The times., 1898-12-05

rartment could not prevent, in spite of.
certain advantages, know what must
be the result of thorough and impair
tial inquiry Everything. from the con-
fusion at Tampa to the deprivations,
exposures, suffering, disease, and death
that afflicted the expedition to cuba.
the transport horrors and the confusion
and negligence and consequent suffer-
ing at Montauk Point, and including,
also. the ravages Of preventable epi-
demic disease in the camps of mobiliza-
ton. was the effect of a single cause.
When the report of General Miles was
allowed to reach the public, there was
more than suspicion as to what that
cause was When General Breckin-
ridge gave his testimony to the Alger
Relief Commission, there was no longer
any doubt. The letters of Captain Ma
han to the London Times are con-
firmatory, although they do not deal
directly and openly with that question.
The object of it ALTO prevent any one
was fully exposed in the report of Sec
retary Alger.
1t was determined by the Secretary
of War and the adjutant general, after
the adoption of the plan of campaign
of General Miles, that the commanding
officer of the army should not take an
active personal part in the prosecution
of the war, even though that might
mean the loss of good many men
whose lives otherwise could be saved
But it is only fair to say that the ANA
teur war makers had the fullest con-
'fidence in their own ability to carry out
the plan of General Miles. The adju-
tant general had personal friend who
had served with him in the Civil War
and who had the great merit of being
from Secretary Ayers State. They
knew him well enough not to fear that
he would achieve glory enough to be
embarrassing. They entered into the
affair with an avowed contempt for
military conventionalities,' and here
was their first fatal mistake General
Miles had made provision for every
thing essential to the welfare and COM
fort of the army and issued specific in
structions about the particular things
that were subsequently lacking. includ-
ing the means of landing the expedition
in Cuba. The neglect of these despised
military conventions was responsible
for most of the worst evils that af-
fiicted the army-together with the in
competency of its commander, of
course.
To insure the entire consequences of
neglect and an unfit commander. the
amateur war makers had emasculated
or virtually abolished the inspector gen.
erals office. On this point the testi-
mony Of General BreckinSidge is di-
rect, specific. and decisive Having
thus cut off proper communication with
the armies in camps and in Cuba, the
blunders and defects had full effect;
from the neglect of the wounded in bat
tie TO the neglect of the sick in camps.
1t is true there were incompetents in
the field service of the different dspart-
ments. Otherwise, some of the evils
would have been remedied, in spite of
the incompetency and the contempt of
military science and art at Washing
ton. But the appointment of these in
competents was only a part of the orig
inal offense. 1t may be well to con-
slider them, but only after the prime and
principal offenders have received all
the attention their course merits and
an indignant people demand.
If Congress touches this matter at
all-and it seems certain that it must
it viii quickly reach the conclusion that
the chief source of everything that was
serious in the Affections visited on our
army was the war on General Miles
to prevent his active leadership in the
field in order that no superlative hero
might emerge from the conflict to dis
turb the schemes of politicians. For
the American people dearly love hero.
The efforts of the enemies of General
Miles will be directed against any Con-
gressional action: then against General
Miles. If he can be discredited, then,
of course, there will appear no purpose
in the alleged war on him and therefore
no fault in his virtual suspension from
the SAeiSiSe u HIS oiiict as tne com-
manding general How they fight him.
we have already seen, not alone in the
issue of orders in his name to discredit
him, and not only in the forging of his
name to orders that would involve him
in trouble. but in the invention of or
ders which he is said to have written
and plans of campaign which he never
saw.