The Portland daily press., 1898-11-11
GEN. MILES, REPORT.
Nothing Really New in Part Made
Public.
HIS RECOMMENDATIONS REGARD.
ING INVASION OF CUBA.

Correspondence with Shafter As To Who
| Was Supreme in Command at Santiago
| -Ra,ews His Recommendations For
| increase of the Regular Army.
! Washington, November 10.-Major Gen.
leral Nelson A. Miles has submitted to
the secretary of war report on the oper.
ations of the army during the year.
| After devoting asfew paragraphs to
the military expeditions to Alaska in the
early spring, Gen. Miles takes up the wal
with Spain, saying:
cat the close OF the great Civil war the
government had q million veterans in
arms we'll equipped for war for that
time. The great amount of war material
then in the possession of the government
was sold or gradually used BIZ issue either
to the militia of the states or to the regu-
lar forces that have been engaged in mill
! tary operations on the frontier for the
| last three years. The supplies and ma
terial that were not sold, but stored, were
gradually reduced to the minimum, and
the war with Spain found this country
with very small army--25, 900 men, with
war material sufficient only to equip that
force and furnish it with small amount
of ammunition; but the tentage, the
transpor tation and camp equipage
was insufficient ssfor any important mill
tary operations; in fact, quite an amount
of valuable transportation, including am
buIances, had been disposed of within the
| last few years.
"The act approved April s6, 1898 au'
lthorized an increase In the enlisted
strength of the army to 62, 597 men. Con
gress subsequently authorized the enlist
Iment of 10, 900 men possessed Of immunity
from disease incident to tropical climates.
/ On April 9th l recommended the equip
menB of $4,000 volunteers and also on
slsApriE Ei5afeoommendedt that an add1tiona!
| auxiliary force of 10000 men be provided
for the protection of the coasts and as q
reserve. This, with the increase OF regu-
pfar army and the 10000 immunes have
4 given us effective force of 162, 597, which,
4 with an auxiliary force of 30, 600 natives,
la considered sufficient and deemed it o.
the first Importance to well equip sucn
larger number. Copies of the two letters
lreferred are embraced in the report.
Gen, Miles estimated that the United
States had approximately 100000 men
capable of bearing arms.
In the letter of April l5 to the secretary
of war, Gen. Miles recommended:
"That in my Judgment, the available
force of the regular army should be mobi-
lized in the best and most available
healthful position in the department. OF
the gulf. l suggested Chickamaugs Park
on account of its latitude and advantage
for preparing a command for the serious
requirement. of actual warfare.
Gen. Miles, after quoting the recon-
lmencations he had made, says:
eat the commencement of the war the
problem was largely a naval one, and uni
Gil the question of superiority between
our navy and the Spanish navy or such
naval forces as might be furnished by any
other European power or com mbination Oh
powers supporting the Spanish govern
iment, was determined, military operations
had to be determined by the success OF
failure of our naval forces. / was fully
convinced that should our navy prove SUI
perior the position of the Spanish army In
Cuba would be rendered untenable with
Il a minimum loss of life and treasure to
the United States.
ssThere were two most serious obsta.
cles to be avoided, one was placing an
army on the island of Cuba before our
navy controlled the Cuban waters, and
the other was putting an army on the isl,
and at time when large number OF
the men must die from the diseases that
have prevailed in that country, according
to all statistics, for the last one hundred
ttears For the latter reason I addressed
a letter to the secretary OF war, under
date of April Is, 1898, forwarding COM
munication from Surgeon General Stern
berg Regarding the danger of putting ar
tarmy ih fCuba during the sickiy season
and at the same time urged the plan VI
harrassing the Spanish forces and doing
the enemy the largest amount of injury
during the time necessary for oIlr navy
to demonstrate its superiority the rainy
or sickly season and the time actually
required to equip and instruct the volun
teer forces with the least possible loss tx
ourselves. In that letter also asserted
the belief 1 have entertained from thu
first that we could secure the SURRENDER
of the Spanish army in the island of Cubi
without any great sacrifice of life. /"
Gen. Miles gives the text of the letter
Preferred to and of another to the secretary
Of war, concerning the equipment of prep
aration of the volunteers.
Gen. Miles in the report, then says:
"Congregating tens OF thousands O
men, many OF whom were not uniformed
and scarcely any properly equipped il
J great camps away from their states, rem
dered it difficult for them to be properl!
supplied with food, cooking utensils
camp eq1tppage, blankets, tentage, medi
cal supplies, transportation. ETC., ant
was to a great extent the cause, in m.
Judgment, of the debilitating effect upol
the health and strength of the men, VIII
were otherwise in good physical condi
ion. The material necessary to clothe ant
equip large armies was not even manu-
factured at that time and the subsequen
condition of the troops for weeks ant
, months was injurious to the command
! In many ways
Gen. Miles mentions the dangerous mis-
sions of Lieut.. A. s. Rowan to Cuba
; and Of Lieut. 81. 81. Whitney to Port
! Rico to obtain military information q
the outbreak of the war, and the seyera
, expeditions sent with arms and supple
, to the Cuban insurgents.
He gives an account of the fitting ou