Annual Reports of the War Department

Annual report of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, U. S. V., commanding Division of Cuba, embodying the final report of Brig. Gen. William Ludlow, U. S. A., of the Department of Habana, and as military governor of the city of Habana, Cuba; final report of Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson, U. S. V., of the Department of Matanzas and Santa Clara; annual report of Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, U. S. V., commanding Department of Western Cuba; annual report of Col. Samuel L. Whitside, Tenth U.S. Cavalry, commanding Department of Eastern Cuba.

Annual report of Brig. Gen. George W. Davis, U. S. V., commanding Department of Porto Rico.

Final report of Maj. Gen. Elwell S. Otis, U. S. V., as commanding general Department of the Pacific and Division of the Philippines, with miscellaneous reports of expeditions and operations in the Philippine Islands.

Annual report of Maj. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, U. S. V., commanding the Division of the Philippines, embodying the annual report of Maj. Gen. Loyd Wheaton, U. S. V., commanding Department of Northern Luzon; annual report of Maj. Gen. J. C. Bates, U. S. V., commanding Department of Southern Luzon; annual report of

Brig. Gen. R. P. Hughes, U. S. V., commanding Department of the Visayas; annual report of Brig. Gen. W. A. Kobbé, U. S. V., commanding Department of Mindanao and Jolo; annual report of Brig. Gen. J. F. Bell, U. S. V., commanding provost guard, city of Manila; and miscellaneous reports of operations in the Philippine Islands.

Special report of Maj. Gen. Adna R. Chaffee, U. S. V., commanding United States troops in China.

Annual report of Capt. Robert N. Getty, First U. S. Infantry, commandant United States Infantry and Cavalry School.

Annual report of Lieut. Col. George B. Rodney, commandant Cavalry and Light Artillery School.

The reports above referred to give in detail the changes that have been made in the military service during the past year.

Under authority of the act of Congress, approved March 2, 1899, the Army of the United States was increased to approximately 65,000 men; and an auxiliary force of volunteers of 35,000 was organized, making a total military strength of 100,000 men.

At the date of my last annual report there were in the Philippine Islands 971 officers and 31,344 enlisted men; and there were en route for service in those islands 546 officers and 16,553 enlisted men-the latter force being principally in California. Since that time an additional force ordered to China was diverted to the Philippine Islands, making a total of 98,668 men sent to the archipelago. Of this number 15,000 volunteers, first sent to that country in 1898, together with the sick and disabled, have been returned to the United States, leaving at the present time in the islands, according to last report, 2,367 officers and 69,161 enlisted men. Fifteen hundred men have been left in China to act as a guard for the American legation in that country and for other purposes.

While these changes have been made, the force in Alaska has been increased to 41 officers and 1,088 enlisted men, and the force in Cuba reduced to 260 officers and 5,468 enlisted men, and in Porto Rico to 98 officers and 2,406 enlisted men, leaving 998 officers and 18,898 enlisted men in the United States (the lowest number since 1861), of which number there are 2,600 recruits under orders to fill regiments stationed without the limits of the United States.

The urgent demand for troops on remote stations has reduced the number in the United States to a much smaller force than has been maintained at any time during the last thirty-nine years. In fact, the number is so much reduced that at the present time there are not onefourth enough troops to properly care for or man the fortifications which have been erected on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts at an expenditure of nearly $55,000,000.

In addition to the artillery deficiency the present home force is not sufficient to properly occupy the interior garrisons or to protect life and property on the Western frontier, and, what is still more serious, the Government is left without the necessary reserve to relieve troops

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