The Red Cloud chief., 1898-09-16
WASHINGTON NOTES.

Gen. Miles and Gen. Shafter are not
only In Washington but they have met,
and chatted together as friendly as any
two old comrades might be expected to
do. This must be very surprising
to those who believed, that when the
two men met there would be drawn
swords and q contest OF the regular
''Three Guardsmen" order. II the men
are really Ms unfriendly towards each
other as n might infer from reading
recent newspaper publications, they
are both past-masters in the art OF con-
cealing their feelings. There was cor
tainly no sign OF enmity when they
met In the office Of General Miles, in
the war department, that could BIO de-
tected. Gen. Miles will talk every
time he gets an opportunity about the
necessity Of enlarging the regular army
making to congress on that subject,
but he says the statement he gave out
as o o as he landed in New York,
contained all he has to say at present
concerning the campaigns in Cuba and
Porto Rico. IL is believed that the
president will take no notice officially
Of what Gen. Miles said rejecting on
the war department, unless circum-
stances compel him to do so, if Miles
doesn't do any more of the same sort
of talking. He has met Miles twice
since his return to Washington, but
no hing was said by either about those
newspaper publications.
-
The president has decided to have an
investigation Of the entire conduct Of
the war made by a commission of the
most prominent men he can get to as.
sumo the task-men whose names will
cause anything they say to be accepted
by everybody without question--for
the purpose Of trying to put an end to
the charges and counter charges now
being printed in the newspapers.
While the Alger- Miles wrangle is said
to have nothing to do with the idea Of
having this Investigation, which was
~ostensibly asked for by Secretary Alger
it may have much to do with 1t, as Gen.
Miles is not a witness that is likely to
be overlooked BY the commission.
That he is anxious for an investigation
all the world knows. The heads of the
departments Of the army are most di.
rcctly concerned In the Investigation
the commissary.general, the quarter
master.general and the surgeou-gen.
eral-all say that they will welcome the
most rigid investigation into the acts
Of their several departments, aud Gen.
Shafter assured the president person.
ally, that the more thorough the inves'
tigation Of everything connected with
the campaign against Santiago was
made, the better it would please him,
because he was certain 1t would add to
the credit of the men who took part In
that remarkable campaign, and in max
ing the people more clearly understand
the nature of the difficulties that were
50 successfully surmounted.
-
No president for a long time ha:
been on such. good terms with congress:
as MI. Mckinley has been and is likely
to continue, as long as he sticks t.
present methods. He never does any
thing important without comforting
with members Of both branches of con
gress, moi only Of his W party, but o
all parties. He asks them to freely ex
press their views, and frequently &C
cepts them as better or more expedien
than his own. Nothing could NOR
distinctly accentuate the president
policy of keeping in touch with con
gress than the pcrsonelle Of the Amer
can end Of the peace commission whic
! is to meet at Paris, October 1st, to nj
gotiate a treaty of peace between tn
United States and Spain, that shall d.
termine the future government Of tn
Philippines. Three out of:.the ,fy
I commissioners are Esenators - Oavi
: Frye and Gray--and all of them al
. members of the senate committee u
Q foreign relations, which will necessari.
$ be an important factor in .determinir
I whether the senate will ratify Il
o treaty after il is made. The first Nv
are republicans aud the last a dem
Q crat. The president Is doubtless CO
J. rect in assuming that any treaty a
3 proved by these three senator's, is lk
o ly to be approved by the necessary ty
thirds Of the senate. The other "
10 commissioners are Secretary Day al
Whitelaw Reid, They will come
y Washington this week for their
+. structions, and will sail from New Yo
" ON the nth.
" -.
II what comes from the isthmus
Panama can be believed, and this "
arnmant conatructs the Nirarauu