open to all enlisted men of two years' service, regardless as to whether they had shown any special aptitude to command, and in many cases privates have been appointed second lieutenants without having had the opportunity to be properly tested and without experience in command.

Under the act of February 2, 1901, vacancies were filled by men of one year's service, but the old law will obtain as soon as the original vacancies are once filled. The operation of the general law is as follows:

During March of each year an examination board was ordered in each military geographical department for the examination of all candidates who desired to compete for a commission. Those who passed were ordered the following September to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where a central board examined all the candidates from the Army and arranged them according to the results of their competitive examination. There was a widespread feeling in the Army, not only among the officers, but among the old and valued noncommissioned officers and soldiers, that this system was not altogether the best method of obtaining officers. Men who were apparently unfit for promotion to the grade of corporal, but who had been brought up where they had had the advantages of good public schools, could, with preparation, qualify for commissions and immediately be promoted and sent back as commissioned officers to command men, when they had failed in the same regiments to obtain a noncommissioned grade by any soldierly ability.

A great many excellent young men have come into the service this way as officers, but a number of others have been commissioned who would not have reached the grade of officer under any system which would take into consideration the future duties of the army officer.

It is recommended that the old law requiring that each candidate should be a "noncommissioned officer in good standing who has displayed an aptitude for command and control of men" be revived; after the annual examination in the geographical departments, those who qualify to be sent to one of the service schools and there put through a course under the instructors-say, for six months-which should take the place of the second examination, and only those who demonstrate the proper qualifications while undergoing this course to be nominated for commissions.

Another proposition suggested commends itself, which is to detail annually one noncommissioned officer, to be selected by a board of officers in each regiment, to represent the regiment at the service. schools, and such proportion from the Artillery Corps and other branches having enlisted men as would equal this ratio; that these candidates be put through a course of study at one of the service schools, and all vacancies occurring in the Army during the year, not required for the graduates from the Military Academy, to be filled from this class. Those who failed to secure commissions would be benefited by the course pursued, and would return to their regiments better fitted to perform the duties of the higher noncommissioned grades, and from them the post noncommissioned staff could be obtained.

It is believed that the period of two years is hardly sufficient to determine the qualifications of the average enlisted man for a commission, without some special training where he will be under the observant eyes of officers who fully appreciate that he is a candidate for a commission.

It is believed that our Army is the only one in the world promoting directly from the ranks without some intermediate service as a candidate, either at a school, or as a candidate noncommissioned officer whose actions are closely observed by his superiors with a view to determining his aptitude and fitness.

It is thought that a full enlistment of three years should be required of all candidates for commissions, including service at the school. The average of age enlisted men who appear before the boards is believed to be below that of the graduates of the Military Academy, so that no disadvantage to the candidates would be entailed.

POST EXCHANGES.

During the year ending June 30, 1901, the aggregate receipts of the exchanges in operation in the Army, so far as reports have been received, amounted to $2,123,077.29, and there was received as money on deposit $39,744.97, making the total amount of money received $2,162,822.26. There was expended for merchandise purchased, rents, fixtures, and repairs, and expenses of operation, $1,586,828.25, which, less deposits, gives a profit of $536,249.04. From this amount there was donated to the funds of the several regimental bands, $6,985.02; to the maintenance of post gardens, $3,293.81; to post libraries, $1,900.70; to gymnasiums, $3,727.92; as prizes for the encouragement of athletic sports, $5,451.19, and, after setting aside the sum of $192,346.20 as a reserve fund to meet anticipated expenses for at least one month, there was passed to the credit of the companies and mess funds for the benefit of the soldiers, in the form of dividends, the sum of $322,544.20. The net value of these exchanges that is to say, the balance of their combined assets over their liabilities, was on June 30, 1901, $353,748.40. The provision of the act of Congress which prohibits the sale of beer, etc., has been carried into effect.

THE RECRUITING SERVICE.

In October, 1900, the Regular Army closely approximated the authorized maximum of 65,000 enlisted men, and consequently the efforts of the recruiting service during the remainder of the year 1900 were confined to the filling of vacancies as they occurred, and the shipment of recruits to the Philippines to meet vacancies in organizations there up to December 31. With the passage of the act of February 2, 1901, increasing the Regular Army, and to some extent anticipating this action, recruiting officers were incited to renewed activity, and during the months of January and February 13 additional central stations were opened, and an active canvass was entered upon in the vicinity of all regular recruiting stations, with a view to covering as fully as possible with the officers available all parts of the country. The officers for duty at these new stations and others as assistants to the regular recruiting officers were detailed as opportunity offered, selections being made generally from officers who had been invalided home from the Philippines or Cuba and had partially recovered their health. Advantage was taken, later, of the services of a number of officers on duty at the Military Academy, who became available for temporary recruiting duty owing to the advanced graduation of the

first class; and still others were thus utilized during the summer recess at the academy.

Taking the period from October 1, 1900, to October 1, 1901, the smallest number of officers on general recruiting service during any one month was 51; the largest number was 81. In October, 1900, there were 62 central recruiting stations in the larger cities; there are now about 100 of these. In several instances one officer conducts two or more such stations, and many of the recruiting officers stationed in these cities also visit and conduct temporary stations, maintaining them for a longer or shorter term according to their productiveness, thus canvassing the sections surrounding their main stations. The smallest number of cities and towns canvassed during any one month by these general recruiting officers was 92; the largest number 298. Three of the stations opened early in 1901 have been closed.

The efforts of the officers on general recruiting service were supplemented by enlistments at all military posts by officers detailed by the post commanders, and in February, 1901, instructions were given to the department commanders within the United States to expand the post recruiting service to embrace a canvass of surrounding towns by enlisted men, these towns to be visited when necessary by the post recruiting officer and the surgeon, to make examinations and enlistments. The largest number of towns canvassed during any one month by recruiting officers from posts was 50; the largest number of cities and towns visited during any one month by recruiting officers from both city stations and posts was 325; but in addition to these many other towns were visited by enlisted members of recruiting parties, distributing recruiting posters, circulars of information, etc.

NEW REGIMENTS.

With the passage of the act of February 2, 1901, the recruitment of the 10 new regiments authorized by that act, viz, 5 regiments of cavalry and 5 of infantry, was actively entered upon. The recruitment of the infantry regiments was completed by July 6, and of the cavalry regiments by July 20, and this notwithstanding the fact that over 1,700 recruits were diverted from these regiments before their completion to other organizations, to meet certain contingencies of the

service.

ARTILLERY.

In order to allow the recruiting of the artillery to proceed as rapidly as possible without prejudice to the early organization of the new infantry and cavalry regiments, provision was made March 27, 1901, for the further extension of the plan of post recruiting to provide for ordering artillery officers, whenever practicable, to visit cities and towns adjacent to their posts to make enlistments for their respective companies. It was designed by this provision to afford every opportunity for artillery officers to accomplish the work of recruiting their

own corps.

The early completion of the new regiments being assured, all general recruiting officers were directed, June 4, to give special attention to the enlistment of suitable recruits for the artillery; and July 3, the recruitment of the new regiments being about completed, all recruiting officers were instructed to make a specialty of recruiting for the artillery.

WAR 1901-VOL 1, PT III- 4

Under act of February 2, 1901, and the orders of the President, the total enlisted strength authorized for the Artillery Corps was fixed at 18,862. The maximum enlisted strength of the artillery according to the act of March 2, 1899 (irrespective of the temporary increase authorized by the President, under section 12 of that act), was 8,050, the total increase authorized being 10,812. It was decided to divide this increase into increments of one-sixth, or 1,802 each, and, as each increment was reached, to appoint one-sixth of the additional officers and organize one-sixth of the additional companies. These increments have been completed by recruitment, supplemented by transfers from organizations of other arms that were in excess. The losses in the artillery from February 2 to the present time are still to be made up, and, as the expirations of service in that corps will be heavy for several months, active recruiting therefor is necessarily kept up.

ENGINEER BATTALIONS.

The Second Battalion sailed for the Philippines June 25, having been recruited to very near the maximum strength. The few recruits needed to complete its organization have since been forwarded to Manila.

Of the Third Battalion, one company stationed at the United States Military Academy, West Point, has been practically completed; the other three companies of that battalion stationed in the United States have been recruited to a strength of 257 men.

One company of the First Battalion has recently been brought to the United States from the Philippines, and there are sufficient recruits at rendezvous to fill it upon reaching its new station. The other three companies of that battalion are under orders from the Philippines for the United States.

RECRUITS FOR TROPICAL SERVICE.

Up to May, 1901, special efforts were directed to filling portions of the old regiments designated for service in the Philippines. All organizations sailing for the Philippines have been filled with recruits prior to their departure from the United States; the number of recruits thus supplied between February 27 and July 25 to organizations about to sail as indicated being 1,417. Between September 20, 1900, and September 20, 1901, 3,868 recruits were forwarded to organizations already in the Philippines or China, while on the latter date there were 158 recruits at San Francisco awaiting the sailing of transports. During the same yearly period 1,130 recruits were forwarded to Cuba and Porto Rico for organizations serving in those islands.

GENERAL RESULTS.

The total number of enlistments and reenlistments in the Regular Army during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, exclusive of the Hospital Corps, was 30,622; of which number 24,978 were made at city stations by officers of the general recruiting detail, and 5,644 at and in the vicinity of military posts and in the field, by recruiting officers detailed by their commanding officers.

The enlistments are classified as follows:

Of the 30,622 accepted applicants, 26,267 were native born, 3,977 of foreign birth, and 378 were born in Porto Rico; 28,879 were white, 1,707 colored, and 36 Indians. The enlistments numbered 25,688, and the reenlistments 4,934. Excluding reenlistments, the percentage of native born among the original enlistments was 89. The reports show that the recruiting officers making the 30,149 enlistments embraced in the first two items of foregoing list rejected 86,407 applicants, about 74 per cent of the whole number, as lacking in either legal, mental, moral, or physical qualifications; 1,645 of these were rejected as aliens, and 4,244 as illiterates.

The total number of enlistments and reenlistments for the Hospital Corps during the fiscal year was 836, of which number 666 were native born and 170 of foreign birth; 814 were white and 22 colored. The enlistments numbered 610 and the reenlistments 226.

Including the Hospital Corps, the aggregate of all enlistments and reenlistments for the Regular Army during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, was 31,458.

THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.

The act of February 2, 1901, increased the organization of the department, which now consists of one adjutant-general, with the rank of major-general (the rank of that officer to be that of brigadier-general on the expiration of the service of the present incumbent by retirement or otherwise), five assistant adjutant-generals, with the rank of colonel, seven assistant adjutant-generals, with the rank of lieutenantcolonel, and fifteen assistant adjutant-generals with the rank of major. During the past year the department has lost three officers-one by promotion and two by retirement, viz:

Col. Theodore Schwan, who was appointed brigadier-general in the regular establishment February 2, 1901 (since retired). Colonel Schwans as brigadier-general of volunteers, served with credit to himself a, chief of staff of the Division of the Philippines and principal assistant to the military governor of the Philippines.

Col. Merritt Barber, retired June 30, 1901.

Col. J. C. Gilmore, retired April 18, 1901.

The law above cited forbids further permanent appointments in the Adjutant-General's department after the filling of the original vacancies created by the act; vacancies that shall occur, except that of the chief of the department, which can not be filled by promotion, to be filled by detail from the line of the Army; all officers so detailed to serve for a period of four years, after which they shail return to duty with the line and, if under the rank of lieutenant-colonel, shall not again be eligible for detail until they shall have served two years with the line.

Eleven officers of the line have been appointed by detail to fill original vacancies, and the promotions made consequent on retirement and increased strength leave three vacancies yet unfilled.

GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE.

The following is a list of persons committed to the Government Hospital for the insane, under the order of the Secretary of War, from September 1, 1900, to September 1, 1901.