CIRCULAR LETTER,

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF WESTERN CUBA, No. 1. Quemados, Cuba, August 10, 1900. The department commander announces for the benefit of all concerned that he does not propose to interfere with the civil authorities within the geographical limits of his command, except to maintain public order and protect the lives and property of all persons residing therein.

Harmony and mutual support should prevail between the civil and military officials. The former are charged with the conduct of civil affairs and all communications from them relating to civil matters must be made to the civil heads of the department in Habana to which they respectively refer and not to the military commander of the Department of Western Cuba.

The municipal police of the various towns are directly under the control of the local authorities, and will not in any way be interfered with except in cases where they are unable to preserve the peace.

The rural guards are under the orders of the military commander of the department, to be moved when necessary from place to place. They are also to be employed when essential to reinforce the municipal police, and in turn will be augmented by American soldiers only when all other methods have been exhausted.

The department commander is not charged with the sanitation of towns except those located at or in the vicinity of the station of United States troops. All other towns must regulate their own sanitary regulations and provide for the health of their own citizens. Where unable to do so, the local authorities should appeal for assistance to the head of the department in Habana.

FITZHUGH LEE, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

REPORT OF COL. SAMUEL M. WHITSIDE, COMMANDING THE DEPARTMENT OF SANTIAGO AND PUERTO PRINCIPE.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF SANTIAGO

AND PUERTO PRINCIPE, Santiago de Cuba, June 30, 1900.

The ADJUTANT-GENERAL UNITED STATES ARMY.

(Through Headquarters Division of Cuba.)

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of this department for the year ending June 30, 1900. In obedience to General Orders No. 1, Adjutant-General's Office, January 3, 1900, I assumed command of the Department of Santiago and Puerto Principe January 22, relieving Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, U. S. Volunteers, appointed military governor of the island of Cuba.

There has been nothing in the condition of affairs in this department requiring special activity of the troops, and their movements have been confined to the usual practice marches, field exercises, target practice, and a few minor changes of station.

INSPECTION OF POSTS.

The provisions of paragraph 193, Army Regulations, have been carried out by a personal inspection of all the posts in the department and such personal examination and observation as assure me that the troops are efficient and well instructed; that the supplies are well distributed; that the transportation service is satisfactory; that public property is properly cared for, and that due economy is exercised in all public expenditures. The travel on these inspections has been by the U. S. army transport Wright by sea, and by ambulance, mounted

travel, or rail in the interior. They were made between February and June. The troops are generally well housed. Barracks and officers' quarters have been built at Morro Castle. The Eighth Cavalry are still in camp near Puerto Principe and have been for a year, but plans for a six-company post have been approved by the division commander and work is expected to begin July 1. At the other posts the troops occupy old Spanish barracks, in some cases refitted and repaired since the American occupation. At posts where mounted troops are stationed good shed stables have been provided, generally with thatched roofs. The water supply depends mainly upon cisterns and wells, though at Morro Castle water is pumped from the San Juan River. At the Eighth Cavalry camp it is pumped from a creek some distance away, and at Baracoa it is piped in from the mountains several miles distant. The health of the troops has been good. Since December there have been no epidemic diseases in the department. One or two sporadic cases of yellow fever occurred at Nuevitas in June. The troops have been regularly paid. Post exchanges are in operation at all posts and have been successfully managed. The men were never so well fed and clothed as they are at this time. They are provided bathing facilities, reading rooms, exchanges, gymnasiums, and outdoor exercises such as few of the men enjoyed before entering the service, but yet they desert. The number of desertions in the department during this year has been:

The fault is not in the service but must be looked for on the outside. Young men are entering the service who do not like the confinement of military life, become homesick, and desert. Not much more in the way of food, clothing, amusements, and liberty can be granted them to make military life more attractive, and desertion will only cease when the certainty of arrest and adequate punishment will cause men to continue in service until discharged rather than suffer the disgrace and punishment which should be sure to follow desertion. I desire to call attention to the necessity of building temporary quarters at an early date for the accommodation of officers stationed at San Luis. No suitable buildings can be rented in the town.

ADMINISTRATION.

The last half of paragraph 767, Army Regulations, is, in my opinion, much overlooked, much matter going direct through purely staff channels that is there forbidden. This operates to the exclusion of much real authority over staff departments by those in command of troops. Line officers in command have few spheres of action that can not be curtailed by staff officers acting apparently independently and exercising really the functions of command which are forbidden them by regulations. Supplies obtained for departments are moved from place to place without the knowledge of the department commander. Orders given to department chiefs regarding supplies or property have to be referred to some higher staff officer, shorn by

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF SANTIAGO AND PUERTO PRINCIPE. PALACE WHERE AMERICAN FLAG WAS FIRST RAISED.