The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-11


WASHINGTON. Nov. 1o.-Tbe ranor+
Of Maj. Gen. Miles, Commanding the
| United States army, was made public
To-Day py direction of Secretary Alger.
! The Keynote of the report is found in
/ is said: -
1 The military operations during the
year nave been extraordinary, unusual
( and extensive" a statement which Is
I IuiIy borne out by the long recital of
4 important events, which Gen. Miles
/ shows have made the military history
I OF the year 1898 the NOSE remarkable
/ since the end Of the Civil war.
! IN point OF interest the document III
vides naturally into four chapters.
! while brief sllusion is made TO such
/ matters as the military expeditions to
Alaska. interest naturally centers in
/ the portion which deals with the war
J with Spain. Under this general head
/ the report deals with the campaisn war
preparations; with the Santiago cam
/ paign; with Gen. Miles operations Sc1
Porto RICO, and, lastly. with the i'm
/ poftant changes in existing organiza-
/ ton, which are, in Gen. Miles opinion
! necessary 10 make the army an effect
I I've weapon for the defense OF the
/ country. There is an entire absence OF
| any evidence of direct criticism though
! certain sentences In the report are ital-
| iciZed in an apparent desire to justify
] previously expressed plans of details
! OF the campaigns, and where IL deals
| with events the document in largely
made UP Of quotation Of official dis
/ patches.
Treating OF the war, Gen Miles be-
/ gins With a statement Of the unpre-
! paredness OF the country, showing how
/ the vast equipment left by the million
| soldiers OF the Civil war has been dis
| sipated or become obsolete until the
| tentaSe, transportation and camp equip
age was insufficient for any important
military operation. He recounts the
| legislation of congress Just prior to the
! war, looking to the Increase of the
army. and cites his own recommends
ton, on April that 80 900 men be pro-
vided for coast adefense and reserve;
that the regular army be increased and
10000 immunes recruited, making a
force Of 1872, $50 men, which, with 90, 900
native auXtliaries. he considered suff1-
cient. Such q force, properly equipped,
he believed to be better than a large
force partly equipped.
URGED MOBILIZATION.
April Is ne wrote Secretary Alger as
follows: Il have the honor to submit
the following: That in my Judgment
the available force Of the regular army
should be modified in the best and
most available healthful position in
the Department OF the Gulf I suggest
Chickamauga park, on account OF It's
altitude and advantages for preparing
a command for the serious require
ments of actual warfare"
He also dwelt upon the Importance
Of the most perfect equipment In all
| branches, artillery, engineering and
medical. with supplies for six months
and equipment for so 200 native Cuban
| soldiers.
! Gen. Miles said in his report that
| in the bs ginning Of the war the problem
was purely a naval one, ana he was
| convinced that should our navy prove
! superior, the position of the Spanish
| army in Cuba would be rendered un-
| tenable with a minimum loss OF life
and treasure to the United States. Says
! he:
There were two most serious OBJ
| stacles to be avoided--one. placing an
| arIny on the island OF Cuba before our
navy controlled the Cuban waters. and
the other. putting en- army on the ISL
! and at a time when q large number
OF men must die from the diseases that
Iave prevailed IN that country. accord
ing TO all statistics for the last 100
years"
w AN lIL1J ~ III ~ SoD<A.
He continues the report with en- ao-
count Of the dispatch Of Gen. Skaters
| expedition. saying:
Il desired to go with this command"
His exact request on this point as
telegraphed from headquarters at Tam
pa was as follows:
This enterprise is so important that
l desire to 30 with the First army
corps or to capture position No. J.
| Now that the military is about TO be
| used / believe II should be continued
with every energy. making the most
| judicious disposition of IL to accom-
plish the desired result.
| He next speaks OF the unsuitability
| of the transports, which were merchant
! freight steamers. and Of the accumu-
| lation OF troops and supplies at Tam
IA crowding the facilities there and
| causing great delay. Finally the San
! tiago expedition sailed on June IA, and
! Gen Miles quotes an order issued by
! him to Gen. Sfhfter. directing the lat
! ter to make number or INQUIRIES 70
! ascertain whether every possible pro-
| vision had ben made for the trans
| ports for the supply of rat1ons. hospi-
| tai supplies, wagons, landing boats.
| etc. winding up:
| II would suggest that thorough at
/ tertiOn be rec ulred 10 every ueldli III
/ order to insure perfect order in the
/ olsen barking Of your command.
CALLED TO WASHINGTON.
The order is GATED June II. and June
Is Gen. Miles received the following
| dispatch:
WASHINGTON, D. c.. June Is, 1Sss-Maj.
Gen Miles Tampa Fla; Important business
requires your presence here; report a; once
/ Answer R A. Alger,
| Secretary Of War"
! June &c Gen Miles submitted 10 the
| secretary OF war written plan OF the
J campaign Briefly stated. the points
/ Nere: That provision be made for the
/ reception OF at least 3o,o0v Spanish
| prisoners; that. after capturing SAINT
ego, some deep water ports be taken
| on the north coast OF Cuba; that Neu-
! vltas be captured, and that, with 49,
| 600 cavalry and some light artillery
| and a small body OF infantry. an ad-
vince be made into Puerto Principe,
| in the interior, with the troops. and
then move towards Havana. This
movement would occupy the time I'M
tn Sept so; the troops would be n thu
most healthy part OF Cuba during the
/ rainy season. and the prisoners could
| be used in matchmaking. Should q
Spanish force be advanced TO Santa
| Clara, the entire United States army
| could be thrown between that point
| and Havana, the Spanish army d.
| vided and taken in detail Should TINT
I plan be rejected, then, after capturing
Santiago, the entire force should be
removed 10 the western end OF the
island end a "a rr%safrn be made against