The times., 1898-12-13
MISTAKES OF TIE WAR
Gen. Miles Tells How They
Might Have Been Avoided.
HEARING ON ABMY BILLS
The Commanding General and His
Predecessor Give Their Views
Result OF Civilian ControI-An un-
official Statement Impressive
Scene in Committee Roon.-ro Es-
tabiish n Higher Rank.

/
tee on Military Affairs on the HUH and
Hawley bills yesterday was productive
of considerably more than was In the
official minds of the members OF the com
Inittee when they solicited the views of
prominent military mer. Maj. Gen. Mel
/ son A Miles. commanding the United
! states army, and Lieut.. Gen. John II.
I Schotield. retired who formerly held
| that position, appeared before the com
mittee to give their Views of the needs
I of the army in the matter of increase and
| reorganization and before the session was
over Gen. Miles had unofiicially said a
number of things which bore directly on
! the present army administration.
| This unofficial part of the hearing came
/ about SO quietly and Unexpectedly that
| few in the room realized its full Import
until Gen. Miles had finished. All throush
the hearing he had carefully refrained
from making any mention of the strained
| relations which have been supposed to
exist between him and the Secretary of
| War. Once, when Representative Cox
asked him how many men he thought it
necessary to have in Cuba, he replied:
| i cannot say without seeming to reflect
on my superiors.'
| After Gen. Schofield had concluded how
ever. Chairman Hull suggested that per-
| haps Gen. Miles would like to add some
| thing. Gen. Miles thereupon gave some
| further views upon the general subject of
| organization. When he had finished one
of the committee members said:
! General, don't know whether you care
to answer the question that am about to
| put TO you 1t is personal question: not
Il committee question:
! Gen. Miles nodded his assent The
stenographer ceased his operations Cen
! Schoiield leaned back in his chair and
blew clouds of smoke ce.iingward. The
newspaper representatives became inter-
esied and the other members of the COM
| mittee listened intentiy.
Don't you think that many of the mis-
takes in the conduct OF the war would
have been avoided if the minister of war
| had left the management OF the army TO
| army officers and devoted himself to is
| ministerial duties? In other words wert.
| not many OF these mistakes due to the
divided responsibilities of the mini ter
and the army?''
Gen. Miles answered readily that he
thought 1t was impcss Bile for any ciyi =
iaJ. no matter who he might be- to iump
into the place OF the commander of the
4
| ances of war and the methods of warfare
which had been studied by the officers of
the army for a number of years
| Gen. Miles's reference to Shafter was
| made in connection with a discussion of
| the selection of commanders. 1t was per-
fectly simple, he said. for the Secretary
| of War. in case the general in command
! OF the army did not suit him to detach
MIN on waiting orders and delegate the
next of1icer in rank to command. If that
officer did not suit he could keep on down
| the line
\ and pick out some subordinate simply be-
cause he is a, farOrite and has political in
| huence should not be tolerated do
not think it is according to the Coasti-
tution.'
Gen. Miles advocated the Hawley bill.
which provides for a general and two
| lieutenant generals. because It would at
ford some opportunity for the recognition
of the good work of Gems. Merritt and
| Brooke, For himself he said, ne did not
care The committee might put a para
graph in the bill retiring him. or they
might adopt the plan of making a general
and two lieutenant generals, TO go into ef-
! feet in five years, at the expiration OF
which time he would be retired He was
not lobbying for his own interests. but he
| did want to see the two generals named
| properly rewarded.
| He made no reference to any desire to
| recognize the work of Maj Gen Shelter.
however, and not once during the hearing
was Skaters name mentioned He gave
| a history of the cases in this country
where the rank OF lieutenant general had
been conferred. tardiiy in esca instance.
and cited cases where it WIS deserved
and never bestowed. Sheridan was made
| s,,Il ba.l "A
ard never knew it. Grant had commanded
half a million men before he received he
rank Schofield was only givel Il lust
before his retirement.
| In Europe, he said. the grades were a
| full general for the command of an army,
| a lieutenant general for the command of a
| corps. a major general for the command
of a division and brigadier general for
| the command of brigade. White abroad
last year, although the general command
| ing the United States army, he only rank
| ed as division commander.
Gen Schofield agreed with all that Gen.
| Miles said in this unofficial discussion. and
| added that Meade, Thomas and Hancock
all deserved the promotion and died
| broken-h hearted because of their country's s
| ineratitude.
| The regular hearing was before nearly
| the full committee including such yeter-
|
| and Cox of Tennessee. Gen. Miles was the
| first to express his views. He said:
| II have for years recommended that We
| fix an army standard so that it need not
| be disturbed by constant need of legisla-
| ton j have recommended that this stand
ard be placed at not more than one to
| 1000 nor less than one TO 2,001 of the pop
ulation of the country.
AT the suggestion of the Secretary of
| T tod in, n
| bill. which has since been introduced IN
the Senate by Senator Hawley. This II
| provides for fifteen regiments of eaval y.
| as against ten now existing. The war
| caused the West to be stripped of troops
| leaving the people exposed to the POS l.
bility of Indian attacks and causing en-
| siderable uneasiness. especially In the
| Sioux country. Besides, we need a great
| deal of cavalry in Cuba and Porto Rico.
| Three regiments are now in those islands
| and half a dozen more are under orders
| to proceed to the islands. They will be
| required to keep down bandits and to
| preserve order, and will never be mo e
| necessary than they are at the start-off
| when they will serve to discourage would
be eyil-doers.
THE bill provides for fourteen rcgl-
ments of sea coast artillery. We have
| now under construction. to be completed
this year. guns which will require 1875 bat
] teries. or A,0o0 men to man them. When
the projected coast defenses are all ccm-
| pleted. it will require $50 batteries to care
for them, but this will not be aeon
! plished for perhaps ten years"
In answer to questions from Mr.. Cox.
Gen. Miles said that he thought that the
$4,000 soldiers now being sent to Cubl
could be reduced to 11.G00 in few
months. after matters had quieted d wn
| somewhat. He thought that nla Amari-