Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-11-11
GEN. MILES MAKES HIS REPORT
Il Has Been Given 10 The Press by Secretary
Algef.
Report IL Distinctly of = Milder Tenor
Than tn. ruhiio Had iiecn Led
to Expect.

Washington. Nov iO-Thc rcpor, n
MAJ. Gen. Miles. commanding thu
United States army. was made public
today, by direction Of Secretary Alger
Tho keynote of the report Il found In
one Of the opening sentences. whore %
ls aald "Thc military operations dur
ing the year have been extraordinary,
unusual and extensive" statement
which 1t fully borne out by the long
recital 81 important events which Ger.
Miles shows have made the military
history ~ the year 1855 the most re-
markablc since the end u the Clyli
War.
In point Of interest the document ~.
vldcs naturally Into four chapters. for
while brief alluHlun Do made 90 such
matters aH the military expeditions 60
Alaska. Interest naturally Ccntera in
the portion which treats Of thc war
with spain.
Under this general head tn report
deals with the plans of cnmplgn OF
the war, preparations with the Santl.
ago campaign. with Gen. MllcH's opera
tinna In Porto Rico. and lastly. vita
the important changes IN existing ur-
Etnization. which are, In Gen. MilcHH
opinion. necessary To- make the army
an effective weapon Tor the defense ~
the country. There IL an entire abb
nruce Of any evidence In direct Grill
clsm, though certain sentences IN the
report are Italicized ln an apparent de-
sire. 10 Justify previously expressed
plans ~ details Of the campaign. and
where % deals with events tn docu-
mcnt u largely made up ~ a quotation
Of official dispatched
COUNTRY UNPREPARED.
Treating " the war. Con. Miles begins
with % statement " the unprcparcdrnas
o. the country showing how tn vast
equipment left hy the 100000 soldiers
~ she Civll War has been dlss.patcd ar
had become obsolete. until the tcniarH.
transportation and camp equiplFc was
insunicisn; Tor any important military
operations.
Iic fecounis the legislation Of Com
grraa. Just prior 10 the war. looking to
the Increase VI the army, and cites his
own accommodation on April 9Th thtt
10000 men be- provided cor coast defense
and reserve. that the regular army De
Increased ard 1900 lmmunrs recruited,
making o force ~ iG2 ss5 men. which.
with 5000 native nuNlilarles. he con-
Hldercd sufficient Such a force. prop
efly equipped. he believed 90 be- ncttef
shan large force partly equipped. In
the letter containing this rccommenda-
ton h. said.
u also recommended that az least
I twenty-five regiments ~ Infantry, I'VE
regiments ~ cavalry and the light ar
/ tllcry be- modified and placed In on"
large camp. whore they can be oar'tully
equipped. drilled. disciplined. and in
I structrd IN hrIEadcH ami divisions and
prepared Tor war service" lie further
[ asked FOR 90 900 volunteers. 90 make M
an army 81 10000 soldiers Tor Offensive
/ operations In Cuha. the whole force 10
| be- fully equipped. leaving the state
/ troops 20 defend the coasts ana Tor a
/ reserve"
Apri 18th h. wrote Secretary NEcr
/ az falioWHs u have the honor 90 sub
nit the following, That. In my iuig-
munt, the available force ~ thf rrru-
I lar army should be- modified In The
] best ana most available. henlthful
I position In the department 81 the CUT.
l l suggest Chlcknmnuga park, on ac-
count % Is altitude and advantages
for preparing u command for thr stri-
Gus requirements ~ actual warfare
lie also dwtlt upon the Importance ~
the most perfect equipment In all
brancheH-artlllery engineering, and
medlcai-wlih supplies FOR six months.
and equipment Tor 10000 native Cuban
soldiers.
NAVAL PROBLEM.
Gen. Miles says In hls report that In
the beginning the war problem was
purely naval one, and he was cun-
| vlnced that should our navy prove su-
! ierlor the position N the spanish army
| IN cuba would be- rendered untennhln,
/ with minimum lnaH of life and treas
urc 20 the United States, lie says.
! There were two most serious obstacles
10 be aynidcd-one was placing our amy
ON the island ~ Cuban waters, and tho
| ,thrr WIS putting an army on the ISL
and NJ tins when large number II
the men must die frLm IN" dlHs'isss
that have prevailed In that country
nccnrdlng 90 all statistics for the last
100 years Ito pointed out In "a letter
To the secretary " war these dangers
lucllHing "a communication from Sur,
genn General Sternhcrg, nud urged
| NM Ihn annnInh be mnrnlN hnrun.ll