The Age Herald

TROOPS FOR PHILIPPINES.

Preparatory Orders in Anticipation of Passage of Army Bill.

Washington, January 31.-In anticipation of the passage of the army reorganization bill the War Department has issued preparatory orders for the transportation of 5200 troops to the Philippines to replace an equal number of volunteers. The soldiers to be sent to the Philippines first include eight troops of the Fifth Cavalry, eight companies of the Tenth Infantry, eight companies of the Eleventh Infantry and the provisional battalion of troops at San Francisco. There are now about 2000 recruits at San Francisco awaiting transportation to Manila, and the number will be increased as rapidly as the recruiting officers in various parts of the country obtain the necessary material.

There are now about 40,000 regular troops in the Philippines and the problem confronting the military authorities is how to increase that number to sixty thousand by the first of July, when the entire volunteer army of 35,000 must be discharged. Advantage will be taken of the provision of the pending army bill authorizing the recruitment of 10,000 native Filipinos. In that event only 10,000 reinforcements will be required from the United States immediately. The most sanguine officers of the War Department do not expect more than three or four thousand of the volunteer troops to re-enlist for service in the Philippines.