The Holly chieftain., 1898-11-18
.BRECK|NR|D1E'S VIEWS.
Inspector General Tells the Investi-
eating Commission About the
Campaign at Santiago.
THE WAR BELIEVED TO Be THE LORDS.
Not Above Cr1tici.m-His Army One
CApabie of Heeting All Caiis-American
sy.tsm Condems rd-Capt Dowdy Tee
tifi-s About Tran .portatIon.


Washington. Mo- ts.-Gen. Breck-
inridge continued his testimony be-
fore the war invest eating commission
to-day. 1t dealt With the campaign
in Cuba and The transportation of
troops to that island. He had, he said,
gone to Cuba as Inspector general, ar
riving at Tampa on the 9th of June.
He had observed casually the prepara-
tion for the disen barking of the
troops before the expedition left and
had concluded ahat they were quite
inadequate. There was no prepara-
tion for landing in the face of an
enemy other thar. that which the navy
might furnish.
He was questioned at some length
concerning the conduct of the cam
paign in from, OF Santiago and replied
| that the result was what he expected
it would be. Everything there, he
said, was strained to get men on board,
and consequently there was little eff
/ fort to secure equipment. Asked as TO
| his opinion Of the result of the cam
/ paign, he said ne thought it would
have been diffe if Gen. Miles had
been in commani-tlat it would have
been more satisfactorily conducted.
Ex-Gov. Woodbury. suggested that the
battle in front Of San Juan had been
fought and thu victory won within
eight days of landmg. Gen. Breckin-
ridge in reply sail the victory had
been won when len. Torais nerve
gave out" Tbs, ne continued, had
been the war OF a others when sue
cess has been vOn in the earliest
stages He belisel that the war was
the Lords war apd THAT this wonder
ful success was iEe'to His supervision
| While he considered the result as mar.
velously CONNIE o able, he did not feel
that Gen. Shafter Eas above criticism
in the conduct Of the campaign. He
could not believe u e result was mir
acle, but he asc,iled the outcome to
the fact that the amy was one which
was capable of melting all calls
Resuming his r{marks of general
character, Gen. Brfkinridge expressed
the opinion tina. here had not been
enough fighting 4 obscure other re-
suits common TO vAr. He thought the
evils which had bAn experienced were
inevitable under ar American system.
He condemned Is system as most
repre- hensible and said the volunteer
soldier must alwak suffer the worst
of the consequenes III the regular
stands up under better than the vol
unteer 1t is only fcause he has had
time to adjust hind 3elf to the unfavor-
able conditions He traced all the
trouble to the utnt of preparation
and mobilization time of peace, and
that, in turn, TO he failure of con.
gress to Appropriate the necessary
money for reforks. Replying to a
question from M4Wood bury, he said
that considering the system he
thought the gOvepnment had done ia,
better in its con3ct of the war than
anybody had es cted and just about
one-fourth as Vi as it should have
, done"
Gen. McCook liked Gen. Breckin.
ridge If he had lifted Gen. Shafter in
, his tent when be latter was i'll at
, Santiago, and Qn. Breckinridge re.
piled that he ID done SO. Ibid he
!. then offer the cSlmand of the army
. to you, as has en- reported in the
!, press?" Gen. Br{Sinridge replied: u
very much prefa not to answer that
question. You 4ould ask Gen. Shat
ter"
Capt Robert Dowdy, who was
master of trauspS tation at Montauk
} point, stated tina 1t the beginning OF
the history of thu amp the supply of
transportation 1ilities was made
: quate, though tty were afterwards
= improved. WhiA here had been much
criticism of theiailroad running to
e the camp he tho4y 1t it had answered
, the demands upd t very satisfactori-
S ly. He said there3Ias not sutficiency
of ambulances, Ut that there were
t enough of them carry all sick SOL
I diers who were bot able to walk. 1t
S was not true tha3 hese vehicles had
] been used for purI b,es other than those
7 for which they w1rs intended and the
newspaper stori4 to the contrary
: were made out whole cloth. He
described the str4 of the carpenters
e at the camp and Oil that many of the
l men at first emflcved were tramps
and utterly wort1 less.