The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-08
GEN. MILES ON THE WAR
FORMAL STATEMENT ON CUBAN
 AND PORTO RICAN CAMPAIGNS.

Planned the Porto Rican Campaign.
 New York, Sept. 7.-Major General Miles arrived in port this morning on
 the United States transport Obdam.
 With him were his staff, Major Green leaf Captain Whitney, the Second Wis
 consin Volunteers, consisting of thirty
 officers and 800 men, and the Hospital
 corps. Mrs, Miles and the major gen. erals son and daughter were also on board.
 Miles for an interview he handed to them carefully prepared type-written
 statement. The statement is apparent ly an interview with a third person, but in reality it is the history of the cam paign as given by General Miles him. self. The statement follows:
 While at Porto Rico, and during the
 voyage returning on the Obdam, on which steamship were General Miles
 and staff, with two battalions of the
 Second regiment of Wisconsin Volun- teers, l learned the following facts con- cerning the Cuban and Porto Rican ex- petitions: In the first place, please let me say that the war has closed after
 being conducted largely as General Miles stated publicly at the beginning of the war that it would be. The state ment was publicly made, and a general
 order was issued by him, as comman- der of the American army, in which the plan that he has striven to pursue was foreshadowed, namely, seeking to &C., complish results with the least possible loss of life. In an interview in the lat ter part of May he said:
 The United States government is too strong, too great and too powerful to commit any foolish act in connec-
 tion with the proposed invasion of Gu ba.'
 Referring to the proposed rush to the fever-stricken city of Havana, he said:
 No officer Is fit to command troops who from any motive whatever would needlessly risk the life of single sol dier, either from disease or the bullets of the enemy. I have never sacrificed the lives of men under my command, and do not propose to subject them to any unnecessary risks in the present
 campaign
 Tn the order issued to the army at an early date he dericted that:
 Every officer, of whatever grade, will, so far as may be in his power, guard and preserve the health and well fare of those under his charge. He
 must labor diligently and zealously to perfect himself and his subordinates in military drill, instruction and discipline,
 and, above all, he must constantly en-
 deavor, by precept and example, to l maintain the highest character, to fos- ter and stimulate that true soldierly spirit and patriotic devotion to duty i which must characterize an effective | army
 1 MILES PLANNED PORTO RICO CAMPAIGN.
 "The principles thus enunciated have been zealously observed from the first | Owing to the fact that the season suit | ed for campaigning in Cuba had been | exhausted in debates and delay in con- l gress, and in necessary preparations. 1 General Miles was opposed to rushing l an ill-prepared undiseiplined and un- l equipped army in a movement against
 the capital of Cuba, defended by 100000 :, trained Spanish troops, and in this po- ! sition he stood practically alone for l several weeks. Havana, Matanzas | Santiago and a few other points were down on his military map as hotbeds
 of disease, destructive to an army, and | places to be avoided, especially during
 the sickly season. When finally called
 upon to submit a plan of campaign, he
 did so and put 1t in writing. In sub l stance, he took the stand, first that 1 every effort should be made to equir | the Cubans, and thereby enable them | to harrass the Spanish forces. The cry | of On to Havana!' should be encour- | aged, but when the transports, loaded | with troops, were out of sight of land 1 they should sail as straight as steam l power could bear them to the gate of
 the Antilles and the key of the whole
 position, Porto Rico; then, having seiz-
 ed and occupied that island, move ment to Cuba was to follow by means | of strong cavalry force which was to
 be organized and equipped by August l UT iotpleHDeT. lie COnCe1nplaCeQ Una
 with 10000 cavalry thrown to the cen
 ter of Cuba cutting the Spanish forces
 in two and moving west to Havana, by | the time the rainy season was over and it would be possible to manoeuvre ar army, we could move against that city
 a well-organized, well-equipped and
 we'll disciplined army and complete the 1 capture of the Spanish forces.
 l WAS IN COMMAND AT SANTIAGO | "The enclosing of Cerveras fleet in l the harbor of Santiago changed the l conditions, and made it necessary to
 move a military force to that point at l once. General Miles while at Tampa
 organized the expedition, felt the i'm | portance of the enterprise so greatly
 that he requested permission to accom- | pany that expedition or to immediately organize another to join it. This per l mission was not granted so far as ac- | companying that expedition was con-
 cerned, but authority was granted tC l equip a second for movement and op-
 eration against the enemy in Cuba ant | Porto Rico However, before this ex. petition was equipped calls were made | for additional forces to go to Santiago | and they were immediately forward
 ed. On July 3 General Shafter tele-
 graphed that his losses had been great 1 ly underestimated; that he met with l stronger resistance than he had anti