The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21
Washington Awaits q Clash.


city tomorrow night. Government,
and especially army, officials are await
and little nervousness. His arrival
will be, it is believed, the signal for
fight tha5 will be far more absorbing
than the battle of Ell Caney or San
Juan to the army officers who are rang
side. sid '''l''''''' - 'l' "
1t seems, from what may be gathered
in conversation with military men here,
that the bulk of the army is decidedly
in favor Of Gen. Miles in the contro-
versy, and there is a loud and persls-
tent demand that he be accorded an
investigation through q Court OF In
quiry. The war department., it is said,
breads a Court of Inquiry above al
things. 1t is not averse to an lnyest-
CATION, il. an investigation can be con-
Quoted in the way it wishes, and Tor
this reason would prefer Court-mar-
tial. The situation was very clearly
described to-day by an official III the
military branch Of the Government.
He said:
9'I see that Gen. Miles has, in inter
views with newspaper reporters III New
York, admitted the substantial accu-
racy Of the report sent from Puerto
Rico in reference to his treatment at
the hands Of Gen. Corbin and Secre-
tary Alger. If this is true, 1t Gen.
Miles has said that he actually made
the statements which have been at
tributed to him, then | do not see that
there can be any but on result-an I'M,
mediate Court-martial. The General
evidently wanted to bring to a head
his long standing differences with Sec
retary Alger and particularly with
Adjt. Gen. Corbin. He believes and a
great many army men agree with him,
that Gen. COrbin and Secretary Alger
have dore everything in their power to
injure and to embarrass him. Ihe
matter has gone SO far that Miles
wants it settled, and, believe, he gave
that interview for publication for the
sole purpose of forcing an lnvestlga-
ton.
81 am sfraid, however, that the Gene
raj will not get the kind OF investlga-
ton he wants. He would, of course,
prefer q Court Of Inquiry. This would
make quste different sort of lnvesh-
CATION from COurt-martial. In the
former Alger would be on trial; in the
latter Miles will be the accused. The
result, too, no matter what evidence
may be adduced, will be entirely dif-
ferent. In a Court OF Inquiry Alger
might be found to have been very
negligent, inefficient, and guilty. OF
conspirirg with COrbin to ruin Miles;
or it might be that no ground for the
charge could be found. Butt ma Court
martial Miles will be certain to be
found guilty. This is foregone con-
clusion. The Court-martial will at
least fntl that he has been guilty OF
conduct prejudicial to discipline. 1t
could scarcely avoid such q finding.
Even if everything that Miles said is
true, the Court-martial would still find
that he should not have said it. Such
a finding would not injnre Miles very
much. Hewould receive the sympathy
of everybody and become a popular
hero, while the war department and
the adjutant general would be con-
sidered SIS. having sheltered themselves
behind technicality to avoid search
ing investigation into their conduct.
aaIn MY opinion neither side can
afford tt, evade an inquiry. General
Miles would doubtless prefer to wait
until the Secretary OF the adjutant
general did something that imputed
Wrong-doing to him, whereupOn he
could demand q Court of Inquiry. This
would give him just the sort OF inyestl-
cation that he Graves. But the adJu-
tant general, who is the brains OF the
war department, is too astute to ALLOW
Miles such an opportunity. He will
very likely have the Secretary write to
Gen. Miles asking if the statements ne
attributed to him were made by him.
Then, If the general acknowledges tnaG
the statements were made by hlmself,
the Secretary of War will order Q
Court-m;lrtial. C This is just what L
should do if / had anything to conceal:
1t is evident that the war department.
does not want an investigation, and 1t
can avoid one by ordering Miles before
q Court-lnartial, where the finding may
be written out now just as well as after
weeks of deliberation. The real issue
will not be touched on, and Miles will
be found technically guilty OF breach
of disciUline. The war Office Will be
shielded, and Miles, failing to score a
triumph in the trial, will become q
popular idol.
"Miles is not striking at Alger as
much as he is at'COrbin. 1t is Cor1ln
who conducted the war. The entire
management Of it was put into his
hands by the President, who wanted
at one tine to send him into the field.
Alger han become subordinate In his
own office. He sees no one, confers
with no one, does nothing without the
scrutiny and supervision OF the adju-
tant general. The door leading into
the adjutant generals Office is now
open ALWAYS, and Gen. Corbin sees and
knows everything that the Secretary
does. He was overheard saying once,
when Secretary Alger had gone to the
White House: Il must hurry over to
the White House, or Alger will have
the President agree to some OF his
foolishness.' 1t is at COrbin and not
.Alger, that Miles bolt is directed. We
shall have lively times before 1T is all
0yer.n
The same official said that Secretary
Alger confessed a few. days ago that
Miles was in command in Tampa and
in Cuba. This, said the official, dl-
rectly controverts the statement made
in Gen. Corbin's kilograms to Shafter
assuring him that he (Shafter) was III
supreme command, despite the pres
ence of General Miles. Washington
eagerly awaits the clash.
Ex-Secretary of State Sherman called
to see the President this morning.
After the interview he said that his
visit was friendly and personal one
entirely, and had nothing to do with
politics. He added that his call had
no significance whatever. Pm only a
private citizen" he said. 1T is thought,
however, that the visit had something