men.
total of 72,62S. OF this number 53,102
are serving in the United States, 12,101
in the Philippines, 1905 in Cuba. 11o2
in Alaska, Gil in Porto Rico. 256 in
Hawaii. with 551 troops en- route and
officers at other foreign stations. The
total number of enlistments in the
army during the fiscal year ended
June 80. 1908. exclusive Of the Hospital
Corps and Philippine Scouts. was Al
463. OF this number 11.743 We're re-
enIistments and 29.72o We're original
cnlistments The percentage OF native
born (white and coloreO among tho
original enlistments was IS; of the
total number Of enlistments. 35.433
were native born 1858 were Of foreign
birth. Il were Indians, IS were born in
the Philippine Islands (enlisted or re-
enlisted for band musicians), and l29
were born in Porto Rico. OF the total
number 39.953 were white: 1341 were
colored.
The number of desertionS from the
army fell off to 4.6 per cent. Of the
whole number of enlisted men in the
service during the fiscal year 1908, as
compared with Sc per cent. during the
preceding fiscal year. The Secretary
speaks with qualification upon the
marked decrease in the number of de-
sertions. not only during the past year.
bllt during the past two years. me
number of deSertiOnS was less in 1908
than during any fiscal year since 1901,
He accounts for this improvement by
the fact that long term military con-
yicts are now confined in the military
prison at Fort Leavenworth. KS. IN
stead of at military posts; more
strenuous efforts are made to appre-
bend and punish deserters. and the
method of making enlistmentS mas
been changed
Ncrv satisfactory results. he states,
are shown in the target practice Of the
coast artillery In 1906 about sixteen
times as many hits were made as IN
1900 under the same conditions, ana the