The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-09-02
NILES CRITICISMS.
Mr.. Alger Does Not Believe the Cen
eral Was Correctly Reported.
THE TALK IN THE war DEPARTMENT
The Surgeon General Asks for an Invosti-
CATION and IL wiI 10 Granted Gen.
Boynton's Report on Hospitals
In Camp Thomas

Washington, Aug. %. Secretary Al
ger declined yesterday 10 discuss for
publication the criticism of the war
department. but he said that the pos
sibilities aud almost certaiuties of ter
rible ravages from the fevers had been
fully discussed by the war officials and
by the press before the army went to
Cuba. and the government had held
back against sending a great army TO
Cub a when the same agitators who now
complain that men have died were de-
manding that an army of 100, 900 be
sent to Cuba. He was thankful that
so few men had died from disease in
Cuba and that so many of the sick
who had returned were suffering from
no worse complications than malarial
fever.
When asked about the interviews of
Gen. Miles criticising the war DEPART
ment. Secretary Alger said: IL do not
believe that Gen. Miles ever gave such
an interview. lie is trained soldier
and discreet man, and would not
make such statements as attributed to
him without weighing his words and
recognizing the consequences. Ten
Miles is not a fool and do not believe
he ever said what has been reported. y
There were no new indications yes
terday that general investigation OF
the army administration would be or
dered, although the return of the sec
rotary of war from Montauk point
naturally excited fresh interest in the
proposition. The only incident was
the announcement that an eXamina-
tion would be made of the conditions
prevailing and which have for some
time prevailed at the Chickamauga
park hospitals. This was practically
decided upon, although the formal an
nouncement of the fact was deferred.
There Is no cessation of the talk which
has been prevalent in the war depart
ment during the last week, both favor
able and opposed to a general investi-
CATION of army affairs during the war.
Adjt. Gen. Corbin may be set down as
opposed to an investigation. He be
lieves that the bulk of the criticisms
have been made by persons who either
have no acquaintance with military
affairs or who are inspired by selfish
motives in their agitation OF the sub
ject.
The subsistence officers, who have
been criticised as severely as anyone,
except the surgeon general and his as
sistants, profess to be ready for an in
vestigation, but they assert that there
is positively no basis for the criti-
cisms which are being made by the
yellow press and by certain persons.
Commissary General Eagan said yes
terday afternoon that he had asked
the chairman of the house committee
on military affairs, Mr.. Hull, to use
his influence for the appointment of a
congressional investigation committee
as soon as the session opened this
| winter.
The surgeon general of the army has
yielded to the almost universal de-
mand for an investigation of the at
fairs of his department so far as to ask
the secretary of war for an official in
quiry regarding the reported condition
of affairs in the Chickamauga hos
pitfalls. The acting secretary OF war
ordered the investigat ion, and it will
be conducted by Gen. II. V. Boyntou,
! commanding Camp Thomas.