Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-09-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Frem our regular Correspondent

Miles and Gen. Skater are not only
in Washington, but they have met,
shaken hands, and chatted together
as friendly as any two old comrades
might be expected to do. This must
be surprising to those who believed,
or pretended to believe, that when
the two men met, there would ] .
drawn swords and a contest of the
regulation "Three Guardsmen" or
der. lfthe men are really as I'M
friendly towards each other SIS one
might infer from reading recent news
paper publications. they are both
past-masterS in the art of concealing
their feelings. There was certainly
no signs of enmity when they met in
the Office of Gen. Miles, in the War
Department, that could be detected.
Gen. Miles will talk every time he
gets an opportunity about the neces-
sity of charging the regular army
and the r9ccommendation lie intends
making to Congress on that subject,
but he says the statement he gave
out as soon as he landed in New
York, contained all he has to say at
present concerning the campaigns in
Cuba and Porto Rico. 1t is believed
that the President will take 10 no
tice officially ofwhat Gen. Mile, said
rejecting on the War Department,
unless circumstances compel him to
do so, if Miles doesn't do any more of
the same sort of talking. lie has
met Miles twice since he returned to
Washington, but nothing was said
by either about those newspaper
publications.
The President has decided to have
an investigation of the entire conduct
of the war made by a Commission of
the most prominent men he can get
assume task-men whose names
will cause anything they say to be
accepted by everybody without quss-
tion-tor the purpose Of trying to
put an end to the charges and coun
ter-charges now being printed in the
newspapers. While the Alger-Miles
wrangle is said TO have had nothing
to do with the idea of having this
investigator, which was ostensibly
asked Tor by Secretary Alger, it may
have much to do With it, as Gen.
Miles is not witness that is likely to
be overlooked by the Commission.
That he is anxious for the investi-
CATION all the world knows. The
heads Of the Departments Of the
Army most directly concerned IN the
inyestigation-the Comissary Gen
eral, the Quartermaster-General and
the Surgeon-General-all say that
they will welcome the most rigid
investigation into the acts of their
several Departments, and Gen.
SKATER assured the President, per
Sonally, that the more thorough the
investigation of everything connected
with the campaign against Santiago
was made, the better it would please
him, because he was certain it could
result in adding to the credit Of tho
men who took part in that remark
able campaign, and in making the
people more clearly understand the
nature of the difficulties that were
successfully surmonnted.
NoPresident for long time has
been on such good terms with Con-
gress as Mr.. Mckinley has been and
is likely to continue, as long as he
sticks to present methods. He never
does anything important before con.
ferring with members Of both
branches of Congress, not only Of his
own party, but of all parties. He asks
them to freely express their views,
and frequently accepts them as better
or more expedicnt than his own.
Nothing could more distinctly ac-
centuate the Presidents policy of
keeping in touch with Congress than
the personel of American end of the
Peace Commission, which is to meet
at Paris, Oct. l, to negotiate a treaty
ofpeace between the U. S. and Spain,
that shall determine the future gov
eminent Of the Philippines. Three
out of the FIVE Commissioners are
Senators-Davis, Frye, and Gray
and all of them are members of the
Senate Committee on Foreign Re
lations, which will necessarily be an
important factor in determining
whether the Senate will ratify the
treaty, after it is made. The first
two are republicans, and the last
democrat. The President is doubt
less correct in assuming that any
treaty approved by these three Sen
ators, is likely TO be approved by the
necessary two-thirds of the Senate.