The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-20
Forthcoming Annual Reports.


The country has already been treat
ed to synopsis Of the report of Gen.
Miles to the secretary of war 1t must
he corcz ded that tits distingu shed SOL
der has displayed a, spirit of re1erve
highly commendable in one occupying
his high position who has been COM
PEELED to submit to many humliatons
in connection with the administration
of the war in Cuba.
Gen. Miles, previous to the Spanish
war, failed TO come into touch with
the peOTle to the degree that rendered
him popular. He was an excellent sol
der in the Civil war and a splendid
Indian fighter: but somehow or other,
1t may have been from vanity or a pc
cular miseomprehension of the impor-
tance of his place. he continually fail
ed to reach the chord of popularity so
far as that played upon the people
In prolonged civil pzr.ods the officers
Of our army and navy do not play a
conspicuous part. They are regarded
as ornaments rather than as objects
of usefulness. The recent war. how
ever, has developed one most impor-
tant fact, viz. thai in tipes--of- peace
the practical education absorbed by
those who have I'm their charge the
martial spirit of the sepublic advances
into superlative valna in times of war.
Under the rule of the present ad-
niinistation, however, as exercised
through Secretary Alger, many valu-
able propositions have bsen negatived
Ignorance in the first place and policy
~ al in nd
place have combined to bring the rec
crd of the United States army in the
late war in contempt before the paop,e
OF this country ard OF the world at
large.
Surgeon General Sternberg is one of
the officials of the war department who
has been most severely criticised, be-
cause of the fact that the soldiers in
field, in camp and in hospital have
been VIGOROUSLY lacking in the rece' pit
Of the attention which rigfrtfully they
should have commanded. Of course,
Surgeon General Sternberg had to do
very largely with the qraa'ternaster's
department. Everything that has come
from the front Of the army goes to
show that this department. In the field
was in the hands of most Incompetent
officials. This condition of things can
not be wholly chargeable to the surgeon
general, inasmuch as inexperienced men
we've constantly being forwarded to the
field to take the executive positions
who W ere en- irely ilc mpet mt for their
work, but who secured their appoint
mon 5 through poli1eal influence. Thssa
men were VIGOROUSLY unfamiliar with
the duties expected of them. They
were put there by the executive pow
els at political diotation.
The opinions expressed by Gen.
Breckenridge in his testimony before
the Investigating committee at Wash
ington boldly set forth the gen.
eral incompetency which prevailed
in the war department. Sur
geon General Sternberg's report will no
doubt present a very thorough and
compact criticism OF the higher officials
OF the war department who controlled
the disposition Of medical supplis s.
There does not appear to be any evil
dence thus far accumulated which in
dicates that the government was real
~ deficient in its supply account. Gen.
v heeler himself testified that thou
/ sands of dollars worth of extra allow
ances for soldiers. sick and GONZALES
/ cent, went to waste in decay and rot
/ tenness simply because the red tape
/ rules OF the war department were
/ paramount.
1t is 10 be hoped that as the general
! reports come in from the war and navy
/ departments, both from thu sub and
/ higher officials. before they reach the
/ PRESIDENT some explanation will be
vol cksafed TO justify the large per-
I centage of death from disease in a
war which has inflicted so little dam
/ age by bullet and she'll upon an army
recruited with remarkable CELEBRITY and
! under conditions of enthusiasm that
have never been paralleIed in the his
/ terry OF the country.