The Saint Paul globe., 1898-10-23
QUARREL CROPS OUT
GEN. MILES OPENLY SLIGHTED BY
THE PRESIDENT All
OMAHA
MATTERS IN THE True LIGHT

Studied Effort to Keep the Conn
mander-in-ChIef Of the Army in
the background and 10 shove
Shafter 10 the Front--Secrets of
the Campaign ia Cuba Are leak
ing Out.
OMAHA. Neb.. Oct. 22.-Peace jubilee
week was responsible for more official
war talk than Omaha had known be-
fore 1t was rot in connection with the
celebration Of peace. but was due TO
the presence in the city of the leaders
of the factions that are engaged in a
controversy over the conduct Of the
war
On one side were the friends and sup
pOrters of Gen Miles and on the other
the hackers OF the war department ana
Gen Shafter and incidentally the adj
ministration Under the smiling cloak
of diplomacy an effort was made TO
keep the ugly differences away from
the public, but in the secrecy of the
private rooms and for the ears alone
of discreet sympathizers statements
were made that disclosed the turbulent
maelstrom Of rancor, jealousy and bit
terness.
One surprising feature Of the situa7
tiOn was the extent of the knowledge
of the members of the diplomatic corps
In all the points in controversy ana
the Importance attached to 1t was
manifested by the fact that this sub
ject received more discussion than any
other in the precincts where members
of the Washington party were quar-
tered. Among the statements that
were made through channels that
seemed to establish their reliability be-
yond question was one to the effect
that Gen. Miles is not to get square
DEAF before the investigation commits
sion It was further stated that Miles
would not go before the commission
unless ordered to do so by the presi-
dent and that he was pinning his
hopes on a congressional investigation,
which. however, he did not believe
would be held if the administration
could possibly prevent it.
That the waters were troubled be-
meath the surface was manifested i'm
mediately on the arrival Of the presi-
Dental party in the city on Tuesday
evening. The other train bearing the
Miles party and the newspaper cor
respondents was an hour late, and 1t
was promptly decided not to wait their
arrival. This in itself occasiOned no
comment, but there was a noticeable
dilatiOn OF optics an hour later when,
on the announcement that luncheon
would be served at the club after the
parade for the distinguished visitors,
the mana cement received a "quiet in
timatiOn" that the presidential party
would be quite as we'll satisfied if Gen.
Miles and his party were driven direct
to hotels instead of to the club to par
ticipate in the luncheon.
WIGWAGGING OF TONGUES.
After that announcement there was
a vigorous wagging of tongues and it
was recalled that the original schedule
had called for the arrival of the Miles
train first and it had later been re-
arranged so as to bring in the general
after the parade was over and after
Sne depot was completely deserted. All
during the stay Of the Washingtonians
there was no hesitancy In stating that
there was a studied effort to affrOnt
Miles. This was noticed at the stand
on Wednesday, whe>e no attention was
paid to the calls Of the vast audience
for Miles until it became so pronounced
as to be positively embarrassing to the
members of the presidential party.
President Mckinley finally turned and
asked Gen. Miles to step to the front
of the stand. The general did so and
was introduced by President Wattles,
but that he felt the treatment that was
7belng accorded was apparent from q
single glance at his face and from the
haste with which he retired.
In the hotels severe criticisms were
passed on the studied effort on the
part of Mr.. Mckinley to abstain in
all his speeches on the road and while
here from my reference to the Porto
RiCan campaign and Gen. Miles and
his frequent and cOmmendatory refer
ences to Santiago and Gen. Shafter.
The conduct of the Santiago cam
-merOus little chance meetings" in
hCtels, and the Miles contingent did
not hesitate to make savage charges
of incOmpetency and disObedience of
orders against Shafter Probably no
incident better served to illustrate the
situation than the meeting, Of
Miles and Shafter in the rOtunda of
the AIillard. 1t was fearfully frigid in
its brevity and punctilious courtesy.
Gen. Miles refused to publicly discuss
the situation, but intimate friends did
not hesitate to express views, which
they said he shared They said he
had made up his mind that he could
not afford at this time to give out other
interviews unless forced to do so by
new circumstances. They said he felt
deeply the action Of the war depart
ment in sending out orders over his
name of the contents of which he knew
nothing, and said that this was respon-
.
relations between Gen. Miles and Gen.
BreclIinTidge until it was possible to
effect a meeting and explain that Gen.
Miles was not responsible for the order
to muster out Gen. Breckenridge.
NEW FEATURE DEVELOPED.
One Of the new features that deveI-
oped here was the fact that the presi-
dent had sent cablegram to Shafter
at Santiago in reply to the latter's ca
blesram that he was sick, directing
him to turn over the command to Gen.
sEheeler in case his illness continued.
It was stated that Gen. Wheeler knew
nothing of this until he returned to
washington, when his first intimatiOn
that such a cablegram had been sent
was received personally from the pres
idcnt
It was also stated that after the bat
tie of San Juan hill, when the troops
had achieved their magnificent victory,
ShafteT called his generals around him
and announced his intention of With
dTa wing from the position just gained
Ger. Wheeler hastened to enter a pro-