The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-10
NEITHER WAS EFFUsIvE.
Gen. Miles and the President Had a
Chilly Meeting.


Gen. Miles and the President Had a
Chilly Meeting.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-General Miles
came to the War Department at 10 o'clock
to-day, and. after spending short time in
his room at army headquarters, went to
the Office of the secretary of war. Acting
Secretary Meikeljohn was at the desk of
Secretary Alger and was talking with
Governor Atkinson. of Georgia, and Adju-
tant General Corbin when General Miles
entered The latter was accompanied by a
member OF his staff. after the gentlemen
shook hands and the business with the
Governor was transacted, sMr. Meikejohr
and General Miles chatted for some time on
general topics of the campaign in Porto
Rico and the return trip of the commanding
general. Shortly afterwards General Miles
left the department.
General Miles was accompanied by Col.
Michler, of his staff and called at the
White House shortly before the Cabinet
meeting began. The general wore fatigue
uniform showing the two-starred epaulets
Of major general AT the time of his ar
rival the President was conferring with
Justice Harlan. Senator Allison and other
callers. General Miles and Colonel Michler
were shown into the Cabinet anteroom, and
there the President joined them. excusing
himself from the other callers. The meet
ing between the President and commanding
general was comparatively brief, lasting
about five minutes, the Cabinet meeting
was about to begin. 1t was not in the ma
ture of a conference during which questions
relating to the war were discussed, but was
that Of a formal call of respect usual
the return of high official A conference
for more extended discussion of war af-
fairs will doubtless come later, although it
was said after the call that no exact time
had been fixed for further meeting. Gen.
Miles was greeted with a round of applause
as he left the White House, pushing his
way through the dense crowd awaiting the
review of the returning District of Colum-
bia troops.
Speaking of thel future OF the army. Gen.
Miles said that there were a number of
matters which required careful. and delib-
crate consideration with respect to the
army organization, and that undoubtedly
steps in that direction would be taken
soon as practicable. The matter of muster
ing out the volunteer general officers in
correspondence with the general reduction
of the army by mastering out, he said,
would have to be taken UP at an early
date, and that undoubtedly would cause
rearrangement of the department. COM
mands.
With respect to the reorganization of the
army. Gereral Miles said that the expert
ence of this war had very clearly demon
strated what military authorities well un-
derstood before, that the establishment of
standard was necessary to the entire eff
iciency of the army. He said it was his
intention to recommend plan of reorgani-
cation to Congress, and that he believed
the necessity for it would be recognized by
the public and by Congress. The acquisi-
tion Of territory obviously made it neces-
sary that there should be a larger army,
and the experience of the war had demon
strated the necessity of establishing a
standard and having the troops thoroughly
trained to the military service. 1t was de-
sirable, he said that the army should be or
ganized the basis of one soldier to every
certain number of inhabitants. 1t was
ognized by military authorities, even before
the close of the war of the rebellion, that
the establishment OF standard was desira-
be but from time to time the army had
been reduced until it had reached number
disproportionately small to the size of the
country and its population. He thought
that one soldier to every one thousand pop
ulation probably would be found to be
that the army, this standard being adopt
ed, would increase according to the recog-
rized needs of the government in an exact
ratio to the increase of the population.
1t was very important, and this mad been
clearly demonstrated in the war with Spain
that there should be a full complement of
nopcommissioned officers and men, as well
as of commissioned officers who were
trained to the hardships of military life
and who knew how to take care of them
selves and to look out for their own health
and comfort in campaign. He said that
it was important to the efficiency of an
army that the men should have training
for the endurance of marches, methods of
protecting themselves against severe wealth
er and disadvantageous climatic conditions
knowledge of the proper food and how to
care for their persons so as to preserve
their health, strength and efficiency, and
that there should be sufficient number Of
noncommissioned officers thoroughly
trained in the knowledge essential to a SOL
dier's life and to the care of the men. He
said that it was jlst as necessary that SOL
d5ers should have proper training as it was
to train men to build house, or to have a
man skilled in his profession to perform
any professional service. 1t was essential
that an army should be composed of SOL
diers trained in their profession, command
ed by efficient officers in every grade and
controlled strictly according to military
principles.
That military operations should be di-
rected by military men, he said. was too OBJ
vi m fo ho tod