The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-13
GENERALS OPINIONS
Expressed Before the House Com
mittee on Military Affairs.
THE FRICTION IN HIGH PLACES.

General schofeld Critlcizes the system
Which Makes the Commanding Gem
eral subordinate to war Secretary.
Miles on Civilian Incompetenoy.
Washington Dec 13-Before the
house committee on military affairs
yesterday General Miles declared that
40 900 soldiers were needed abroad and
35 900 at home When asked when
will the Cuban government be organ
ized?" he replied II do not know;
that is a political question"
General Schofeld, who preceded Cen
eral Miles in command of the army,
devoted his chief attention to the fric-
ton inevitably arising between the sec
retary of war and the commanding
general under the present system. The
trouble arose out of the system which
gave the head of the army the name
of commanding general, when in fact
he had little or no a8ihority, or even
! influence, as commanding general.
Whether he does anything depends
| largely on his personal relations with
the secretary OF war. If these rela-
| tions are not close then the secretary
of war gets to ignoring the so-called
! commanding general. General Schofield
| thought the army should consist of
about 30, 900 for the Philippines, $4,000
to 20, 900 for Cuba, 5000 to 5000 for Porto
Rico, Is. 001 for manning and caring for
Notifications, 10000 for the Indian
country and 10 900 as a reserve.
After General Schofield had conclud-
ed General Miles spoke briefly on what
had been said as to the commanding
! general. He said the laws now clearly
recognized this position as commanding
| general, and one of these laws made
the general commanding the army a
member, ex-officio, of the Notifications
| board. He did not approve the sug-
gestion that the head of the army be
an executive staff officer to the presi-
dent. During most of the time in the
last 100 years the army had been under
the command of a general or lieutenant
general and that was the practice the
world over General Miles said he did
not speak from a personal standpoint
as he was ready to be retired at any
time. But he believed in the principle
of rank and authority commensurate
with the responsibility.
| General Miles said in reply to ques-
tion that he thought 1t would be bet
ter for the president to have the wal
minister more particularly direct the
vast administrative work of the wal
department, as 1t was manifestly i'm
possible for any man to come from civil
life and at once become familiar witt
all the latest appliances of war. II
the one occupying the chief military
/. position was not liked then let some one
else be placed in military authority
{ But the selection should not be from
3 so far down the list as to amount t
\ favoritism, for that would not be ap
proved by the people. General Mile
pointed out that three major generals
Merritt, Brooke and himself. had com
through the recent war without hope o
recognition. He cared nothing as t.
y himself, but he urged that the service
of General Merritt and General Brook
had been such that the rank of lieu
tenant general for them, as would b
| given under his bill, would be emil
i nently fitting. In this connection h
;ys referred to the cruel working Of tn
system by which Meade, Hancock an
Thomas had never received the ran
and recognition due them for eminen
! services, two of them going broke
y. hearted to their graves
General Schofeld strongly endorse
what General Miles had said in givin
the amplest recognition and rank I
generals for their services,