The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-01
WHAT GEN. MILES SAID
TO THE CORRESPONDENT FROM
KANSAS CITY
PLAIN LANGUAGE WAS USED
Which Did, Not Reflect Seriously on
=, Alger After It Had Been Suf-
Aciently Censored

KANSAS CITY, Aug. s1.-Tollowing is
the text Of the now famous interview with
General Miles, which has caused strained
relations between the War Department
and that officer. The interview was Sc
cured by the STAN correspondent Of the
Kansas City Star, J. d. Whelpley, who has
since reaffrmed the correctness Of the
statements made therein:
Ponce, Porto Rico, Aug. 11.-"After ar
rived in Santiago with achievements for
General Shafter and while was conduct
ing the surrender negotiations, Adjutant
General Corbin sent a secret dispatch to
General Shafter assuring him that my COM
ing made no difference In his command:
that did not go to supersede him.
'Thls dispatch 1 did not see then. Gen
eral Shafter did not mention 1t to me. but
1t was given out for publication in WASH
ington. 1t might have caused great trou
BILE and confusion. except that 1t was based
on an impossibility."
In explanation of what he meant he con-
t1nued:
IT no more superseded General Shafter
than a Colonel supersedes a Captain. II a
Captain was sent ahead with company of
soldiers and was later on Joined by his
Colonel and the rest of the regiment the
Colonel would not supersede the Captain
he would simply take command Of the en-
tire force, as l did at Santiago. That this
fact was recognized by the War Depart
ment is shown by all the subsequent pro-
ceedings. for the dispatches from there In
regard to the surrender all came to me,
and General Shafter was not mentioned
in them. I have been commanding General
of the army OF the United States ever since
Mr.. Cleveland appointed me such three
years ago, and have heard nothing to lead
me to believe have been relieved Of the
responsibility.
1.-THE dispa tchcs from and to Santiago
all show this. but they were very much
mutilated and garbled in Washington when
given to the public. Words and sentences
were left out which changed the meaning
and significance Of the messages, and sew
eral very important ones which would
have thrown a clearer light upon the stu
alton were entirely suppressed.
1.-THE whole affair Of the surrender OF
General Toral was simple. He agreed to
surrender, was given time to secure APP
prevail from General Blanco and then from
Madrid. and then, without being asked to
do so. surrendered his entire corps, or about
tiago This amused me considerably and
surprised me as we'll, but I took the sur
render Of the corps as though I had ex-
pected It,"
DO you think this was done on his own
responsibility" I asked General Miles.
II do not know" he said, but have had
an idea that this was inspired from Madrid
for the purpose of getting the soldiers home
at the expense OF the United States. With
Santiago lost the Spanish forces in East
ern Cuba would have been in very bad con-
dition. They are in scattered and isolated
garrlsons, certain of being defeated in de-
tail, and by the terms Of the surrender they
are brought together and shipped to Spain,
where they are undoubtedly wanted to
strengthen the government against revolu-
tons"
Newspapers which reach here from
the United States show that considerable
discussion Is now going on as to the credit
for moving the Santiago army from Cuba
back to the States. Secretary Alger claims,
It appears. that he originated the idea and
had already made the necessary arrange
ments before the appeal sent from the COM
manding officers at Santiago reached WASH
ington.
A Suppressed Gable
On file In General Miles headqua rters is
q copy Of a cablegram sent by General
Miles to Secretary Alger. July q. This
cable was suppressed by the Secretary In
Washington and no attention was paid to
the recommendations Of General Miles,
which outline the plan now followed by the
War Department. but for which others
are claiming credit.
been promptly followed out and his state
ment of the condition of the army been
given to the public when received. much
OF the sickness and trouble would have
been avoided. This cable reads as follows
''ln order to avoid conflict Of authority
or misunderstanding general directions were
given General Shafter, to be executed un-
der his order and direction, as follows"
(Then follows instructions in regard to gov
eminent property and Spanish prisoners,
snd the message continues)
"There Is not a single regiment Of reg
ulars or volunteers that is not infected
with yellow fever, from one case In the
Eighth Ohio TO thirty-six cases in the
Thirty-third Michigan.
"After consulting with best medical au.
thorities It is my opinion that the best
mode Of Riding the troops Of the fever will
be a. have directed, namely: The troops
70 80 up as high in the mountains as pos
sibie, selecting fresh camps every day. II
this does not check the spread ofthe dis
ease the only way Of saving large por-
tion Of the command will be to put them
on transports and ship them to the New
England coast to some point designated
BY the 6urgeon-G General.
"Colonel Greenleaf. Surgeon in Chief, be-
lieves the disease comes from occupying
houses, shacks and block houses that have
been occupied by yellow fever patients al
though I had given positive directions pro-
h!bitinE this before the troops landed.
TN one block house there originated Eases
Of fever producing thirty-seven deaths in
the past year"
Orders Disobeyed
It was Skaters disobedlence OF orders
and Secretary Aleer's disregard Of Gen.
eral Miles recommendations that were re-
spohsible for the terrible condition OF the
santiago army as revealed by the appeal
Of the commanding officers at that point,
mode public August 4, fourteen days after
Miles telegram.
"All the time was In Cuba, however, I
vas extremely anxious TO get to Porto