The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-27
SHERMAN SCORES ALGER
UNsAvORY SCANDAL BREWING
IN WAR DEPARTMENT
Once Secretary of State Says the
President Must Order an Investi-
CATION as a Matter of Se1f-Pro-
tecttOn-Neglect of the Soldiers
at Montaul< Point Charged to Pol
1tics-Miles Also Mixes In.

tecttOn-Neglect of the Soldiers
at Montauk Point Charged to Pol
itics-Miles Also Mixes In.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26. = There
may be differences Of opinion as to the
merits Of the Alger-MiIes- -Shafter con-
troversy, but there is no question that
an unsavory scandal is brewing in the
war department. Affairs in Cuba were
brought to a point approximating GRIM
inal carelessness, and now soldiers in
the camp at Montauk, within a few
miles Of New York, are suffering for
lack Of care and for the most ordinary
necessities of life.
The suffering of the sick and wound
ed Is not a matter that is directly con-
nected with the conspiracy against
him charged by Gen. Miles, but the
two are grouped together in the public
mind and will both be included in the
wash when 1t comes to cleansing the
dirty linen of the war.
Today the Miles-Alger mix-up holds
the center Of the stage. John Sherman
Is out with an interview that Is
scathing arraignment Of Alger, al
though the secretary Is not named.
Sherman is quoted as saying:
The man who Is responsible for the mis-
management Of the Cuban campaign, re-
| suting in the needless loss of scores of
American soldiers lives and in the infiiction
OF horrible tortures upon thousands of brave
defenders of their country's honor, should
not be in the cabinet.
AS you doubtless know, / was opposed to
the war programme. 1 thought and 1 tn nix
now, that 1t was unnecessary. It was
brought about because of popular clamor.
To make the demands upon Spain that were
made was the most arrogant insolenca. But,
having begun war, we should have con-
Quoted 1t in such way as to have protected
our own soldiers.
If the charges published in the newspa pers
as coming from reliable officers Of the army
are true, the officials who are responsible
should be severely punished. know of no
greater outrages than were perpetrated upon
our soldiers during the campaign assum-
ing, of course, that the printed charges
have a foundation of truth.
Ihe president can, however, order an
investigation which be conducted by a
board OF inquiry to be appointed by him.
Such board would not have executive DOW
ers and its findings would have a moral
rather than judicial influence. II board
fouRd that American soldiers had needessly
suffered and died because Of neglect or in
competency Of the officials of the govern
ment, the president, acting upon the verdict
rendered. could remove the officials from Of
fee.
That would be the extent of punishment
under such conditions. If. however, tho
president does not order an Investigation
congress holds the power to tmpeach the
secretary Of war, and can inf1ct punishme ent
that will impose everlasting disgrace upon
those convicted,
EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
In that case the president would be equally
responsible with the secretary of war for not
having ordered an inquiry upon the presenta-
! ton of the charges of 30 serious a charac-
| ter In my opinion, the president will find
that he will be compelled to order an in
Vext1gation in self-defense If the seer tary
OF war has been guilty of incompetency and
neghgence, as has been charged, Mr.. Nc
| h1nley cannot afford 10 sustain him.
zen. Miles Is soldier and a straight
iof"aro, honest man. He Is no more afraid
OF the issue than he is of an Indian. and
When he comes back to Washington and tells
what he knows, an investigation of the war
| department will be inevitable particularly
| as ne Will be corroborated by o.her officers
VINO Will be entitled to equal consideration.
| even II they are not Of so exalted rank.
Ihere is talk Of a court martial for
Miles as a result Of the sensational in
terV1eW with him printed In a Kansas
| City paper, but this Is only rllrnor.
though the friends Of the commander
1n-chief say he would welcome such a
proceeding, as 1t would enable him TO
get his side Of the controversy in evil
L.
days, and when he arrives something
Is expected to drop.
AS to 1ncompetency in caring for the
sick and wounded the camp at Mon
| tauk Is the center Of interest, Gen.
A9ger, reporting on conditions there,
stated officially that he found them
fairly satisfactory. AS a matter of
fact. 1t Is directly charged that the Sec
retary discovered that things were
worse than reported, and that there
| was plain evidence Of incompetency.
In writing of the camp at Mont aux
Point, w. e. Curtis, the correspondent
Of the Chicago Record, telegraphed his
paper:
| The great difficulty at Montauk has been
due to lack Of cooperation between the
|
per1ence and incompetence Of the men who
were sent here by the war department to take
| charge. I asked veteran of two wars and
many an Indian campaign how he accounted
| for the trouble.
'Too d-n much politics." was his laconio
answer.
| How do you mean?" asked.
TOO MUCH POLITICS.
II should probably be hauled before a
court martial If I explained my meaning, but
If was compelled to testify in court should
say that when you mix war and politics you
| can't do justice to both. 1t is bad practice
| to put men of no experience in charge of
| great responsibilities for political reasons.
particularly where they involve human lives.
| The surgeons, quartermasters and commits
sar1es, who have been appointed for political
reasons in this war. are doubtless very esti-
mable young gentlemen at home, but they
| don't know how ITO run an army, and 1t Is q
pity that they were allowed to try it.'
find intense jealousy between the differ
| ent branches of the service. The medical
men hate the commissaries, and both hate
| the quartermasters, who reciprocate with
fervor, and they are all trying to put each
other "in the hole" The system Ia worse
than the men. The red tape that is required
in every transaction, no matter how instg-
nif1cant, entaDges the whole camp. For ex-
ample, when q surgeon calls for food the
commissary should supply it and the
quartermaster provide for It's transporta-
ton. Between the three there are innumera-
| BILE requisittons Endorsements, permits. au-
thorizations and all that sort of thing. which
take time and patience For example, when