The age-herald., 1898-08-30
ALCER.M|L[S
 CONTROVERSY The Commanding General Talks FTee| Ofthe SecretayofWar' MAKES NUMEROUS CHARGES Department Changed Dispatches
 Before Giving to Public. GEN. SKATER DlSOBEYED ORDERS And Grave Consequences Resulted from His lncompetency and Negligence. WAS FACILITATING AND WEAK When General Miles Went to Santiago and Assumed Command Alger Tele-
 graphed Shafter to Disregard
And Grave Consequences Resulted from
 His lncompetency and Negligence.
WAS FACILITATING AND WEAK
When General Miles Went to Santiago and Assumed Command Alger Tele- graphed Shafter to Disregard
 General Miles Presence.

Kansas City, Mo-, August 29.-The Star this afternoon prints a three-column ex- elusive dispatch, dated Washington, from MT. J. D. Whelpley, its special war cor respondent, who has just returned from Porto Rico, bearing on the Miles-Alger controversy. MT. Whelpley takes occasion to deny the statement that his recently published interview In Porto Rico with Gen. eral Miles, wherein the latter was quoted as casting reflections upon the war depart ment, was not genuine and in supportt of statements already made by 1t, the Star prints interesting telegrams that passed between the war department and Generals Miles and Shafter on the points at issue.
 "Doubt is expressed by some," says MT. Whelpley, "as to whether General Miles ever said these things I credit him with. Others suggest he may have said them in confidence which was betrayed. I feel con- fdent," continues the correspondent, Gen. eral Miles will stand by the interview re- ferred to.
 My talk with him was not confidential. l went to him as a newspaper reporter, for the avowed and express purpose of secur- ing an interview. There was no reserya- lions from publication in the conversation. This is proved by his refusal to answer some questions which he would have an- swered had this not been so. There was no hint of confidence.
 In this instance, however no question of veracity did arise. General Miles himself. even if he so desired, could not conceal the proof of all he said. It is written in the records Of the war department and it only needs a clearing away of inconsequential matter to tell the story clearly and in full. It would not have waited for him to tell it. He has simply precipitated an avalanche. which was already moving.
 General Miles, in his interview in the Star, makes several distinct statements, one to the effect that he was command general of all the American armies. first last and all the time, in Washington, in Cuba, in Porto Rico or anywhere else he might be.
 He. charges the war department with motila'lng m ana even suppressfng parts or the whole of certain messages in their transmission to the public. thus putting him and his relations to the army in false light to the people at home.
 Disregarded Orders
 "He charges that his recommendations in regard to moving the troops from San tiago were disregarded, this disregard leading to grave consequences. He recites the fact that General Shafter disobeyed orders in occupying fever-infected houses and allowing Cuban refugees to mix with the American troops.
 Finally, he claims that Washington al- lowed the plans of his Porto Rico cam paign to leak out to such an extent as to render them useless and dangerous.
 "These charges are the sum and sub stance of his interview. as printed in the Star"
 The full taxt of the Stars article follows: "It needs only glance at the official records of the war department to show each and every one of these charges to be true and to throw much additional light on the situation.
 That he was in command of the entire army, when in Washington. is, of course, evident. That he did not resign this su- preme command when he went to Tampa and that it was he who was treating with the Cubans for cooperation in Cuba, is shown by the numerous telegrams ex- changed with General Garcia.
 '"That the war department recognized Miles as chief when he was in Tampa June 12 from a telegram sent him from Washington as follows:
 q The following extract of telegram from Admiral Sampson to secretary of navy is repeated for your information etc.
 ''No man who was at Tampa when Miles arrived from Washington ever will doubt his supremacy, for all others, including General Shafter became at once mere creatures at his beck and call When Gen. eral Shafter went to Cuba and General Miles returned to Washington the latter
 
 but on the contrary kept in as close touch as possible by wire with the movements of Shafter's command.
 Shafter fin Despair
 "After the fight of July and g. General Shafter was in despair. Vacillating, weak and discouraged. on the 4th of July he sent tho following dispatch to Washington, ad- dressed to the acknowledgements:
 Headquarters Fifth Army Corps, in Camp, Near Santiago de Cuba, July A. There seems to be no reasonable doubt but that General Pando succeeded in entering Santiago last night with his force, said to be about 5,C00 men.
 "'Thls pats a different aspect upon af- fairs, and while We can probably maintain ourselves, it would be at the cost of very considerable fighting and loss
 "'Gcnsral I.awton reports that General Garcia, who was to block tho entrance of Pando, informed him at 10 o'clock last night