The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-25
The Commanding General Tells the
Weak Spots In the Service.

Washington, Sept. 24.-Since his re-
turn to Washington, General Miles has
been busily engaged on his annual re-
port, which he has now nearly COM
pleted ready for the public printer. It
promises to be the most interesting
public document printed by the war de-
partment since the close of the civil
war. 1t is customary for the command
ing general to make a yearly report
to the secretary of war. This report or
dinarily includes only a few pages in
the report of the war department. This
year, however, will prove an exception,
for General Miles will review the oper-
atfons of the army of the United States
in the past year, and his report will
therefore, be practically a history of
the war from military point of view.
1t is pretty generally believed by
those who know General Miles that he
Will take this opportunity of giving
vigorous expression of his views on the
management of the war and the short
comings of our present military estab-
liShment. The report is, therefore,
awaited with more than ordinary inter-
est by the departments and by mem
bers of congress. 1t may forestall
congressional investigation, or it may
precipitate one.
The forthcoming report will be re-
popular
interest, for the public looks to the
commanding general to draw from the
late war lessons of an expert soldier
and administrator. There is a popu-
lar hope that he will answer, refute or
justify the charges of incompetence or
misjudgment that have been made.
While some government officials are of
the opinion that it would be unwise
for General Miles to touch further on
these controversial points, and say
that it would be much better foi. him
to let the matter rest where it is, others
are of the opinion that it is his duty.
not only to himself. but to the coun-
try at large, to go into the matter
thoroughly to the end that the matter
may be thoroughly probed. These Off
GERS say that General Miles agrees with
them, and that his report will make
mighty interesting reading for a good
many folks. They point cut the fact,
too. that this is a perfectly proper
course for him to follow in a formal
authorized public paper, and that in
speaking his mind firmly he is entirely
within the bounds of official etiquette
His report on the operations of the
army necessarily comDrehends a his
tory and criticism of the conduct of
the war in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
Philippines as we'll. Structures, how
ever severe in such a guise, are privi-
legged, as a matter of course. No court
martial could be based upon them.
While General Miles has been consist
entity silent as to the subject matter of
his report. he recently consented to
give some of the ideas which he will
probably embody in his report, relat-
ing to the needs of the military estab-
lishment of the United States, as shown
by our experience in the recent war
gsrflt-. 7 L.
at work" said General Miles, deals
with some of the lessons of the war as
they appeal TO me, and the needs of
the army as they have been brought
out by experience in operations against
the enemy. To forestall that report
would he contrary to official etiquette,
yet / can say that have seen no rea-
son to change the views which l held
and frequently expressed before there
was ever any war in prospect in rela-
ton to several points.
'One of these issthe size of the stand
ing army which the United States
should maintain. Had we had at the
outbreak Of hostilities a regular force
of 10000 trained. disciplined and thor
oughly equipped soldiers, they would
have sufficed for every need of the
present conflict.
Let us see. Twenty thousand regu-
lars could have been sent TO the Phil
iDoines, $4,000 to Cuba and $1,000 TO
Porto Rico That would have left 10000 |
regulars for home posts and to go |
wherever most needed when the time |
came The operations we nave conduct !
ed in the Philippines, Cuba and Porto |
Rico could have been managed with |
entire success, it seems to me, by such |
a force.
Successful management implies. of |
course the DreSerVatiO of the lives :
the health. Of the soldiers engaged, so
far as human skill and forethought can |
preserve them. But with an ill-Dre-
pared, undisciolined and ill-equipped |
army. the conditions became altogether |
changed. The proper preservation of |
life and health becomes tenfold more |
difficult.