of constant and careful attention, and the reports mentioned may serve to aid this process of improvement, if not already surpassed by the progress made. A partial list of items referred to in these papers

might include

1. Lack of discipline and attentive alertness where the civilians are

unfinable.

2. Much mixed or amateurish methods.

3. Excessive charges for food.

4. Master to command ship and a bonded purser to replace the transport quartermaster.

5. Painting of ships by crews.

6. Relying on Treasury Department for inspection of hulls, boilers, and equipment of transports.

The beneficial change at West Point effected by introducing "general-service" men finds a similar opportunity, possibly, in this transport service, by properly unifying and adjusting the duties according to the new environment.

The great success attained already gives promise that whatever is still needed will be fully accomplished and such a system be now definitely formulated as will serve as a model in every future emergency. All Government and military movements in Asia may find almost as close connection at times with the question of water transportation as it does with railroads on this continent.

Perhaps more attention may still be needed to the assured seaworthiness of the largest possible equipment of life-saving appliances and exercise of the crew at emergency stations at irregular periods. Would not a canvas swimming tank like those on the English lines be beneficial on our transports for long voyages? They enlist interest and encourage activity and cleanliness.

The tendency to hire land transportation instead of organizing it as a military and sworn command has at times led to suffering and loss in other armies, until civilized nations showed how it could be properly controlled even among deserts or any other strain of war. Water transportation naturally presents similar problems, and the makeshift methods pay in blood for what is saved in money, whether resorted to on land or water. Our owned transports are far more efficient and amenable to ordinary military contingencies and have a finer esprit du corps than can be expected of any heterogeneous or hired vessels. The heart must be in the work and loyalty to it alone dominate if perfect success is to continue-such as is due to a national cause amidst matters of such pith and moment. That the officers who have had charge are able and enthusiastic and whole-souled in their earnest endeavor to attain success is proved by their work, and must be recognized by all who have the interests of the Army or the Government at heart.

Detailed histories and descriptions of the various army transports have been given in several of my preceding reports.

The following succinct statement of the inspections of transports is self-explanatory and is indicative of the services performed by them during the year:

SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT.

The reports received show that the subsistence supplies furnished the Army during the past year were very generally of excellent quality and sufficient in quantity. The food supply is good, and the zone in which fresh meat and ice are furnished has widely extended in the Philippines. Unfortunately, in the southern islands, on account of the lack of refrigerating plants or ships, refrigerated meat or ice is not available, and the ravages of rinderpest have so thinned out the native cattle that it is difficult to obtain meat of any character.

Very few complaints of inferior quality of stores have been reported. How extremely limited this was in a business so widespread and so sensitive every business man will appreciate. It is a vote of confidence in our admirable Subsistence Department by an overwhelming majority. Losses on nearly all kinds of subsistence stores or supplies were comparatively great in the Philippines, where large quantities were condemned. Possibly larger recently than for thirty years.

The inventory and inspection reports received at this office show the following losses by condemnation during the fiscal year 1902, to wit:

It seems that all classes of canned goods deteriorate and become unfit for use very rapidly in the Tropics, and large quantities of them are condemned and eliminated from the service. Lacquering of the cans has been recommended, and where it has been tried it is reported to have been beneficial. The favorable difference in the percentage of damaged square compared with round tins was adverted to; though superior tin and workmanship may be required. A jolt flattening in the rounded side of one tin at a single point under pressure which the square tins better withstand may start a leak which rusts and ruins the remainder of the box-full beneath. The excessive rust and moisture and destruction of packages by ants, etc., are phenominal in the Tropics. The intelligent and persistant effort to get the best results and guard against the special evils are evident on all sides, and meets with increasing success.

Colonel Sanger (Philippines) says:

In the Subsistence Department the most perishable stores are fresh meat, vegetables, flour, bacon, preserves, and jellies; of the latter, current jelly appears to have been more perishable than any other preserves. The greatest care is now taken in handling fresh vegetables under Division Circular No. 1, 1902; but losses will undoubtedly continue until arrangements can be made to reduce the time consumed in transporting them from the depot in Manila to the stations of the troops. It is suggested that all barrels and kegs have wooden hoops in the place of iron, as the latter are soon destroyed by rust, and that flour be boxed rather than sacked.

The prevalence of cholera and the imperative necessity of cleanliness in and about all mess kitchens in this climate have made it obvious that provision should be made for dishcloths, wiping cloths, cooks' aprons and caps, and it has been suggested that they be kept in stock by the Subsistence Department for issue or sale as may be deemed best. Dishes that are well washed, but wiped with a piece of dirty gunny.

sack or some other substitute, by a soldier in a dirty suit of clothes, saturated with perspiration, can hardly be called clean. The messes do the best they can with the means at hand, but they are most inadequate.

Major Bailey (North Philippines) says:

The reports of inspectors show that the troops are well fed and are supplied with everything that is required for their health and comfort, except at some of the inaccessible posts, where fresh meat and vegetables can not be regularly supplied, owing to the difficulty of securing necessary transportation. Fresh meat and vegetables have frequently had to be destroyed before reaching their destination on this account. Many of the chartered transports plying between interisland points are not supplied with cold-storage facilities or with ice chests of sufficient capacity to take proper care of the fresh meats transported by them. This defect should be remedied as speedily as possible in the interests of economy and welfare of the troops. Attempts have been made to furnish beef on the hoof to some of the outlying stations, but it has not proved a decided success, owing to the cattle stampeding or dying en route.

Major Eastman (Fourth Separate Brigade) says:

I have but few recommendations to make concerning the Commissary Department. Its supplies are generally ample and of good quality. There has been a large loss of certain canned goods, such as pineapples, peaches, damsons, etc. It has been observed that canned goods packed in sawdust are in much better condition here when opened, fewer cans are found punctured, and the dust absorbs the moisture or juices if a can bursts, and only two or three cans in proximity are ruined instead of the whole case. Lacquering has also proved beneficial.

Major West (Fifth Separate Brigade) says:

The stations have been well supplied with stores, except fresh beef, potatoes, and onions.

Owing to the absence of a cold-storage plant at Iloilo, it is not practicable to supply stations with refrigerated beef. The beef is purchased in the locality of each station where cattle can be procured. Owing to the great loss of cattle by the rinderpest, cattle are very dear, and some stations are not able to get beef.

Some stations are unable to get regular supplies of fresh vegetables, owing to there being infrequent visits of transports.

There has been a large amount of subsistence stores condemned during this fiscal year. The cause of this loss can be attributed to climatic influences-heat and moisture the rusting of cans, and fermentation of the contents. Weevils get into the flour and rice and worms into tobacco and cigars.

To decrease this loss it is recommended that the cans be well made and thicker than usual and that they be very carefully covered with two or three coats of lacquer Some of the canned flour (50-pound cans) has been found to contain weevils. Some of the cans are not properly soldered. One can I saw was open along the whole corner from top to bottom. So little solder had been used that it was difficult to see any at all. The top piece of tin, put on after the flour was put in the can, was also found not to be securely soldered. These cans were found to contain weevils. The commanding officer of the station of Concepcion, First Lieut. Charles B. Clark, Sixth Infantry, informed me that the canned flour contained more weevils than any other kind of flour. It is recommended that more solder be used and that more care be used in putting on the solder.

There has apparently been a large overstocking of the subsistence storehouses at the various stations, and it is also apparent that the stores on hand the longest are not always used first. This is evident from the fact that large amounts of stores are submitted to the inspector in which the cans are almost entirely destroyed by rust, and the contents dried up and disappeared, the stores having apparently been on hand for years. If the stores on hand longest had been used first, the condition of these stores would have been discovered months ago, and before the cans had rusted to pieces.

The storehouse at Iloilo is a large and comparatively cool building, where stores can be better preserved than in the small houses and nipa shacks used at outside stations. There are frequent visits by steamer to nearly all stations, and there is no necessity for keeping large stocks on hand, as this system is sure to result in loss to the United States.

The amount of subsistence stores condemned in the brigade during the fiscal year is valued at $33,943.64. The articles which show the greatest loss are tobacco, both smoking and chewing, cigars, cranberry sauce, milk, flour, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bacon, soups, ginger ale, and Shasta water.

Colonel Burton (Cuba) says:

As a general rule the commissary storehouses have presented a commendable state of good order, cleanliness, and classification of supplies. The stores have been generally satisfactory. There was a large lot of supplies sent to Cuba with the army of intervention, which gradually became surplus as troops were removed, and which became the subject of criticism because of age and consequent deterioration. They, however, have been sold, in the general break-up, at very remunerative prices.

Maj. Fred A. Smith (South Philippines) says:

Subsistence Department. This department is justly entitled to praise for the demands made upon it and the manner in which it has met them, using every endeavor to promote the comfort and welfare of men and officers at remote and lonely stations and in the field.

The full ration has been at all times available, except fresh meat and vegetables, which have been supplied as far as the limited and irregular transportation and distance from the supply depots has permitted. Where there is no means of preserving same at stations, the supply is limited to what can be utilized within about twentyfour hours.

Disease (rinderpest) and a lack of any systematic attempt to breed cattle has depleted the islands of native cattle so that the supply is quite wholly dependent upon imported refrigerated meat.

*

* * The ration as now constituted seems to be satisfactory and suited to climatic conditions, and the list of sales stores sufficiently varied and complete to meet the general demand.

These islands furnish nothing which can be substituted for the improvement of the regular ration, not even fruit, except it might be the banana.

* * *

To prevent deterioration, subsistence stores should not be accumulated in depots in large quantities and supplied to stations for reasonably short periods, so as not to be injured by long storage, getting wet, mildewed, etc., as the facilities for storage at stations is generally limited and conducive to deterioration by dampness, from which cans rust and contents spoil.

Flour shipped in sacks suffers from becoming wet and caked and sacks torn and broken. That shipped in tins has given good satisfaction. *

*

*

Sauerkraut is an article much desired by the companies. The desiccated potatoes furnished are an undesirable substitute for the fresh article, and are not relished by the men; also the codfish furnished, in its present form, does not seem to be desired. I know of no good reason why an arrangement could not be made to furnish fresh fish by purchase from the natives in certain proportion in lieu of the meat component of the ration, as almost without exception fresh fish and rice comprise the diet of the natives at all coast towns.

The canned salmon is quite universally condemned as an undesirable portion of the ration.

Major Irons (Colorado) says:

Very little complaint has been made of the quality of stores supplied to the various posts. At Fort Mackenzie, Wyo., California canned fruits, etc., were being shipped from Omaha, Nebr. This seems to be an unnecessary waste of money, as these supplies had been shipped from California to Omaha and then sent to Fort Mackenzie, Wyo., instead of being sent direct from California to post, which is on a direct road from California, viz, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Railroad. This extra cost, if any, falls on the Quartermaster's Department and not on the Subsistence Department. Much complaint was heard from company commanders about the issue of soup one day in ten as part of the beef component. Much justice appears in this complaint, as soups are easily made from bones of fresh beef, etc., without any extra expense. The issue of soup practically loses to the company the value of this beef component.

the ration.

The following was reported as the approximate cost Approximate cost of of the ration in the various departments. There were no reports from the Philippine Islands on this subject, save the one from the Fourth Separate Brigade. As no general data or method was furnished, some difference in individual judgment may be recognized and the result accepted with a grain of salt.