The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-20
Forthcoming annual Reports.

FOTtEIcoElj Annual Reports.
The country has already been treat
ed to synopsis Of the report of Gen.
Miles to the secretary of war. 1t must
he corclded that tbs distingu' shed SOL
der has displayed a spirit of re3erve
highly commendlble in one occupying
his high position who has been COM
PEELED to submit to many hUniHations
in connection with the administration
of the war in Cuba.
Gen. Miles. previous to the Spanish
v ar, failed to come into touch with
the peoIle to the degree that rendered
him popular. He was an excellenc SOL
der in the Civil war and a splendid
Indian fighter; but somehow or other.
it may have been from vanity or a pc
culiar miscOmpTehension of the impor-
lance Of his place, he. continually fail
ed to reach the chord OF popularity so
far as that played upon the people.
In prolonged civil p-r.ods the officers
Of our army and navy do not play a
conspicuous part They are regarded
as ornaments rather than as objects
of usefulness. The recent war. how
ever has developed one most impor-
tant fact, viz; that in times. Of peace
the practical education absorbed by
those who have in their charge the
martial spirit of the republic advances
into superlative value in times of war
Under the rule Of the present ad-
nlinistration, however. as exercised
through Secretary Alger, many valu-
able propositions have been negatived.
Ignorance in the first place and a policy
Of personal favoritism in the second
place have combined to bring the rec
crd of the United States army in the
late war in contempt before the peop.e
Of this country and Of the world at
large.
Surgeon General Sternberg is one of
the officials of the war department who
has been most severely criticised, be-
cause of the fact that tha soldiers in
field. in camp and in hospital have
been VIGOROUSLY lacking in the re-e pt
OF the attention which rightfully they
should have commanded. OF course,
Surgeon General Sternberg had to do
very largely with the quarternaSter' 5
department. EvSrything that has come
from the front of the army goes to
SHOW that this department. in the field
was in the hands of most incompetent
officials. This condition of things can
not be wholly chargeable to the surgeon
general inasmuch as inexperienced men
were constantly being forwarded 10 the
field to take the executive positions
who were en- irely il c mpet mt for their
work, but who secured their appoint
mcn.s through political influence. Thes
men were VIGOROUSLY unfamiliar with
the duties expected of them They
were put there by the executive pow
els at political diotation.
The opinions expressed by Gen.
Breckenridge in his testimony. before
the investigating committee at Wash
ington boldly set forth the gem
eral incompetency which prevailed
in the war department.. Sur
geon General Sternberg's report will no
doubt present very thorough and
compact criticism of the higher officials
of the war department who controlled
-the disposition Of medical supplies
There does not appear to be any evil
dence thus far accumulated which in
dicates that the government was real
ly deficient in its supply account. Gen.
v heller himself testified that thou
sands Of dollars worth of extra allow
ences for soldiers. sick and GONZALES
cent. went to waste in decay and rot
tenness simply because the rcd tape
Jules OF the war department were
paramount.
Ii is to be hoped that as the general
reports come in from the war and navy
departments, both from the sub and
higher officials. before they reach the
president some explanation will be
voI ckSafed TO justify the large per
centage of death from disease in a
war which has inflicted so little dam
age by bullet and shell upon an army
recruited with remarkable CELEBRITY and
under conditions of enthusiasm that
have never been paralleled in the his
terry OF the country.
This is the week on which the turkey
is right in it. but not in it,"
1t is pretty duh day when no news
of a shipwreck comes in from the Pa
cific coast.
Admiral Dewey is expected nome in
time TO accept the Democratic nominal
ton for president.
This spending one's Thanksgiving in
Saltwater isn't the most cheerful thing
in the world. II. SoUthal
The election is over. but John R.
Tanner of Illinois. continues TO grow
ere unpopular every hour
Here's TO the gay old gobbler whose
shadow is about to disappear from
the barnyard for his country's good.
The laugh is on Yale this morning.
Harvard handled the rissIxin veS+ar