The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-23

test against it, and on a formal ballot
the idea was opposed by Gems. Wheel
er, LaWton and Bates, one voting with
Gen. Shafter in accordance with pre-
ViCuS expression on the question.
Notwithstanding this Gen. Shafter
on the following day sent a cablegram
to Washington stating that he was
considering the advisability Of with
drawing from his position. 1t is stated
that this cablegram was turned over TO
Gen. Miles, who sent reply bracing
up Shafter and telling him that he
(Niles) would be there inside a week
with re-enfOrcements. 1t is further
stated by Gen. Miles friends that, un-
known to Miles until recently, the sec
retary Of war had also answered the
cablegram by sending a message TO
Shafter telling him to withdraw if he
thought it advisable.
The Miles adherents spoke with some
bitterness of the action Of the depart
ment in refusing to allow a parade OF
the troops in New York, and charged
that a potent influence in reaching
that conclusion was an unwillingness
to permit the people to see the differ
ence in the health Of the men who par
ticipated in the Porto Rican expedition
and those who were in the Cuban cam
paign.
OPEN CRITICISM.
They criticised further the difficulty
that Gen. Miles encountered in securing
convoy for his expedition, and say
that Admiral Simpsons original reply
to a request for a convoy was a no.
tice that the Columbia and the Yale
would be detailed for the duty. These
ships were even then loaded with
troops and in no shape to participate
in an action, and a further request
brought reply that three ships to be
detailed for the purpose were away at
various points and could not be reached
for a week or ten days. 1t is stated
that when Miles finally declared that
he was going at once, convoy or no
convoy, that the department immedi-
ately started additional troops from
Charleston and other points, so that
whatever success might attend Miles
expedition would be dimmed in glory
by the fact that it was achieved with
an overwhelming force.
The controversy as to whether Miles
or Shafter was actually in command
in Cuba when the surrender was ar
ranged was all thrashed over in Omaha.
It was stated that Miles personally ar
ranged with TOral for the surrender
and that this was accomplished by
showing the Spanish general the trans
ports loaded with reinforcements and
that further resistance would only re-
suit in hopeless butchery. It is fur
ther cited that at the meeting one Of
TCral's officers counted f0rty-f7ve ships
with additional troops and that the de-
cisiOn was reached then and there. It
is stated that between that date and
the surrender three days later Shafter
apprehenSiVely communicated with
Miles, relying on the latter for further
assistance, but as soon as the surrender
was effected Shafter protested against
the intimation that Miles had any au-
thOrity there whatever.
It is cOntended by the friends of Gen.
Miles that had Shafter properly per-
formed his work the United States
would now be in possession of Ger
vera's fleet instead Of having it at the
bottom of the sea, They point to the
forts at the entrance Of Santiago har-
Dor and insist that he should have re-
duced them from the rear and thus
opened the harbOr to the passage of
our fleet, in which case CerVera would
have been compelled to surrender and
the city would have fallen with but
small loss