Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-08-31
WHEN MlLESGETSB BACK
The War Department Will Have Some
Questions For Him.
ALGER REFUSES TO TALK.
Charges Published by Kansas City Star,
Ascribed to the Commander In Chief,
Furnish Fruitful Topics Of Dis
cussion In Washington.

Washington. Aug. 31.-When General
Miles returns to Washington he will be
asked for an explanation Of recent in
terviews appearing with him and the
publication Of certain dispatches which
the war department has not made pub
lie. Whether the investigation will take
the course of a military court of in
quiry or Of private Interview between
the president, the secretary of war and
General Miles remains to be seen. I'm
til the arrival Of General Miles the war
department will not discuss the matter
Secretary Alger says that the depart
ment will not enter into any controver-
sy with its subordinates, and he does
not propose to discuss matters affect
ing General Miles during his absence.
The department is Of the opinion that
General Miles made public the Dispatch
es of the secretary, General Shafter and
himself just published in the Kansas
City Star. Such action 1t regards as a
breach of military regulations but no
military court can secure proof that
General Miles made public dispatches
IL he and the person to whom they were
furnished refuse to give the informa-
ton, as several military trials have
lNduC ~ SCltlCd ia tAnS AN AAAAA-~-~-
court can compel a civilian to testify
If he does not want to.
General Miles also may be called to
account for the interviews with him, as
unless disavowed they would place him
in the attitude of criticising his superb
or officers and subject him to military
discipline.
The publication Of the dispatches, TAX
I, tnfn
the Kansas City Star, was the topic OF
conversation among officers Of the war
department, and already there Is dis
position by some to take sides In the
matter, while others deplore the condi-
lions as tending to lower the tone OF the
army and to do irreparable injury ia
themselves.
Controversy Feared.
It is said the controversy will extend
to both houses of congress and 1t Is
feared will have an adverse effect upon
legislation which will be asked to bet
ter the army. 1t Is generally under
stood that the regular force Will have
to be largely increased, at least unit
the conquered islands are disposed or
and 1t is feared that legislation II
this direction will be hampered by the
inevitable controversy between the sec
rotary of war and the general com
manding the army.
General Miles, in his interview In Tit
Star, makes several distinct statements
one to the effect that he was command
ing general of all the American armies
first, last and all the time, in Wash
ington, in Tampa, in Cuba, In Porte
Rico or anywhere else he might be. HI
charges General Corbin with sending
| secret dispatch to General Shafter con
trary to this.
He charges the war department Will
mutilating and even suppressing part
or the whole of certain messages II
their transmission to the public, thu
putting him and his relations to tn
| army in a false light to the people a
| home.
| He charges that his recommendation
in regard to moving the troops from
| Santiago were disregarded, this disre
gard leading to grave consequences. H
recites the fact that General Shafte
| disobeyed orders in occupying fever IN
| fected houses and also in allowing Gu
ban refugees to mix with the America
| troops.
| Finally he claims that Washington
| allowed the plans of his Porto Ric
campaign to leak out to such an eXten
as to render them useless and danger
Gus. These charges are the sum an
substance of his interview as printe
in The Star.