Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-09-08
GIN. NILES STATEMENT.
Reported Interviews With Him
Were Substantially Correct.
HIS WORK AT SANTIAGO DE CUBA

He Preferred That General Shafter
should Receive the Surrender of
Santiago-General Miles, Requests
snubbed by the War Department.
New York, Sept. s.-The United
States transport OLDHAM, having on
board Major General Nelson A. Miles
and his staff, Major Greenleaf, Cap
tain Whitney, the Second regiment of
Wisconsin volunteers, consisting of 30
officers and 800 men, and the hospital
corps, from Porto Rico, arrived here
yesterday Mrs. Miles, son and
daughter were also on board the trans
port, which sailed from Ponce on Sept.
well on board and no sickness or deaths
during the voyage.
General Miles admitted to reporter
who interviewed him the substantial
accuracy of the statements attributed
to him by the Kansas City Stars cor
respondent at Ponce, Porto Rico.
There are" General Miles said, "a
few minor inaccuracies in the publish
ed reports such as usually occur in
such interviews, but they are unim-
portant.
1T is true that l requested that my
troops in Porto Rico, on their return
home should be allowed to camp some
where New York, preferably Brook
Ign Heights, Fort Wadsworth or Gov
ernor's Island; and also requested of
the war department that the troops be
allowed to march through New York
city. l never intended to parade my
self, as l shall go to Washington in a
few days, and would not be here at
the time of the contemplated parade
Il asked that the Wisconsin regi-
ment aboard the OLDHAM be permitted
to stay in this vicinity for day or two
to give them chance to see the city.
1t would do no harm to let those west
ern boys get a glimpse of New York
Surely they merit it. Many of them, I
think, have never seen the city, and
perhaps will never have another OPP
portunity to see it,
ITO my first request l have received
no reply. To my second request 1 re-
ceived reply ordering the Wisconsin
boys home forthwith"
A long statement emanating from
General Miles was given to the re-
in the form of letter, in which Gem
eral Miles is mentioned in the third
person, and is in substance as follows:
In the first place, let me say, that
the war has closed after being con-
Quoted largely as General Miles stated
publicly at the beginning of the war
that it would be. The statement was
publicly made, and a general order was
issued by him, as commander of the
American army, in which the plan that
he has striven to pursue was fore
Swallowed, namely, seeking to accom-
plish results with the least possible loss
of life. In an interview in the latter
part of May he said: The United
States government is too strong, too
great and too powerful to commit any
foolish act in connection with the pro-
posed invasion of Cuba. No officer
is fit to command troops who, from any
motives whatever would needlessly
risk the life of a single soldier, either
from disease or the bullets of the
enemy. I have never sacrificed the
lives of men under my command. and
do not propose to subject them to any
unnecessary risks in the present cam
paign.'
The statement then gives General
Miles order to the army, issueA at an
early date, and declares the principles
then enunciated have been zealously
observed from the first. Proceeding the
statement declares that General Miles
sought permission to go with the in
vading army to Cuba, which permission
was not granted. He afterward went
to Cuba with the second army of in
vasion under verbal instructions from
the president, and while there was in
by Secretary Alger to accept the sur
render of General Toral. This, 'in the
interest of his subordinates, he gener-
ously declined to do, and went away
leaving all the honor to his next in
rank, General Shafter.'
After declaring that the Island of
Porto Rico was fairly won by right
of conquest, and will be valuable ad-
dition to United States territory, the
statement concludes:
General Miles remained in Porto
Rico as long as he deemed his presence
necessary for carrying out the wishes
of the president. He returns at once
to Washington, where he believes he
can be most useful, as he considers the
most important need of the hour now
to be the immediate reduction of war
expenses and the return of as large a
portion of those in the military service
as possible to their former occupations,
where they are most needed"