The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-13
Who Excuses, Accuses.

If Russell A. Alger has given ample
secretary, he is an even more dismal
failure as an apologist for the admin
istration of which he is a part Criti-.
cism has been so sharp and so we'll
warranted that he feels compelled to
meet it. A member of the British min
istry meets his critics in parliament;
member Of the American admins
tration must meet his in the parlia-
ment Of the press. So Secretary Alger
takes the press forum to defend him
self and his associates, and in so do
ing assails them with the severest
criticism yet laid upon them. Who ex-
cuseS, accuses, never had a more for
chile illustration
In two weeks" he says, 1.-The army
will be reay for war;" That is to say
that sixty days after war is declared
this director of the war department
admits that or predicts that his army
will be ready for war. Surely silence
would be wiser than this. Nor does
he better matters when he says that
when war was declared we were I'M
prepared, yet obstacles almost unsur-
ne challenges the records of history.
to present parallel. We are conf
dent that he is safe in his challenge.
We question whether, aside from the
case Of the war declared by Greece
upon Turkey, a similar act of consum-
mate heedlessness and reckless folly
can be found in all the annals of war
What is that record to which the
war secretary refers so complacently Z?
Feb. Is the Maine was destroyed in
Havana harbor. The country assumed
it as an act Of war. In March Spain
asked the recall of Consul General
Lee, and congress answered it, March
9, with a grant Of fifty millions to pre-
pare war material. That is the date
when hostilities really began. From
that date war was certain. Then war
secretary large enough of brain to
meet the emergency would have been
providing equipment, arms, uniforms,
commissary supplies. If, as he now
says, uniforms for 125, 600 men were
turned out in two weeks" there was
no reason why a single volunteer
should have gone into camp in his
citizens garb, as whole regiments of
them did. With our unlimited supplies
of food there is no good reason why
the commissariat should not have
been amply supplied. And yet the
secretary informs the country on June
10, ninety days after $50,OO0,0O0 were
put in the presidents hands, that "the
contracts for uniforms have been let
and partially filed" and that "in two
T., I'll H. Co.
If these admissions reflect upon the
war department, his closing staten ant
is a still severer reflection upon the
: administration and congress. 'Of
course, at the outset" he says, 1--WE
bad nothing. don't believe there ever
was a nation on earth that attempted
to embark in war of such magnitude
while so utterly unprepared for every
thing necessary for a campaign"
Again we must admit the substantial
accuracy of the secretary's criticism.
but what a comment 1t Is upon the
capability.. for administration Of his
party. Is there anything said by any
hostile critic of the administration and
it's party so severe as this? What was
there to demand such precipitancy?
lapsed into "an incident" every de-
mand of the humanitarians for the
amelioraton of conditions in Cuba had
been granted; Spain was Tending off
hostilities by every means, putting the
throne itself in jeopardy Of assault
from an irate and ignorant horde to
avoid war. If intervention, war and
annexation were to come, time and the
United States were one, as Philip III.
was wont to say of himself. Spain lost,
we gained by delay And yet the adj
ministration and it's congress precipi-
tated the country into a war for which
its war secretary now admits I'VE had
nothing prepared
What the secretary is not candid
enough to admit is that the emergen-
cies of politics did not admit Of delay.
Voters needed something to divert
them, and nothing but war was in
stock So the war ito free Cuba" was
begun; and, whatever the outcome,
whatever the cost in blood and treas
ure, the Republican party is saved.
Minnesota Leads.
1t is gratifying to the pride of Mime
sofa that of all the troops at Camp
Merritt awaiting transportation to the
Philippines the Thirteenth regiment Is
indisputably the best fitted for cam
paign in that climate. All reports from
San Francisco agree that the Thir-
teenth is the best equipped, the best
appearing and the most popular regi-
ment there. 1t was feared when the
regiment left Camp Ramsey that it
would be found inferior to other regi-
ments billed for Manila, but when the
Minnesota men arrived there and an
opportunity was given to compare 1t
with the regiments from other states,
it was found to be superior in every
respect.
The Colorado, Nebraska and Pennsyl-
vania troops have created a favorable
impression. The Colorado men, like the
men from Minnesota, are all hearty
strong and we'll drilled soldiers The
same may be said of the Nebraska
troops, but the Pennsylvania regiment
is composed mainly of small men who
do not appear to good advantage be-
side the Westerners.
The Thirteenth regiment is fortunate
in having a colonel who looks after the
| handing officers sit still and wait for
the government officials to find out
| what their troops need, Col. Reeve de-
| mands attention, and has thus far sue
ceeded in obtaining a prompt COM
pliance with his wishes. His men lack
nothing necessary to their efficiency