The Jersey City news., 1898-09-09

Cousins of Iowa, accompanied by Cover
nor Shaw of that State, called on the
/ President relative to the Iowa troops
/ 1t was settled that the 49th and 51st Iowa
Regiments shall remain In service, and
the 5oth and 52d shall be mustered out.
Justice Harlan and Representatives Wal
| ker and McCleary were among the
other callers. The two Representatives
are on the House Committee on Curren-
| cy and Banking, and, it was understood,
wished to discuss prospective currency
legislation.
| General Miles came to the War Depart
ment at ten o'clock today and after spend
ing a short time in his room at army
headquarters, went to the Office of the
| Secretary of War. Acting Secretary
Meiklejohn was at the desk of Secretary
Alger and was talking with Governor Al
kinson of Georgia and Ad1utant General
| Corbin when General Miles entered. The
later was accompanied by member of his
staff After the gentlemen had shook
hands and the business with the Cover
| nor was transacted Mr. Maiklejohn and
General Miles chatted for some time on
| general topics of the campaign In Porto
| Rico and the return trip of the command
Miles left the Department.
Secretary Alger's request for an inves-
| tigation of the War Department, with
reference to the conduct of the Spanish
American War was one of the many mat
| ters under discussion at the Cabinet
meeting today. 1t was very freely talked
! over and the situation thoroughly can
vassed as to the necessity and desirable
| ity of acceding to the Secretary's request
"The President will make up his mind
in regard to the matter in a day or two
said member of the Cabinet after the
| meeting
1t is said that the proposed commission
for the investigation Of affairs of the
! War Department has been under consid-
Grafton for some time by the President.
/
Just what its duties will be when ap
pointed has not been definitely deter
mined, but it can be stated that one
reason for it's creation will be to visit
and report upon the conditions in the
various army camps and to satisfy the
I>anxious relatives of soldiers that the care
that is being taken of them is the best
that can be afforded, and, if not to ascer-
tain what should be done and report to
the War Department.
Officials at the War Department say
that inspectors and army officers have
been sent to make Investigations and
where a fault has been discovered 1t has
hav a commission composed of eminent
men, whom the people all know, to make
tour of the camps and see what is lack
ing and to say what the real conditions
are Whether or not the commission is
to extend its Investigations into the con-
duct of the War Department in relation
10 olner features OIL lne war reHidiAS ~
be seen.
The War Department officials believed
that there have been greatly exaggerated
complaints made of the different camps
and that this should be first investigated
so as to convince the fathers and mothers
and other relatives of the soldiers that
the men We're well cared for.
General Shafter has expressed his wish
to the Secretary of War that when the
department commanders are sent to posts
he would prefer to have his old command,
the department of California 1t is prob
able that it will be given him, but such
action will be long time in the future
as the organization of the army upon its
old basis is not likely to occur for some
time.
One of the first callers the President had
today was Surgeon General Sternberg OF
the army. 1t was understood that the
visit of General Sternberg had some re-
lation to the proposed commission to in
vestigate the War Department. Some
prominent surgeon is expected to be a
member of the commission and the sur
geon general was called in consultation as
to some man especially fitted for the duty.
Captain Barker, commanding the battle
ship Oregon, called at the Navy Depart
ment today and had conference with
Acting Secretary Allen. 1t is believed now
that Captain Barker will elect to retain
the command of the Oregon, certainly un-
til she arrives on the Pacific station, and
owing to his familiarity with the ship
it is believed that the Department would
much prefer that he should do so. The
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