The age-herald., 1898-11-16
 BRECKINRIDGE'S
 WARM TESTIMONY With Niles in Command Things Would
 Have Been Different. SHAFT FTER'S INC0MPEIENCY Vas Tinted At in an Indirect May by
 tho Witness. THE AMERICAN ARMY'S BRAVERY And Not Able Leadership Was the Cause of the Brilliant Campaign
 Which Ended in the Fall
 of Santiago.
THE AMERICAN ARMY's BRAVERY

6lOu, ANOfShbSt Ao+-~'NiiSANN Breckinridge continued his testimony be- fore the war Investigating commission to- day. His testimony today dealt with the campaign in Cuba and the transportation of troops to that island. He said he had gone to Cuba as inspector-general, arriv- ing at Tampa on the 5th of June. He had observed casually the preparations for the disembarkation of troops before the expe- dition left, and had concluded that they were quite adequate.
 'I made report, however, as General Miles was on the ground and could observe for himself" Continuing, he said that there was no preparation for landing in the face of an enemy other than that which the naval military board furnished. So far as he had observed, there were only two lighters and only two scows secured behalf of the army before the departure from Tampa. It was his understanding, however, that the army and navy were CO., operating in this expedition.
 Conflict of Authority
 Speaking of the conflict of authority on the transports, he said the masters of the vessels did not respond as promptly as might have been desired True he said, there was a little navy cadet board each of the vessels, but he had no authori- ty. An actual naval officer or an officer Of the quartermaster department on each vessel would have been better. What was needed was prompt communication be- tween the commanding officer and the vessels, and the mates of the transports did not respond very promptly"
 He was questioned at some length con- corning the conduct of the campaign in front of Santiago, and replied that the re- suit was what he expected it would be. Everything there, he said, was strained to get men on board, and consequently there was comparatively little effort to secure equipment. While he knew nothing defin- itely of the plans of the campaign, he was sure there was a plan.He was quite cer- tain from a conversation he had had with General Miles that he had a pian though he did not say that this was the plan car ried into effect
 ,"Of course. suggested Governor Beaver, Santiago was the goal of the campaign
 "Certainly; the fact was published so ex- tensively in the newspapers that many or the men on board the vessels would not accept this information as to the destlna- tion as correct"
 Would Have Been Different
 Asked as to his opinion of the result of the campaign, he said he thought 1t was consistent with the character of the men who conducted it-what was to have been expected from the limitations of General Shafter. 1T think 1t would have been diff 
 mand-that it would have been more satis- factorily conducted. I think he has more of the spark and genius of command than any man in the army, and I am sure that if he had had charge he would have been in the front rank.
 Ex-Governor Woodbury suggested that the battle in front of San Juan had been fought and the victory won within eight days of landing.
 General Breckinridge in reply, said that the victory had bQau "Whln General Torafs nerve gave out" This, he continued, had been the way of all others when suc- cess had been won in its earliest stages. He believed the war was the Lords war and that the wonderful success was due to His supervision. The time for the battle, however, was short enough. Yet it must be remembered that the distance between the battlefield and Siboney was less than half days march. But while he considered the results marvelously commendable, he did not feel that General Shafter was above criticism in the conduct of the campaign. He could not believe the result was a mir acle, but he ascribed the outcome to the fact that the army was one which was capable of meeting all calls.
 All Acted With Zeal
 ''No matter how 1t was tangled up," he said, "it went to victory" He had at the time quoted Lord Beresford when he said to his army upon certain occasion: T have led you into devil of fix, and it Is
 
 of it." He was sure at least that all en- gagged in the war had acted with zeal, and every man hau done the best of which he was capable, and he had never known war in which there was no criticism at the close of 1t.
 General Breckinridge spoke of the in- spector generals office as having been emasculated by the order requiring the re- ports of subordinates in that office to be made to the adjutant general and said that when he discovered this was so he went into the field as offering the only ave- nue in which he could be of service. He had intended to say in effect:
 There is the desk in my office; do as you please with 1t. General Sanger was there. He, too, is from Michigan. I thought he could take control of the office, if it was desired, but he did not remain"
 Continuing his testimony bearing upon the inspector generals duties, he said that his criticism of the change was based on