The times., 1898-12-27
TUESDAY. DECEMBER q, 1895.
Contradictory Commission.

CautrndictGry Commissfo
Supposing that an inhabitant of the
planet Mars, or some other wholly disin-
terested person, could peruse the pro-
ceedinss of the Alger Relief Commission,
he would find it as amusing as q vaude-
willie show The modification which an
American citizen naturally feels at such
spectacle interferes with his enjoyment
of the performance. The trouble seems
To be that Secretary Alger has not sue
ceeded in training all his friends to tell
the same story Perhaps he has not even
settled on The story which he would Ike
10 have them tell. He himself has de-
clared on one and another occasion that
the War Department was all ready for
war in April; and indeed, that would be
the natural and proper condition of
things. There is no real need of our
h eping up an expensive War Depart
ment in time Of peace if 1t is not to be
ready in emergencies. There would be as
much sense in that as in a man fur
niShing all the doors and windows in his
house with burglar alarms and failing to
see that they were in order. Perhaps
StIIit iaN ttiS ZtE : ulSdTUlaIHtIl Iued
VIII be followed cut, and all the nations
of the earth will cease to prepare for war
or TO think of il, and the lion and the
lamb will lie down together. But it is
desirable first TO make sure that the lion
has 10 plans for the absorption of the
lamb. At present War Department is
a necessity, and, like the Navy Depart
ment, it should be ready for work at
short notice.
While Secretary Alger has said that his
department was ready for war, several
other gentlemen connected with military
affairs have SAID that it was not, that
nobody expected war and nobody was
prepared for it. Adjutant General Corbin
is the latest henchman who has basely
deserted the standard of his chief and
decided that IL is better to be believed
than to be loyal Nobody with any COM
mon sense will suppose, after the publica-
ton Of the facts that the department was
ready for war, or anything like it. Cen
eral Corb:n has saved some of his repu-
tation for trutnfulness, at all events. But
the contention Of the people is that these
things ought not 50 to be; that the War
Department should have been ready for
business after the two months warning
that it had OF the imminent probability OF
trouble; that there was no more reason
why it should not have been ready than
there was for the Navy Department not
TO be ready; that if one department could
prepare itself for hostilities the other
could. The people think, Furthermore,
that if the Navy Department could
be ready for business in the middle of
April, winning one of the most dazzling
and important victories in the history of
nations early in May. there was no rea-
son why the War Department should be
dawdling over its business till July, and
then fail to provide provisions, ambu-
lances. hospital supplies, or anything else
that was needed for the sustenance and
safety of the soldiers. The War Depart
ment officials knew where the fighting
would be required; there are hundreds
of men in this country who have had ex-
perieHce in tropical climates; there was
plenty of food and plenty of cloth to be
lad, and money to pay for it ALL the
task of the War Department, so far as
one can see, was not harder than that
of the Navy Department in getting to-
gether new vessels, ammunition and pro-
visions The trouble lay mainly in one
thins-political appointments; and the ap-
pointments were made by the head of the
department. who knew precisely what he
was doing and the risk he was running
when he made them. Any soldier who
remembers the rations and clothing
served out during the Civil War has had
an object lesson on that point All the
explanation in the world will not make
the people believe that there is nothing
wrong in the War Department, and those
who are concerned in the unsavory affairs
of the clique Of officials responsible for
the sufferings OF our army may as we'll
make up their minds to it first as last.
There is going TO be an earthquake, and
when the earth cracks somebody will be
swallowed up.