The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-09-01
ILGBR-MlLE MIDDLE
The Charges Made BY the General
Of the Army.
WAS PLACED IN A FALSE LIGHT.


ments Made by General Miles, and
Declares Them q Matter OF Record.
Kansas City. No.. Aug. so.-Ths
Star prints an exclusive dispatch
from Mr.. J. d. whelpley. Its spec
ial correspondent who has Just re-
turned from Porto Rico. bearing upon
the Miles-Alger controversy. Mr..
whelpley takes occasion to deny the
interview In Porto Rico with General
Miles. wherein the latter was quoted as
casting reflections upon the war de-
partment, was not genuine. and in sup
port OF the statement already made by
Il The Star prints interesting kilograms
that passed between the war depart
ment and Generals Miles and Shafter
on the points at issue.
doubt is expressed by some." says
Mr.. 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 be-
trayed. I feel confident General Miles
will stand by the interview referred to.
MY talk with him was not conf
Dental. l went to him as a newspaper
reporter for the avowed and express
purpose Of securing an interview. There
was no reservations from publication
In the conversation. This Is proved by
his refusal to answer some questions
which he would have answered had this
been SO. There was no hint of conf
dence.
In this instance, however. no
question Of veracity need arise. Cen
eral Miles himself. even II he 30 de-
sired, could not conceal the proof Of all
he said. 1t Is written in the records OF
the waz department. and It not only
needs CLEARING away Of inconseQuen-
tial matter to tell the story clearly and
In full.
General Miles In his interview In
The Star makes several distinct state
ments. one to the effect that ne was
commanding general Of all the Ameri-
can armies. first. last and all the time.
in Washington, In Tampa, in Cuba, In
Porto Rico or anywhere else he might
be.
"He charges General Corbin with
sending q secret dispatch to General
Shafter contrary to this. He charges
the war department with mutilating
and even suppressing parts or the
whole Of certain messages in their
transmission to the public. thus putting
him and his relations to the army in a
false light to the people at home.
"He charges that his recommenda-
Mons In regard to moving the troops
from Santiago was disregarded, this
disregard leading to grave consequent
ces. He recites the fact that General
Shafter disobeyed orders In occupying
fever infected houses and allowing
Cuban refugees to mix with the Ameri-
can troops.
Finally ne claims that Washington
allowed the plans Of his Porto Rico
campaign to leak out to such an ex-
tent as to render them useless and
dangerous.
1T needs only a glance at the official
records of the war department to show
each and every one OF these charges to
be truth. and to throw much additional
light on the situation.
ION the fourth Of July General
Shafter sent dispatches to Wash
ington showing the deplorable con-
dltion OF affairs In and about San
tiago. 1t was this situation which
determined General Miles to go to
Cuba. The day he sailed with REIN
forcements. July 7, he sent a telegram
Of instruction to General Shafter. and
on July IL he arrived and assumed
charge Of the forces. the dispatches
from the secretary of war thereafter
being sent to Miles, Shafter not being
mentioned.
I'm the face of this situation. Secre-
tary Alger. through General Corbin.
sent dispatch to General Shafter as-
suring him that General Miles did not
come to Cuba to supersede Shafter In
any way. This dispatch General Miles
refers to as secret for he says ne
did not know It had been sent, not be-
ing notified from Washington and Cen
eral Shafter saying nothing about It.
After the surrender General Miles still
retained control. He authorized Shaf-
ter to appoint peace commissioners,
and judging from Skaters report
that all was over he instructed him as
to the disposition Of the troops.
ION July II. after the surrender Of
Santiago was completed General Shaf-
ter wired General Miles that I was
told by the secretary Of war that you
were not to supersede me In command
here To this Miles responded that I
have no desire and have carefully
avoided any appearance Of superseding
you. Your command Is part Of the
United States army, which have the
honor to command
Secretary Alger discussed the matter
with me yesterday, saying he did not
propose to enter into any controversy.
My cablegram to General Shafter,
he continued. was simply due to my
desire to assure him that intended to
be absolutely fair. Before his departure
from Washington General Miles and I
had talked the matter over. and he
started for Cuba knowing that he was
not In any way to interfere with the
operations which were under the con-
troll Of General Shafter. That there
could be no doubt whatever. I cabled
to General Shafter informing him that
General Miles had left for Cuba with
instructions not to In any manner sup
ersede him as commander Of troops In
the field