Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-11-16

observed there were only two lighters
army before the departure from Tampa.
1t was his understanding, however, that
the army and the navy were co-operat-
Ing In this expedition.
Speaking of the conflict Of authority
on the transports. he said the masters
Of the vessels did not respond as
promptly as might have been desired.
True" he said. there was a little
navy cadet on board each Of the vea-
sells. but he had no authority. An actu-
al navy officer or an officer of the quar-
tsrmaster's department on each vessel
would have been better. What was
needed was prompt communication be-
tween the commanding officer and the
vessel, and the masters OF the trans
ports did not respond very promptly"
Shnfter Criticised.
Asked as to his opinion of the result
of the campaign. he said he thought 1t
consistent with ti,e character of the men
who conducted it. II think 1t would have
been different II General Miles had been
in command; that it would have been
satisfactorily conducted. l think he has
more of the spark and genius of COM
mand than any man in the army, and I
am sure that If he had had charge he
would have been in the front rank"
Ex-Governor Woodbury. suggested
that the battle in front of San Juan had
been fought and the victory won within
eight days of landing. General Breckin-
ridge in reply said that the victory had
been won when General Torars nerve
rave out" This, he continued, had
been the war of all others when success
had been won in its earliest stages. He
believed that the war was the Lords
war and that this wonderful success
was due to his supervision. The time
for the battle was, however. short
enough, yet it must be remembered that
the distance between the battlefield and
siboney was less than half a days
march: but, while he considered the re-
suit as marvelously commendable, ne
did not feel that General Shafter was
above criticism in the conduct of the
campaign.
He could believe the result was
miracle, but he ascribed the outcome
to the fact that the army was one
which was capable of meeting all calls.
mo matter how it was tangled up" he
said. ut went to victory" He had at
the time quoted Lord Beresford when
he said to his army upon a certain oc-
casion. II have led you into devil Of
a fix, and it is now your duty to fight
like h to get me out Of it," He was
sure at least that all engaged in the
war had acted with zeal and every man
had done the best of which he was
capable. and he had never known a war
in which there was not criticism at the
close of it.
Want of Preparation.
He traced all the trouble to the want
of preparation and mobilization in time
of peace and that, in turn, to the fail
ure of congress to appropriate the nee
essary money for reforms. Replying to
a question from Mr.. Woodbury., he said
that. considering the system, he
thought the government had done far
hotter in its conduct of the war than
ANYBODY had expected and just about
one-fourth as it should have DONE"
General McCook asked General Breck-
inridge IL he had visited General Shaf-
ter in his. tent when the latter was i'll
at Santiago, and General Breckenridge
replied that he had done so.
"Did he then offer the command Of
the army to you, as has been reported
in the press?"
General Breckinridge replied: II very
much prefer not to answer that ques-
ton. You should ask General Shafter.
Such conversation as occurred be-
tween General Shafter and myself on
that occasion is not Of character to
be spoken of lightly. I fail to see how
a reply from me would promote the OBJ
fect Of your inquiry. You want to know
what General Shafter did, not what he
may have thought Of doing. If General
Shafter has not repeated the conversa-
tion. I ought not to do So"
"As matter of fact, he did not turn
the command over to you?" suggested
Governor Beaver. To which General
Breckenridge responded, mo. he did
not. and I do not think there is any i'm
propriety in my saying that he could
not have done So"
With this the matter was allowed to
drop. and General Breckenridge was ex-