The Wichita tribune., 1898-09-10
NILES WILL N)T DISCUSS It
The Question of a Calling to Ac-
count Ignored.
HE LEAVES FOR WASHINGTON.
The General to Call on President Me-
Kinley at Once-Secretary Alger Leaves
Washington for a Two Weeks Absence
His Latest Statement.

was asked to-day what he thought O1
the published reports that it is be
lieved in Washington circles that
present public discussion of army af
fairs will be dropped after his ex
pected interview with President Nc
Kinley.
He said: II decline to be led into g
discussion of the NATTER
General Miles went shopping this
morning with his wife and daughter.
Before leaving the Waldorf-Astoria he
said: Il shall leave for Washington
at noon to-day. l shall Immediately
enter the treadmill, meaning my Off
cial duties. | shall call on the war de-
partment first and pay my respects
and shall then go at once to the Pres
ldent's mansion to pay my respects to
President Mckinley"
Before General Miles left his hotel
IN Jersey City to take a train for
Washington his attention was called
to statements from Washington that
the possibility of his removal from the
! high command he holds was being dis
cussed in military circles. He held I'D
his hands and said, good naturedlv:
Now, l am not going to say word
On that subject. l said all intend to
say about it in the statement mad e
yesterday. You really must not ask
me for any more"
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-General Miles
will arrive in Washington tonight,
but he will not find Secretary Alger
waiting for him with any rapid firing
court-martial. Secretary Alger has left
town to spend about two weeks out of
Washington for the inspection OF mil
ltary camps
Secretary Alger. through a friend,
has stated his position as follows:
Secretary Alger positively declines
to discuss the utterances of General
Miles. There seems to be a purpose
in the War department not - engage
In any controversy with General Miles
although his action in preparing a
formal statement for publication may
bring the matter to head Secretary
Alger will leave the city to-day for
two y i ly. "a llll.flsg wffcR time he will
visit his home in Michigan and also
inspect the camps throughout the
country. While he is absent General
Miles will doubtless have an interview
with the President At this confer
ence the controversy may be satisfac-
torily settled, although there is a pos
Sibility that if General Miles continues
in his unsoldierly and undignifed con-
duct the President will relieve him of
his command of the army
The President does not propose to
discipline General Miles or to do any
thing else that will make a martyr of
him, but, on the contrary, his purpose
is to take the whole controversy out of
the public view as quickly as possible
and bury it in the war department.
The President began the execution of
his plans yesterday when he asked
john Sherman to help him. 1t is pos
sible to-day, with authority, to give
some Of the facts connected with that
surprising interview.
Mr.. Sherman said to-day that he
called on President Mckinley at the
latter's request, which was a surprise
to him, and that after an exchange of
civilties, President Mckinley brought
up the matter Of the criticisms in the
manageme Mt Of the war department
and said that this seemed to him
largely unwarrantable, and certainly
very mnch to be deprecated at this
time, especially from a party point of
view, and that he hoped Mr.. Sherman
would exert his influence against such
attacks
Mr.. Sherman. according to his own
statement, made no promises, but said
to the President frankly that it was
80 obvious that there had been serious
mismanagement of the Santiago cam
paign from the time of its inception
at Tampa to the return of General
Skaters troops to Montauk Point,
and also in the camps North and South
that the criticism of the war depart
ment was inevitable and, in his opinion
justifiable. Mr.. Sherman told the
President that he believed the only
way to meet the charges was by an
impartial investigation of them, which
would properly place the responsible
ity and he intimated that if he had
been President he would have ordered
such an investigation before this.
The advice has not apparently af-
fected the Presidents purpose not to
order such an investigation. Never
theless, although Mr.. Sherman did not
promise to further the Presidents
purpose by persuading General Miles
to refrain from criticism, it is believed
by members of the administration that
the ex-secretary will at least refrain
himself from such criticism, and that
the President will have accomplished
that much by inviting his former sec
retary of state to the White house.
What influence the President pro-
poses to bring to bear on General
Miles is not now easy to discover.
Alger's friends recall the case of
lieved as commanding general and as
signed to duty as the uperintendent
of West Point. There is no doubt Of
the authority of the President to re-
ieve the commanding general when
ever he sees fit.
1t is also within his power to order
a court martial for the trial of General
Miles, but this he has no thought OF
doing. The extreme measure he would
be likely to take would be to relieve
him OF his command. and whether
this will be done will depend largely