148 



CONGRESS; (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



the inconveniences which might arise from an ob- 

 trusive exercise of mediation, and in signing the 

 convention carefully guarded the historic position 

 of the United States by the following declaration: 



" Nothing contained* in this convention shall be 

 ~o construed as to require the United States of 

 America to depart from its traditional policy of 

 nnt intruding upon, interfering with, or entangling 

 itself in the political questions or policy or internal 

 administration of any foreign state; nor shall any- 

 thing contained in the said convention be con- 

 strued to imply a relinquishment by the United 

 States of America of its traditional attitude toward 

 purelv American questions." 



Thus interpreted, the Convention for the Pacific 

 Settlement of International Conflicts may be re- 

 garded as realix.ing the earnest desire of great 

 numbers of American citizens, whose deep sense 

 of justice, expressed in numerous resolutions and 

 memorials, has urged them to labor for this noble 

 achievement. The general character of this con- 

 vention, already signed by the delegates of more 

 than 20 sovereign states, further commends it to 

 the favorable action of the Senate of the United 

 *, whose ratification it still awaits. 



Since my last annual message, and in obedience 

 to the acts of the Congress of April 22 and 26, 

 1898, the remaining volunteer force enlisted for 

 the Spanish war, consisting of 34,834 regulars and 

 110,202 volunteers, with over 5,000 volunteer offi- 

 cers, has been discharged from the military service. 

 Of the volunteers, 667 officers and 14,831 men 

 were serving in the Philippines, and 1,650 of the 

 regulars, who were entitled to be mustered out 

 after the ratification of the treaty of peace. They 

 voluntarily remained at the front until their places 

 could be filled by new troops. They were returned 

 home in the order in which they went to Manila, 

 and are now all of them out of the service and 

 in the ranks of citizenship. I recommend that the 

 Congress provide a special medal of honor for the 

 volunteers, regulars, sailors, and marines on duty 

 in the Philippines who voluntarily remained in the 

 service after their terms of enlistment had expired. 



By the act of March 2, 1899, Congress gave au- 

 thority to increase the regular army to a maxi- 

 mum not exceeding 65,000 enlisted men, and to 

 enlist a force of 35,000 volunteers, to be recruited 

 from the country at large. By virtue of this au- 

 thority the regular army has been increased to 

 the number of 61,999 enlisted men and 2,248 offi- 

 cers, and new volunteer regiments have been or- 

 ganized aggregating 33,050 enlisted men and 1,524 

 officers. Two of these volunteer regiments are 

 made up of colored men, with colored line officers. 

 The new troops to take the places of those return- 

 ing from the Philippines have been transported to 

 Manila to the number of 581 officers and 26.322 

 enlisted men of the regular army and 594 officers 

 ami 15,388 enlisted men of the new volunteer force, 

 while 504 officers and 14,119 men of the volunteer 

 force are on the ocean rn mute to Manilla. 



The force now in Manila consists of 905 officers 

 and 30,578 regulars, and 594 officers and 15,388 

 <>f the volunteers, making an aggregate of 1,499 

 officers and 45,966 men. When the troops now 

 under orders shall reach Manila the force in the 

 rchipelftgo will comprise 2.051 officers and 63,483 

 men. The muster out of the great volunteer armv 

 Organized for the Spanish war and the creation of 

 a new army, the transportation from Manila to 

 s.in Francisco ,,f those entitled to discharge, and 

 the transportation of the new troops to take their 

 place* have lieen a work of great magnitude well 

 ami al.lv done, for which too much credit can not 

 IK- given the War Department. 



During the past year we have reduced our force 



in Cuba and Porto Eico. In Cuba we now have 

 334 officers and 10,796 enlisted men; in Porto Rico, 

 87 officers and 2,855 enlisted men and a battalion 

 of 400 men composed of native Porto Ricans; while 

 stationed throughout the United States are 910 

 officers and 17,317 men, and in Hawaii 12 officers 

 and 453 enlisted men. 



The operations of the army are fully presented 

 in the report of the Secretary of War. I can not 

 withhold from officers and men the highest com- 

 mendation for their soldierly conduct in trying 

 situations, their willing sacrifices for their country, 

 and the integrity and ability with which they 

 have performed unusual and difficult duties in our 

 island possessions. 



In the organization of the volunteer regiments 

 authorized by the act of March 2, 1899, it was 

 found that no provision had been made for chap- 

 lains. This omission was doubtless from inadver- 

 tence. I recommend the early authorization for 

 the appointment of one chaplain for each of said 

 regiments. These regiments are now in the Philip- 

 pines, and it is important that immediate action 

 be had. 



In restoring peaceful conditions, orderly rule, 

 and civic progress in Cuba, Porto Rico, and, so far 

 as practicable, in the Philippines, the rehabilita- 

 tion of the postal service has been an essential and 

 important part of the work. It became necessary 

 to provide mail facilities both for our forces of 

 occupation and for the native population. To meet 

 this requirement has involved a substantial recon- 

 struction. The existing systems were so frag- 

 mentary, defective, and inadequate that a new and 

 comprehensive organization had to be created. 

 American trained officials have been assigned to 

 the directing and executive positions, while native 

 have been chiefly employed in making up the bodj 

 of the force. In working out this plan the merit 

 rule has been rigorously and faithfully applied. 



The appointment of Director General of Pests of 

 Cuba was given to an expert who had been Chief 

 Post Office Inspector and Assistant Postmaster- 

 General, and who united large experience witl 

 administrative capacity. For the postmastershij 

 at Havana the range of skilled and available mei 

 was scanned, and the choice fell upon one who had 

 been twenty years in the service as deputy post- 

 master and postmaster of a large city. This prin- 

 ciple governed and determined the selection of the 

 American officials sent not only to Cuba, but to 

 Porto Rico and the Philippines, and they wen- 

 instructed to apply it so far as practicable in the 

 employment of the natives as minor postmasters 

 and clerks. The postal system in Cuba, though 

 remaining under the general guidance of the Post 

 master-General, was made essentially independent. 

 It was felt that it should not be a burden upon 

 the postal service of the United States, and pro- 

 vision was made that any deficit in the postal 

 revenue should be a charge upon the general rev- 

 enues of the island. 



Though Porto Rico and the Philippines hold a 

 different relation to the United States, yet. for 

 convenience of administration, the same principle 

 of an autonomous system has been extended to 

 them. The development of the service in all of the 

 islands has been rapid and successful. It ha* 

 moved forward on American lines, with free deliv- 

 ery, money order, and registry systems, and ha* 

 given the people mail facilities far greater and 

 more reliable than any they have ever before en- 

 joyed. It is thus not only a vital agency of in- 

 dustrial, social, and business progress, but nn im- 

 portan.t influence in diffusing a just understanding 

 of the true spirit and character of American ad- 

 ministration. 





