The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-16

lnrldge continued his testimony before
the war Investigation commission to-
day. His testimony today dealt with
the campaign in Cuba and the trans
portation Of troops to that island. He
had, he said, gone to Cuba as inspec-
tor general. Arriving at Tampa on the
9th OF June, he had observed casually
The preparation for the disembarka-
ton Of troops before the expedition left,
and had concluded that they were
quite inadequate.
made no report, however" he said,
as General Miles was on the ground,
ana 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
navy might furnish. So far as he had
observed, there We're only two lighters
and Two Scows secured on behalf of
the army before the departure from
Tampa. 1t was his understanding, how
ever, that the army and the navy were
cooperating in this expedition.
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 on board each of the YES
sells, but he had no authority. An ac-
tual navy officer of the quartermaster'
department. on each vessel would have
been better. What was needed was
prompt communication between the
commanding officer and the vessels, and
the masters of the transports did not
respond very promptly"
He was questioned at some length
concerning the conduct of the cam
paigR in front of Santiago, and replied
that the result was what he had eX-
pected it would be. Everything there,
he said, was strained to get men or
board and consequently there was com
paratively little effort to secure equip
ment. While he knew nothing definite
" of the plans of the campaign, he
was sure there was some plan. He was
quite certain from a conversation he
had with General Miles that he had a
plan, though he did not say that this
was the plan carried into effect.
"Of course" suggested Governor
Beaver, Santiago was the goal of the
campaign
Certainly. The fact was published
SO extensively in the newspapers that
many of the men on board the vessels
would not accept this information as
to the destination as correct"
SKATER CRITICISED.
Asked as to his opinion of the result
Of the campaign, he said he thought it
was consistent with the character of
the man who conducted it-what was
TO be expected from the limitations Of
General Shaftey. I think it would
have been different if General Miles had
been in command-that it would have
been more satisfactorily conducted. [
think he has more of the spark and
genius of command that any man in
the army, and 1 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 with
in eight days Of landing. General
Breckenridge, in reply, said the victory
had been won When General Toral's
nerve gave out"
This, he continued had been the war
of ali others when success had been
won in its earliest stages He believed
that the war was the Lords war, and
that this wonderful success was due to
his supervision. The time for the bat
tie was, however, short enough. Yet
ii must be remembered that the dis
lance between the battlefield and ST.
honey was less than half a days
march, but While he considered the
results as marvelously commendable,
he did not feel that General Shafter
was above criticism in the conduct
Of the campaign. He could not be-
ascribed the outcome to the fact that
the army was one which was capable
of meeting all calls.
mo matter how it was tangled up"
he said, 1t went to victory He had
at the time quoted Lord Beresford,
when he said to his army upon a GER
tain occasion, Il have led you into a
devil of a fix and it is now your duty
to fight like he'll to get me out Of
it,,
He was sure, at least, that all en-
gagged in the war had acted with zeal
and everv man had done the best Of
Which he was capable, and he had
never known a war in which there was
not criticism at the close of it
SLAP AT ALGER.
General Breckenridge spoke of the
inspector generals Office as having
been emasculated by the order reQuir-
ing the reports Of subordinates in that
Office to be made to the adjutant gen.
eral and said that when he discov-
cred this was so he went into the field
as offering the only arena in which he
could be Of real service. He had in
tended TO say in effect there is the
desk in my Office do as you please
with ii. 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 upon the fact that it de-
prived the central authority from Sc
curing information and as a conse-
quence the Office was practically use
less.
.sThe order had the effect of cutting
the umbilical chord he said, "and the
circulation was not good"
As a result of the change, when he
asked for facts in the Office to include
in his report, he had failed to find any
there.
Resuming his remarks of a general
character General breckenridge ex-
pressed the opinion that there had not
been enough fighting to obscure other
results common to war. He thought
that the evils which had been expert
enced were inevitable under our Amer
lean system, He condemned this sys-
TEN as most reprehensible and said
the volunteer soldiers must always suf-
fer the worst of the consequences.
IF the regular stands up under it
better than the volunteer, it is only
because he has had time to adjust him
self to the unfavorable conditions"
he traced all the trouble to the want
of preparation and mobilization in time
of peace and that, in turn, to the fail
ure of congress to appropriate the nee
essary money for reforms.
Replying to a question from Mr..
Woodbury., he said that, considering