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ton and wherever army officers can be conveniently reached by mail, the more extended circulation being authorized by General Orders, No. 21, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, series of 1894.

By a direct order of the Secretary of War in 1893, the library was placed under the supervision of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army, he being charged with the general supervision of the library work. The labors of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army have been greatly lightened by the efficient and intelligent services of the librarian, Mr. James W. Cheney.

Within the past ten years the number of volumes has been doubled, while the general usefulness of the collection has increased in still greater proportion.

Professional publications only are purchased for the library, including, besides strictly military publications, works of history, geography, and administration, and kindred subjects of importance to the War Department and the Army. Especial attention has been paid since the beginning of the Spanish war to the accumulation of works treating of Cuba, colonial administration, China, Japan, Porto Rico, and the Philippines. The official gazettes of Habana, Manila, Madrid, and Porto Rico have been added in almost complete series for the past thirty years, and have proved most valuable adjuncts for the proper administration of American affairs in the islands to which they pertain. As books of reference they are simply invaluable, and they were obtainable only by special and active interest on the part of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army.

The total number of books in the library proper, excluding duplicates, on June 30, 1902, is estimated, at 45,000. The accessions for fiscal year 1901-2 were divided as follows: Purchases, 561; exchanges, 590, under the law of January 12, 1895; donations, 2,249. The loans to army officers and Department employees during the year exceeded 17,000-a very large increase over the circulation of the previous year. The number of books consulted during the year was 7,385.

For purposes of historical and technical reference, this library is often visited by authors and other consulting students, who thoroughly appreciate the valuable resources and easy accessibility of this division. The library not only contains the highest authorities in military history and science, but has one of the finest collections of Congressional documents in existence. This comprises the original Senate and House journals, an exceptional large number of documents and reports of the first fourteen Congresses, and every volume but one printed by Congress since the beginning of the Fifteenth Congress. An elaborate finding list of early Congressional papers, First to Fourteenth Congresses, prepared in this library under the immediate supervision of the Chief Signal Officer, was issued as Senate Doc. No. 428, Fiftysixth Congress, first session.

Subject Catalogue No. 5 is a finding list of over 8,000 valuable photographs and negatives relating to the war for the Union in the possession of the library. This collection and a large number of SpanishAmerican and Philippine views are carefully preserved for historical reference and reproduction under proper restrictions.

The Chief Signal Officer notes with pleasure the gratifying results of better classification, more effective service, and marked improvement all along the various lines of work, due to the intelligent methods of Librarian James W. Cheney and his staff.

DISTRIBUTION OF WAR DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS.

Nearly all the publications issued by the War Department are received, temporarily stored, and carefully distributed by this division. About 55,000 documents have been disposed of during the year. This work has been most efficiently performed by the shipping clerk, Mr. F. A. Schneider, and his faithful assistant, both of whom are entitled to great credit for having accomplished such satisfactory results under very unfavorable working conditions. A. W. GREELY, Brigadier-General, Chief Signal Officer of the Army.

The SECRETARY OF WAR,

Washington, D. C.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE RECORD

AND PENSION OFFICE.

REPORT

OF THE

CHIEF OF THE RECORD AND PENSION OFFICE.

RECORD AND PENSION OFFICE,
War Department, October 1, 1902.

SIR: The number of cases received and disposed of by the Record and Pension Office during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902, was as follows:

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Of the pension cases referred to, 3,272 were calls from the Commissioner of Pensions for statements of service and medical or surgical treatment of officers and enlisted men of the Philippine insurrection or for specific information relative to their service or status; 18,276 were similar calls from the same official for information relative to Spanish war volunteers, and 78,653 were calls for military histories of former members of volunteer organizations in service during the civil war or other wars preceding the war with Spain.

The cases received from the Auditor for the War Department were calls for information relative to the military service or status of officers and enlisted men of the volunteer forces. Of these calls 6,253 related to service in the Philippine insurrection, 5,128 to service in the war with Spain, and 15,320 to service in prior wars, principally in the war of the rebellion.

Notwithstanding the questions constantly arising relative to the status of members of the recently disbanded forces, and equally intricate questions relative to service in the earlier wars, all of which require careful administrative action, the business of the office has been promptly dispatched, nearly 93 per cent of the cases received during the fiscal year having been disposed of within twenty-four hours from the time they reached the office, and at the close of business on the 30th of June not one case remained unacted upon.

REMUSTER.

The statistical table shows an increased number of applications received during the fiscal year for "remuster," or recognition of rank as commissioned officers, under the provisions of the act of February

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