The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-10
Alger and Miles at Odds.


Those who think they can see the in
side Of things are predicting another
change In the cabinet and the appointment
OF General SchofieId to succeed Secretary
Alger as secretary of war, says Z. Cur
tbs, writing from Washington. General
Ayers health gives his friends concern
and his private affairs are said to be in
such a condition as 70 need his atten-
ton General Ayers business methods
and executive ability have been the admir-
alton Of his associates in the cabinet and
those who have business at the war de-
| partment. He has an enormous capacity
! for labor and gifts which enable him to
| accomplish much more than ordinary men
| in the same length of time. He was i'll all
winter with an attack OF the prig. and
while lying upon his bed with doctor
visiting daily he carried on the business
OF the department, which every one agrees
| postponed his recovery and impaired his
| constitution. He returned to his desk
in the midst OF the Cuban controversy
and has been the most radical member
of the admins ira ton He was eager for
war and his Impotence over the presi-
dents policy both in and out Of the cabinet
chamber has been the cause of considera-
BILE irritation. Several OF his newspaper
have been inspired by him have been
brought before the cabinet. and several
times when the president has lectured his
ministers about the necessity of caution
in discussing public questions he has been
firing at General Alger over the shoulders
of his colleagues.
Nor have the relations between Secre-
tary Alger and his subordinates in the
war department been entirely harmonious.
His desire to do everything himself and
attend to all the details of the depart
ment, even to the issue OF passes Tor
newspaper correspondents, has been the
cause of friction and criticism, as we'll
as voluntary burden upon the secre-
tarys shoulders that was entirely unnec-
essary. The heads of executive depart
ments are not accus stoned to perform the
duties Of clerks. but General Alger pre-
ferred to do much that he might have left
TO his subordinates. The Quartermaster
general. the commissary general, the sur
geon general. and other trained officers
who have spent their lives In the service
have not been pleased when the secretary
of war has taken the details of their
bureaus into his own hands, and they have
submitted with poor grace.
General Miles has not been so amiaible.
AS general of the army he has insisted
upon the exercise of his function. and,
while he has been ready to report and
receive orders from his superior. he has
not been willing that the command of the
troops and the plans for war should be
entirely taken out of his hands He and
Secretary Alger hold different views con-
corning the conduct of the war, and the
general has gone to the White House with
his maps in his hand and memorandum
of facts in his pocket and has successful
ly appealed to the presidents judgment.
which naturally has not improved his rela-
tons with the secretary. Matters have
come to a point where the president Is
compelled to decide between the secretry
of war and the general of the army. and
while we do not know exactly what has
happened, it Is believed that the secre-
tary has been overruled and that the plan
of campaign suggested by General Miles
has been adopted. This was not done.
however. without consultation with Gen
eral Schofeld. General Merritt. General
Shafter, General Otis. and other men of
long military experience.
The feud between Secretary Alger and
General Merritt, alluded to the other day.
has not helped matters. and there has
been a good deal of friction in other Quar-
tiers that has added to the labors and anx-
iety of the president These and other
causes have developed a runor that Gen
eral Alger will not remain much longer in
the presidents family unless there is a
radical Improvement in his relations. 4
can not ascertain any reason for the pre-
vailing opinion that General Schofield will
succeed him except the presidents we'll
known confidence in the latter's wisdom
and judgment, which has been manifested
frequently of late
General Schofield does not know of any
contemplated change in the war depart
ment and does not think Secretly Alger
will resign. The other members of the
cabinet are quite positive in the same
opinion. They say that the secretary is
not gutter" that he is profoundly in
terested in the war, and that he will not
leave the department until Spain is whip
ped, unless he is carried out on a shut
ter; that while there has been some fric- |
ton in his relations it has not been more
than was to be expected between men of
strong character and firm convictions. |
They admit that General Ayers views |
on the Cuban question have been more |
radical than those of his colleag CUES, but !
the president has always invited a frank |
expression OF opinion and has never COM