The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-08-30
THE ARMY
MUDDLE
=
q, neral TILES Charges a
Matter of Record.
SKATER DISOBEYED ORDERS
r..--. Asa1-sas,
In Allowing His Troops to Occupy
Fever Infected Houses.
SHAFTER DISOBEYED ORDERS
MILES ORDERS TO SHAFTER.

"Told by the Secretary of War That
You Were Not to Supersede Me in Com
mand Here"-Miles Replies That He
Has Carefully Avoided an Appearance
of Superseding You," Though He Calls
Attention to the Fact That He Com
mands All the Troops.
Kansas city, Mo, Aug. SO.-The
Star prints an exclusive dispatch
from Mr.. j. d. Whelpley, Its spec
ial correspondent who has Just re-
turned from Porto Rico, bearing upon
the h1iles-Alger controversy. Mr.
Whelpley takes occasion to deny the
statement that his recently published
interview In Porto Rico with General
Miles wherein the latter was quoted as
casting reflections upon the war de-
partment, was not genuine, and in sup
port of the statement already made by
it The Star prints interesting kilograms
that passed between the war depart
ment and Generals Miles and Shafter
on the points at issue.
Doubt is expressed by some" says
Mr. Whelpley, las to whether General
Miles ever said these things l credit
him with. Others suggest he may have
said them in confidence which was be-
trayed. | feel confident General Miles
will stand by the interview referred to.
MY talk with him was not conf
dental. went to him as a newspaper
reporter, for the avowed and express
purpose of securing an interview. There
was no reservations from publication
in the conversation. This is proved by
his refusal to answer some questions
which he would have answered had this
been 50. There was no hint of conf
dence.
I'm this instance, however no
question of veracity need arise. Cen
eral Miles himself, even If he so de-
sired. could not conceal the proof Of all
he said. 1t Is written in the records OF
the war department and 1t not only
needs clearing away of inconsequen-
tial matter to tell the story clearly and
in full.
General Miles In his interview In
The Star makes several distinct state
ments, one to the effect that he was
commanding general of all the Ameri-
can armies, first, last and all the time,
In Washington, in Tampa, in Cuba, in
Porto Rico, or anywhere else he might
be.
He charges General Corbin with
sending secret dispatch to General
Shafter contrary to this. He charges
the war department with mutilating
and even suppressing parts or the
whole of certain messages in their
transmission to the public, thus putting
him and his relations to the army in a
false light to the people at home.
HE charges that his recommended
tions in regard to moving the troops
from Santiago was disregarded this
disregard leading to grave consequent
ces He recites the fact that General
Shafter disobeyed orders in occupying
fever infected houses and allowing
Cuban refugees to mix with the Ameri-
can troops.
Finally he claims that Washington
allowed the plans of his Porto Rico
campaign to leak out to such an ex-
tent as to render them useless and
dangerous.
TT needs only glance at the official
each and every one of these charges to
be truth, and to throw much additional
light on the situation.
THAT General Miles was commander
of the entire army when In Washing
ton Is of course evident. That he did
not resign this supreme command when
he went to Tampa, and that It was he
who was treating with the Cubans for
in ic Gh hU 10
numerous kilograms exchanged with
General Garcia.
when General Shafter went to Cuba
and General Miles returned to Wash
ington, the latter did not resign his
control of the situation, but on the con-
trary, kept In close touch as possible by
wire with the movements of Skaters
command.
ION the fourth of July General
Shafter sent dispatches to Wash
ington showing the deplorable con.
dition of affairs in and about San
determined General Miles to go to
Cuba. The day he sailed with rein
forcements, July 7, he sent the follow
ing dispatch from Washington to Cen
eral Shafter:
1dht every pItthullbil bui
prise, and be on the lookout that the
enemy does not turn your right flank
and come In on the line OF your COM
munications. Reinforcements are being
sent forward as rapidly as possible, but
you will have TO be judge of the posi-
tion you are to hold until reinforce
ments can reach you
General Miles sailed for Cuba. Or
July IL, at noon, he reported his safe
arrival to the war department and al
once assumed charge, reporting to the
secretary of war. All of the subse-
quent business of the surrender was
entirely In his hands, as shown by tht
fact that the war department commun
ioated with him direct, not even men
tloning General Skaters name In tn,
numerous dispatches.
In the face of this situation, Secre
tary Alger, through General Corbin
sent a dispatch to General Shafter as
suring him that General Miles did no
! come TO Cuba to supersede Shafter il
any way. This dispatch General Shat
/ 4.