The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-28
Thorough and Complete.

President Mckinley has given to the
press part of his instructions to the
commissioners to inquire into the con-
duct of the war with Spain, in order
that the public may know how broad a
scope he desires the inquiry to take.
The instructions made public are these:
"There has been in many quarters severe
criticism of the conduct of the war with
Spain. Charges of criminal neglect Of the
soldiers in camp and field and hospital and
in transports have been so persistent that,
whether true or false, they have made
deep impression upon the country. 1t is
investigate these charges and make the
fullest examination of the administration Of
the war department in all OF its branches,
with the view to establishing the truth or
falsity of these accusations. l put upon
you no limit to the scope OF your investiga-
ton. OF all departments connected with
the army invite the closest scrutiny and
examination, and shall afford every facility
for the most searching inquiry. The records
OF officers shall be subject to your call.
cannot impress upon you too strongly my
wish that your investigation shall be so
thorough and complete that your report,
when made, will fix the responsibility for
any failure or fault by reason Of neglect,
incompetency or maladministration upon
the officers and bureaus responsible there
fOr ha fonn nd hot ha axyi1a II oil aI
Of have existed. The people Of the country
are entitled to know whether or not the cit
liens who so promptly responded to the
call OF duty have been neglected or misused
or maltreated by the government to which
they so willingly gave their service. II
there have been evils committed the wrong
doors must not escape conviction and pun
ishment."
The President puts upon the COM
missioners no limit to the scope of their
Investigations. Originally the inquiry
was to extend only to the management
of the medical, commissary and quar-
termaster's departments. Now the
President wants an investigation of all
departments of the army administra-
ton. The inquiry is to be general, and
will extend to the Office Of the adju-
ant-general, and Of the secretary OF
war himself, if the instructions are
carried out in good faith, in their letter
and spirit. 1t has been asserted that
orders for the movement of troops
were changed without notification to
the quartermaster's and commissary's
departments by the Acknowledgement,
and that many of the complaints
charged to the quartermaster-g general
and the commissary-general were act
ually chargeable to the officers of the
adjutant-general's Office, on account OF
their failure to give timely notification
of changes in orders for the movement
of large bodies of men.
No criticism can be made upon the
letter or spirit of the Presidents in
structions to the commissioner of in.
quiry. The "charges of criminal neg
lect of the soldiers in camp and field
and hospital" have "made deep i'm
preston upon the country" and the ap'
pearance OF the soldiers returning from
the camps in their own country, let
alone those that were in camp and in
the trenches at Santiago, have made q
deeper impression. The investigation
should, indeed, "be 30 thorough and
complete" and comprehensive, and
the report 80 impartial in "fxing the
responsibility for any failure or fault by
reason of neglect, incompetency OF
standardization" as 70 satisfy every
reasonable person that the real truth
has been found and absolute justice
done. "The wrong doors must not es
cape conviction and punishment.
BIT all this is great deal to expec
| from acme of the commissioners