The times., 1898-12-20
GEN. MILES MAY TESTIFY.
nut one witness Examined by the AIger
Relief Board Yesterday.

nut one witness Examined by the AIger
Relief Board Yesterday.
| Very little pretence of work was made
by the Alger Relief Commission yester-
day 1t has been said for some time past
that Gen. Miles and Gen. Shafter would
go before the Commission. In the case of
Gen. Shafter. it is expected that he will
give what information he has some aav
this week. But there is doubt about
| Gen. Miles
1t Is understood that Gen. Miles has
been told that he might testify If he de-
| sired to do So This is not the way other
army officers have been brought before
the Commission. Gen Brooke was cr-
dered to appear. Gen. Shafter has been
given orders to appear. Gen Miles, if re-
port Is true, wishes to be treated In the
same manner. He does not wish to ap
pear In the light of u volunteer witness.
lie might say things that would CRATE
harshly on the sensitive ear of the Com
mission. If he gratuitousIy did so he
might be regarded as an officious person.
II the Commission orders him to give II
the oeneht Of his knowledge, he can do
80 without bringing down upon himself
the charge of willingly laying before the
world the shortcomings of the War De-
partment- Gen. Miles is not now i'm the
CITY lie is expected home in a day or
two. ' VI
Inc only witness before the Commission
yesterday was Mrs. Anita Newconb Nc
1ee' VINO at the outbreak of the war
was oesignated by the Daughters of the
american Revolution to represent that cr-
Fali Of
iater, was commissioned as an acting as
sisedit surgeon In the army, which posi-
tien she still holds. Mrs MCGEE told the
ooinhission that she was a regularly
graduated physician. Shortly after enter
ing upon her army duties, she was desIe-
,ta.ed Ha 70 examine female trained nurses
Ior appointment to army service.
Mrs MCGEE stated that women uvbo
proved themselves fitted for the place
we're appointed nurses as fast as they
couid be found There were, she said
ABOUT 1850 female nurses EMPLOYED durfne,
the war There are about 100 still in the
service Of the Government. There were
very iew women employed who did not
prove eihcient, and who did not do a great
ueii . OF good among the sick and suffer
ing soldiers. Female nurses Mrs McGee
thought, were preferable to men. There
are now large number of women nurses
III Manila Nearly all of these are from
western States. Few female nurses were
secured in the South. The work of nJ1rs-
ing mas not taken a hold among the worn
en- OF that section as it has In the North
East and West
Mrs. MCGEE suggested that America
might pattern after Great Britain with
much benefit in the matter OF organizing
an army nurse corps. The English com
pei all women who wish to enter the serv-
ice to go through probationary period.
Then, If they prove efficient. they are reg
uIarly employed II they show themselves
unfit they are dropped.
The Rev Teunis S. HamIin. pastor Of
the Church of the Covenant. delivered a
sermon during September in the course OF
which he denounced the administration
OF the War Department in violent terms.
One section OF his sermon was devoted
TO explicit charges of neglect. brutality
and vicious blundering. classified In para
graphs. each of which was preceded By
the words. I'VE know"
! The attention of the Alger Relief Com
mission having been called to this pulpit
deliverance. it was ordered that the Rev
Mr.. Hamlin should be communicated with
The secretary accordingly wrote Dr. Ham
lin asking him TO furnish the commission
with the facts within his personal knowl-
edge and experience upon which he Ead
based his charges.
The commission has received the follow
ing reply:
The sermon TO which You aIIude as
preached by me on the 18th was upon she
great events of the Summer The para
graph that touched subjects covered by
your commissions work is illustrative Of a
trait of national character; 1 based it upon
what then passed as current knowledge. 1
have had no experience, but spoke upon
Information found in reputable papers. as
the New York Tribune and letters of Mr..
George kennan in the Outlook, and state
meuts issued from officials in the War
Department and found in the public press
a reading of the paragraph will show
that it dealt only with matters of pre-
sumably public knowledge.
III. with this explanation. the commits
sion desires my presence. shall be happy
to appear before it at any time that it
may fix"