Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-15
SHAFTER ROASTED
General Breckenridge's Testimony
Before the War Investigation
Committee.
SUCCESS DUE TO THE LORD
Had General Miles Been in Command
Cuban Campaign Would Have Been
More Satisfactorily Conducted-All
Wars Subject to Criticism.

wars SunJect TO criticism.
Washington, Nov. 15.-General Breck-
enrdge testified before the war inves-
| tigating commission today. He had he
said, gone to Cuba as inspector general.
HE observed casually the preparations
| for the Decentralization of troops at
Tampa and concluded they were quite
inadequate. There was no preparation
for landing in the face of an enemy
other than that which the navy might
furnish
There were only two lighters and two
scows secured on behalf of the army be-
fore the departure from Tampa. 1t was
his understanding, however, that the
army and navy We're cooperating.
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 Il little ma
val cadet on board each vessel, but he
had noauthority. An actual naval officer
of the quartermasters department on
each vessel would have been better
When asked his opinion concerning the
result of the campaign, he said he
thought it was consistent with the
character of the man who conducted it.
What was to be expected from the
limitations of General Shafter?"
II think it would have been different
If General Miles had been in command:
that it would have been more satisfac-
toriy conducted. l think he has more
snap and genius in command than any
other man in the army, and | am sure
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 with
in eight days after landing.
General Breckenridge, in reply, said
the victory was won ''only when Torars
nerve gave out" He believed the war
was the Lords war and the wonderful
success was due to his supervision.
While he considered the result marvel
ously commendable, he did not feel that
General Shafter was above criticisms in
his conduct of the campaign. He could
not believe the result was miracle,
but he ascribed the outcome to the
fact that the army was one capable of
meeting all calls. mo matter how it
was tangled up" he said, ''it went to
victory"
He had at all times quoted Lord
Beresford, when he said to his army,
upon a certain occasion: Il have led
you into devil. of fix, and it is now
your duty to fight like hell to get me out
of it," He was sure, at least that all
who engaged in the war 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 some criticism at the close.
General Breckenridge spoke of the in
spector generals office as having been
emasculated by an order requiring the
reports from subordinates of that office
be made to the adjutant general. He
said when he discovered this was so,
he went into the field, as this offered the
only arena in which he could be of real
service. He had intended to say, in eff
feet: There is desk in my office; do
as you please with it. General Sanger
was there. He, too, is from Michigan.
/ thought he could take control of the
office if it was desired, but he did not
remain" AS a result of the change,
when he asked for facts in the office to
include in his report, he failed to fnd
any there General Breckenridge
thought the evils expounded were in
evitable under our American syetem,
condemned system. He traced all the
trouble to a want of preparation and
mobilization in time of peace, and from
that, in turn, to failure Of congress to
appropriate necessary money for re-
forms. Replying to question from Mr.
Woodbury., he said, considering the sys-
TEN, he thought the government had
done far better in it's conduct of the
war than anybody expected, and just
about one-fourth as well as it should
have DONE"
General McCook asked General
Breckenridge if he had visited Shafter
in his tent when the latter was i'll at
Santiago. Breckenridge replied that
he had. Did he then offer the COM
mand of the army to you, as reported in
the press?" Breckenridge, very much
embarrassed, replied: Il very much
prefer not to answer that question. You
should ask General Shafter. Such con-
yersation as occurred between Shat
ter and myself was not of character
to be spoken of lightly. You want to
know what General Shafter did, not
what he may have thought of doing. If
Shafter has not repeated the conversa-
ton ought not to do So" As matter
of fact, he did not turn the command
over to you?" suggested Governor Bea-
yer. To which Breckenridge replied:
mo, he did not. and l do not think
there is any impropriety in my saying
that he could not have done So With
this Breckenridge was excused.
Captain Robert w. Doudy, master Of
transportation at Montauk Point, stat
ed that at the beginning of it's history
the camp transportation facilities We're
70 tho1ph thav a afterya rdc