| Show THE ARMY f By the terms of the army bill of 1S99 there were 65000 regulars provided I pro-vided for and 35000 volunteers The terms of the volunteers will expire next summer and their i ploVes will have to be filled unless a settlement Is reached I with the Filipinos and Senators and Representatives are already planning how to fix the bill this year The ColTl l I merclal Advertiser thinks that all that It needed this winter i Isa simple queStion ques-tion that the law us It stands con I lams permanent > and temporary J portions I por-tions the former increasing the artillery for coast defense and reorganizing re-organizing the infantry on the three battalion basis the latter fixing the l number of men at about 100000 until next July I thinks the present need is only to extend the latter clause in the spirit of the present law as long as the need for the troops shall be urgent And It notes that there Is no disposition anywhere to press for a permanent army of 100000 men though it Is desired de-sired to make the temporary force regulars and to organize them with regular regiments under regular officers of-ficers It says the best digested plans propose a force about half as large with skeleton regiments that could be filled up to twice the strength In case of need General MacArlhur wants to begin an earnest campaign as soon as the rainy season Is over and in an Unofficial un-official statement he explains that with I I the return of soldiers and marines from China the forces now under his command com-mand in the Islands now number about 70000 men all told He wants to begin a more effective use of the 35000 volunteer volun-teer troops before their time expires next June He thinks the full force nowevcr ought to DC maintained In the archlpelajfo at present and that every volunteer regiment withdrawn I should be replaced by one of regulars |
