The times., 1898-09-25
Miles CALLS ON BRYAN
The General Visits the Colonel
of Volunteers.
THEY TALKED FOR AN HOUR
1t Was the Second Time They Had
plimented-The Head of the Army
Was In Uniform-The Two Soldiers
Friendly.

Col. William J. Bryan has reason to feel
complimented by the visit made upon him
yesterday afternoon at his hotel from
Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, commanding
the armies of the United States. Gen
Miles called upon Col. Bryan in uniform
1t is not frequent that army officer
of so high a rank as that of Gen Miles
pays an official visit to a person holding
the rank of colonel Army etiquette re-
quires that the colonel should call on the
general, and not the general upon the
colonel. Gen. Miles may have made his
call purely a social one.
The visit lasted for more than an hour
and the two gentlemen chatted at much
length and seemed to enjoy each others
company. 1t was the second time they
had ever met, either officially or socially,
the first being at the War Department the
day before when Col. Bryan called upon
Gen. Miles on business with reference to
the matter of mastering out part of the
Nebraska regiment. This call was made
in company with Gov. Holcomb, OF Ne
braska.
AS is we'll known, Gen. Miles has not
been treated as his rank entities him by
the War Department. The Secretary OF
War, it is alleged, has attempted on more
than one occasion to humiliate the com
manding general.
Gen. Miles has not been in sympathy
with the management of the War De-
partment in but few, if any, of the cam
, paigns made, either in Cuba or Porto
Rico. Gen. Miles managed his own cam
paign in Porto Rico. which was not in ac-
cordance with the wishes of the war De-
partment.
Gen. Miles is himself somewhat of a
politician. He knows politics and is con-
versant with every political move that
has been made. He knows too well that
politics has predominated the manage
ment OF the War Department, and much
of this he also thinks had it's origin at
the White House The appointment of
the sons of prominent men and others
whose Endorsements were or pontlcai
nature only verifies this statement, and
Gen. Miles knows it perhaps better than
anyone else.
Gen. Miles had the opportunity, II he
so desired, to communicate to Col. Bryan
great deal of information about the
management of the War Department,
especially the political features, which
Col. Bryan can, when the time comes, use
to good advantage. Secretary Alger Is
fighting Gen. Miles. Gen. Miles would be
justified in fighting Secretary Alger. Col.
Bryan is still the most conspicuous man
in the army. He was a candidate for the
Presidency and may be renominated two
| years hence.
! Gen Miles is familiar with Col. Bryan's
ability to make use of political capital In
| the opinion of a very large percentage of
| the American people Gen. Miles would be
! justified in giving to Col. Bryan, or any
one else, valuable information upon this
point. Whether II would be in keeping
/
the army is another question.
Gen. Miles may not object TO seeing
! Col. Bryan the next President. He may
| go upon the theory that the election of a
Democratic President may be instru-
mental in remedying many of the evils
| that have grown up in the War Depart
ment under Secretary Ayers administra-
| ton. He might believe that with DEM
| ocrat in the White House there may
| come thorough neutrality-suspicious.
more thorough than that which is to be
made by the commission completed on
yesterday.
Gen. Miles may have told Col. Bryan
many things which he would have the
| right to tell regarding the management
of the army. 1t was one soldier talking
to another soldier The question of rank
may have been for the time thrown aside
and the two men could have expressed
their views freely.
When Col Bryan was seen last night
by Times reporter and asked regarding
the nature of the visit he said that 1t was
purely personal and had no significance
of any kind, political or otherwise.
Col. Bryan left the Metropoi itan Hotel
last night and stopped with friends on
Capitol Hill. He is awaiting a reply
from President Mckinley to the request
made to him by Gov. Holcomb, of Ne
braska, on the question of mastering out
a portion of the two Nebraska regiments.
He hopes to know of the reply to Gov.
Holcomb some time today, and in the
| event the President makes reply today
Col. Bryan will leave for his headquar-
ters at Jacksonville tonight. Otherwise
he will doubtless remain until Monday. 1t
is very probable, however, that a reply
viii be forthcoming by that time at least