The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-30
FRICTION IN ARMY REVEALED
THE SWEEPING CHARGES OF MA-
 JOR GENERAL MILES.

Light Thrown on Serious Condition of fAfairs-Leaking of Miles Plans for the Porto Rican Expedition and the Mutilation and Suppression of Tele- grams.
 Kansas City, Mo-, Aug. 29.-The Star to-day printed a three column exclusive dispatch from J. D. Whelpley, it's spe- cial correspondent, who has just re- turned from Porto Rico, bearing upon the Miles-Alger controversy. MT. Whelpiey denies the statement that his recently published interview in Porto Rico with General Miles, wherein the latter was quoted as casting reflections upon the war department, was not gen. uine, and in support of the statement already made by it, the Star prints in- teresting telegrams that passed be- tween the war department and Gen. erals Miles and Shafter on the points at issue. Doubt is expressed by some," says MT. Whelpley, 'as to whether General Miles ever said these things I credit him with Others suggest he may have said them in confidence, which was betrayed. I feel confident that Gen. Miles will stand by the inter view referred to. My talk with him was not confidential. I went to him as newspaper reporter, for the avowed and expressed purpose of securing an interview. There was no reservation from publication in the conversation. This Is proved by his refusal to answer some questions which he otherwise would have answered. There was no hint of confidence.
 Tn this instance, however, no ques- tion of veracity need arise. General Miles himself, even if he so desired, could not conceal the proof ot all he said. It Is written in the records of the war department and it needs only clearing away of inconsequential matter to tell the story clearly and in full. It would not have waited for him to tell it. He has simply precipitated the avalanche which he was already moving. General Miles in his interview made several distinct statements to the effect that he was commanding general of all the American armies first, last and all the time, in Washington, in Tampa, in Cuba, in Porto Rico or any, where else he might be.
 ''He charged General Corbin with
 
 Shafter contrary to this. He charged the war department with mutilating and even suppressing parts or the whole of certain messages in their transmits sion to the public, thus putting him and his relations to the army in false light to the people at home. He charged that his recommendations in regard to moving the troops from Santiago wereS disregarded, this disregard leading to grave consequences. He recited the fact that General Shafter disobeyed or ders in occupying fever infected houses and also in allowing Cuban refugees to mix with the American troops. Final ly, he claimed that Washington allowed the plans of his Porto Rico campaign to leak out to such an extent as to render them useless and dangerous. These charges were the sum and sub- stance of his interview as printed in the Star.' The full text of the Stars article follows:
 Tt needs only glance at the official records of the war department to show each and every one of these charges to be truth and to throw much addi- tional light on the situation. That he was in command of the entire army when in Washington is, of course, evil dent. That he did not resign this su- preme command when he went to Tampa, and that it was he who was treating with the Cubans for co-opera- tion in Cuba, is shown by the numerous telegrams exchanged with General Gar cia. The war department recognized Miles as chief when he was in Tampa, for June 12, telegram was sent to him from Washington, which began: The following extract of telegram from Ad- miral Sampson to secretary of navy is repeated for your information etc.
 "No man who was at Tampa when General Miles arrived from Washing ton ever will doubt his supremacy, be- cause all others, including General Shafter became at once mere creatures at his beck and call. When General Shafter went to Cuba and General Miles returned to Washington, the lat ter did not resign his control of the situation but, on the contrary, kept in close touch as possible by wire with the movements of Shafter's command. Af- ter the fight of July 1 and 2, General Shafter was in despair. Vacillating, weak and discouraged on the fourth of July, he sent the following dispatches to Washington addressed to the adju- tant general:
 Headquarters, Fifth Army Corps, in camp near Santiago de Cuba, July 4, 1S9S,-There seems to be no reasonable doubt but that General Pando succeeded in entering San fiago last night with his force. said to be about 5000 men. This puts a different aspect on affairs, and while we can prob ably maintain ourselves 1t would be at the cost of very considerable fighting and loss.
 General Lawton reports that General Gar cia who was to block entrance of Pando, informed him at 10 o'clock last night that pando had passed in on Cobra road. Law ion says cannot compel General Garcia to obey my instructions to place themselves in any position where they will have to fight. and that if we intend to reduce San ago we will have to depend alone upon our froops and that we will require twice the number we now have. I sent message to Admiral Sampson asking if he proposed entering the harbor, so as to give us his as sistance Commodore Watson replied that he does not know Admiral Simpsons in- Tentions since the destruction of the Span ish squadron, but does not himself think the fleet should try to go into the harbor of Santiago This, under the circumStan- ces is not very encouraging.
 Have been expecting division from Tampa and Duffield's second brigade from Camp Alger. but only a small number of racrrits have appeared so far. If we have so % to try and reduce the town, now that tba fleet is destroyed. which stated to he the chief object of the expedition. there nnnst be no delay in getting a large body Tbo is in ,1s,