The Advocate and news., 1898-08-31
Gen. Miles
CritiCises Alger.
The Secretary of War Is Charged
With Ignoring Recommendation
That Were Necessary for Sol.
dlers' Health.
MILES CAMPAIGN NEGLECTED.

an extended story which throws con-
siderable light on the military opera
tiOns at Santiago This article tends to
show that General Miles and Secretary
Alger are not on the most pleasant
terms Miles refers to the telegram
which was published at Washington in
which General Shafter was notified that
the coming of General Miles did not in
any way affect or supersede him in COM
mand. General Miles says that his ar
rival at Santiago affected the command
of the troops only as the arrival of
colonel at camp commanded by cap
tain would affect it. He was higher in
rank and of course became the COM
manding officer, and while the impress
sion was held out to the people Of the
country that General Shafter was still
in command, all Of the War depart
ment's communications went to General
Miles. He said that the dispatches from
and to Santiago were so badly mutt
lated and garbled in Washington when
given to the public that the meaning
which would have made the situation
uOIS ClcdI W LlC pSOplS WSlO SAIAlOAy
suppressed.
Referring to the matter of the surren-
der of the Spanish army, he said that
the surrender was agreed upon and time
was given to secure the approval of
General Blanco and the Spanish govern
ment, and that later without being
asked to do so, the Spanish General
surrendered his entire army corps, or
about twice as many soldiers as were
considered in the original negotiations.
General Miles impression is that this
idea was inspired from Madrid for the
purpose Of getting the soldiers home at
the expense Of the United States. This,
however, was not bad bargain, as it
would have cost more to feed them as
prisoners than to send them home, and
in the end they would have been sent
to Spain at our expense anyway, the
customs of war requiring that prison
ers shall be returned to the country to
which they belong at its close.
With reference to the moving Of the
American army from Santiago, it is
stated that General Miles cabled the
War department July q that there was
not single regiment Of regulars or vol
unteers that was not affected with yell
low fever the cases ranging from one
to regiment to thirty-six. This was
followed by a recommendation that the
troops go as high into the mountains as
possible, selecting fresh camps every
day, and If this did not check the dis
ease, that the troops be moved to some
point on the New England coast The
Stars correspondent specifically states
that it was Secretary Algers disregard
of General Miles recommendation that
was responsible for the terrible cOndi-
tion of the Santiago army as revealed
by the appeal of the commanding Off
GERS at that point, made public August
4, fourteen days after General Miles
telegram.
General Miles is quoted as saying that
under his instructions from Washington
he was extremely anxious to go to Porto
Rico in order to gain foothold before
peace negotiations might be opened. In
accordance with instructions from the
War department he went to Fajado,
where arrangements had been made to
provide him with steam lighters and
tugs to facilitate landing, but these
did not appear, and up to August IL had
not appeared. Laboring under these Sc
rious disadvantages, General Miles de-
cided to change his plans and effect
landing at Guanica. Here he found
fine harbor, and here landing was ef-
fected The town of Ponce was had for
the asking ,and it was selected as a
base Here the situation was such that
everything was favorable, and the plan
of campaign was put into effect at once.
Running through all of General Miles
interview there is decided inclination
to assume that Secretary Alger did not
do his part in arranging properly for
this and other expeditions, and If Cen
eral Miles statements are correct, they
amount to charges of gross carelessness
and incompetency.