The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-11-18
GEN. NILES REPORT
An Exhaustive Document Treating OF the
War with spain r Deductions
aud ommendations..


Yesterday by direction of Secretary AL
per The Key note is found ia one Of
the opening sentences, where il says:
The military operations during the
year have been extraordinary. unusual
ana extensive" n statement which is
fully borne out 10y the long recital Of
important events which Gen. Miles
SAYS have made I he military history OF
the year 1895 the most remarkable
since the end of he civil war.
Divided Naturally Into -Four Chapters.
In point of interest the document
divides naturally into four chapters.
for while brief allusion is made to
such matters as the military eNpedi-
tons TO Alaska. interest naturally cen.
tiers in the portion which treats of the
war with Spain.
Deals with the Plans of Campaign.
Undcr this general head the report
deals with the plans of campaigns, of
the war prepare tions; with the San
tiago campaign: with Gen. Miles OPP
erat ions in Porto Rico. and lastly with
the important changes in existing or
CARNATIONS, which are. in Gen. Miles
opinion, necessary 10 make the army
an effective weapon for the defense OF
the country.
There is an entire absence of any
evidence of direct criticism. though
certain sentences in the report are
italicized, in an apparent desire to
Justify previously expressed plans of
details of the campaign. and. where il
deals with events. the document is
largely made up of a quotation of Of
fetal dispatches.
tnprepsredne-s Of tho Country.
Treating of the war. Gen Miles be-
gins with statement of the unpre-
paredness of the country showing
how the vast equipment left by the
million soldiers of the civil war had
been dissipated. or had become obso-
lete. until the tentage. transportation
and camp cquippage was insufficient
for any important military operation.
He recount : the Legislation of congress
just prior To the war looking TO the in
crease of the army. and cites his own
recommendation on April that 10000
men be provided for coast defense and
reserve that the regular army be in
crca sed, and that 10000 immunes he
recruited. making a force of lG2. 597
men. which, with 10000 native auxil-
iaries. he considered sufficient. Zach
force, properly equipped. he believed
10 be better than large force partly
equipped. In the letter containing
this recommended fion he said:
Hrco commended an Increase Of the Army
also recommend that AT least %
regiments of infantry. five Regiments
OF cavalry and the light artillery be
modified and placed in one large
camp where they can bc carefully aud
thoroughly inspected. FULLY equipped.
drilled. disciplined and Instructed in
brlgades and divisions. and prepared
for war service
lie further asked for 10000 volin-
teers to make MP an army Of 10000
soldiers for offensive operations in
Cuba. the whole force to be fully
equipped. leaving the state troops to
defend the COASTS and for reserve"
The Army should he Modified ut Some
Healthy Position.
April - he wrote Secretary Algcr as
follows:
- have the honor 10 submit the fol-
lcwing That. i'm my Judgment. the
available force of the regular army
should be modified i'm the best and
most available hcathful position in
the depart nent of the gulf. I sugpcst
Chickamauga Park on account OF ia
altitude and advantages Tor preparirg
\ command for the serious require
Z mcnts of actual warfare"
lie also dwet upon the importance
Of the most perfect equipment in all
bra inches. artillery. engineering and
medical, with supplies for SIX months
and equipment for 10000 native Cuban
soldiers.
Purely Naval Problem.
ten. Miles says in his report that
! In the beginning the war problem was
\ purely a naval one. and he was con-
Nnced that. should our navy prove SUI
perior, the post ion of the Spanish
army In Cuba would be rendered nm
tenabe with minimum loss of life
and treasure TO the United States.
There were two most serious Oh
stac,es TO be avoided-one was placing
an army on the island of Cuba before
our navy controlled the Cuban waters.
and the other was putting an army on
the island ut a time when large num-
Der of men must die from the diseases
that have prevailed in that country.
according TO all statistics. for the last
100 years."
Urged Delay Of Operation. Until After the
Rainy season.
He pointed out in a letter to the sec
Rotary Of war these dangers. incosinQ
a communication from Surgeon-Gen-