Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-02
GEN. MILES HASSTARTED HOME
He Has Seen Big Things on His Tour Beyond
the Atlantic.


London. Oct. 2.-(Correspondence Of
the Associated Press Gen. Nelson A.
Miles, Mrs. Miles and aide-de-camp
Capt. Maus sail for the United States
on the American liner st. Louis on
oct. 2.The commander Of the army has
been in Europe since May on his tour
of military observation and has in
spected everything of military inter
est from the armies of the great
powers in field of action down to
"balloon and bicycles" as he remark
ed. He has looked over fortiflcations,
barracks, camps, ordnance works OF
all classes and in the intervals of this
work has written three reports to the
government covering different features
Of European milltarism. Upon his re-
turn, he will. with the assistance of
Capt. Maus, prepare another and more
complete report, in which will be EN-
bodied recommendations for the I'M
provement of the United States army.
incidentally, Gen Miles has met
most OF the officials of Europe, in
Guiding Queen Victoria, the car OF
Russia, the emperor of Germany, the
sultan of Turkey and the president Of
France, The president of the French
republic he considers to be in every
characteristic the peer of the royal
ties of Europe.
president Faure is one of the most
tpuIllN, ulEIllltu anu uttotlDIAutl
men l have met in Europe" he said,
and added that the French republic
need have entertained no misgivings
as to how its chief magistrate would
comport himself during his recent
visit of state to the car. question
which at one time deeply asitated tho
press of France.
Gen. Miles talked interestingly to II
representative OF the Associated Press
Of his tour and although he declined
to give any opinions upon certain
questions, as to the relative strength
Of the French and German armies, his
comments upon the characteristics of
those two organizations as they i'm
pressed him while on exhibition in the
field maneuvers at Hamburg and San
Quentin were decidedly significant.
Concerning changes which may be
made In the organization and equip
ment of the American army, as re-
suits of his observations, General
Miles would not speak. Certain
charges might be made by executive
action, others would have to be au-
thorized by Congress. Those matters
were dealt with in his reports and
whether they would be made known
to the public depended upon the secre-
tary of war. to whom the reports
We're made.
when l left Washington the war
between Turkey and Greece had as
sumed such proportions that 1t looked
as II the nelghboring provinces would
be drawn into 1t, and possibly one or
two OF the great powers of Europe"
Gen. Miles began.
No one realized at that time that
Greece had assumed hostilities when
she was wholly unprepared for war;
nor did any one anticipate that Tur-
key would, in forty-ilve days, mobilize
great army of six hundred thou
sand men. When l arrived at Con-
stantinople an armistice had been de-
clared and war was practically over.
although the armies have remained
in hostile attitudes and 1t has taken
three months to agree upon the condi-
lions of peace for.n war that had been
fought in Ave weeks.
But as my mission only partially
concerned that war, and as the presi-
dent and secretary OF war had au-
thoriZed me to visit such countries
as l might think advisable for the
purpose OF military observation, |
continued my journey. looking over
all the principal armies of Europe,
many of the most important military
factories and foundrles where the
material OF war Is constructed from
the most minute small caliber pro-
jectiles to the heaviest armor plate.
Il have seen all the great armies
of Europe, except the Spanish army,
and II Spain should declare war
against the United States, ! may pos
sibly have an opportunity OF seeing
that. OF something over three million
under arms l have seen nearly four
hundred thousand, In barrack and In
garrisons and in field maneuvers. be-
sides nearly one hundred thousand
men engaged in the construction of
material