The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-11

Washington, Nov. 10.-Maj. Gen. Miles
has submitted to the secretary of war
a report on the operations of the army
during the year,
1t contains $4,000 words, and is ac-
by the reports of command
ers, most of which have been pub
lshed.
After devoting a few paragraphs to
the military expeditions to Alaska in
the early spring, Gen. Miles takes up
the war with Spain, saying;
at the close of the great civil war
the government had million veterans
in arms, well equipped TO. war for
that time. The great amount of war
material then in the possession Of the
government was sold or gradually used
up by issue either to the militia Of the
states or to the regular forces that
have been engaged in military opera
lions on the frontier for the last 30
years. The supplies and material that
were not sold but stored were grad
ually reduced to the minimum, and the
WAL WILL 1JdIn lOQlAO lliA2 N01AANA9 NANH
a very small army of $4,000 men, with
war material sufficient only to equip
that force and furnish it with a small
amount of ammunition; but the tent
age, transportation and camp equip
age was insufficient for any military
operations, in fact, quite an amount
Of valuable transportation including
ambulances, had been disposed of
within the last few years.
"The act approved April 26, 1898, au-
thorizing an increase in enlisted
strength of the army to 62,597 men
Congress subsequently authorized the
enlistment of 10000 men possessing i'm
munity from disease incident to tropl-
cal climates.
ION April 8 / recommended the equip
ment of $4,000 volunteers, and also on
April Is recommended that an addi-
tional auxiliary force of 10000 men be
provided for the protection of the coasts
and as a reserve. This, with the in
crease of the regular army and the
10000 immunes, would have given US
an effective force of 162.597, which, with
an auxiliary force of $4,000 natives, |
considered sufficient, and deemed 1t or
the first importance to well equip such
force, rather than to partly equip g.
much larger number"
Gen. Miles estimated that the United
States had approximately 100000 men
capable OF bearing arms. In the letter
of April Is to the secretary OF war,
Gen. Miles recommended that, in my
Judgment, the available force Of the
regular army should be modified In
the best and most available healthful
positions near the gulf. suggest
Park on account or its
altitude and advantage for preparing
command for the serious requirement
of actual warfare
1.-THE history of the expedition to the
Crimea and to Egypt show the neces-
sity for complete and perfect equip
ment Of each military organization, and
the army should be thoroughly and eff
fectively organized in every DEPART
ment" Gen. Miles is very specific in his
recommendations as to equipment or
the Cuban expedition.
Arms and ammunition and fatigue
uniforms, he said. should be furnished
for $4,000 natives that should be or
ganized into an auxiliary force.
Gen. Miles, after quoting the recon-
he had made, says:
"At the commencement of the war,
the problem was largely naval one,
and until the question Of superiority
our navy and the Spanish ma
Wy, or such naval forces as might be
furnished by any other European power
or combination of powers supporting
the Spanish government was deter
military operations had to be
by the success or failure Of
our naval forces. I was fully con-
WINGED that, should our navy prove SUI
perior, the position Of the Spanish ar
my in Cuba would be rendered unten-
able. with a minimum loss of life and
treasure to the United States.
There were two most serious OBJ
stacles 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 at time when a large num-
Der of the men must die from the dis
that have prevailed in that coun-
try, according to all statistics, for the
last 100 years.
For the latter reason, | addressed a
letter to the secretary of war, April is,
1898, forwarding a communication from
Surgeon General Sternberg, regarding
the danger of putting an army in Cuba
during the sickly season, and urged the
plan of harrassing the Spanish forces
and doing the enemy the largest amount
of injury during the time necessary for
our navy to demonstrate its superior
ity-the rainy or sickly season, and the
time actually required to equip and in
struct the volunteer forces with the
least possible loss to ourselves. In that
letter / also asserted the belief have
from the first, that we
could secure the surrender of the Span
ish army in the island of Cuba without
any great sacrifice of life"
Gen. Miles gives the text of the let
ter to the secretary of war; concerning
the equipment of volunteers. "The pre-
liminary work. he said, should be
done before the troops leave their
states. While this is being done, the
paneral officers and STAFF nhicars To ha