New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-01
The WAR DEPlRTMENT.

1t Is premature To say the least. for anybody
10 declare thct there will he no investigation
Of the conduct of affairs in the War Depart
ment Such statement can hardly have been
made by high officials To whom il Is attrlhn'ci'
because they know that one Kind OF investlGa-
ton is going OH all the time. and the real qucS
ton Is whether the public shall I've left To ac-
cept Its results in the absence of an official in
curry The investigation in progress Is CON
Quoted without responsibility to the Govern
ment or tie country. in part for the purpose
Of making political capital and in part TO meet
tho urgent need of some journals for exciting
Sensations: 1t is performed almost wholly ny
men who hive had no knowledge or practical
experience Of tho difficulties and necessities at
tending the conduct of 4 war in its early stages;
and it is based in ne m2H upon reports which
are distinctly one-sidel. without the authority
ne<fEary to warr.xt Hccrs of the service in
al losing facts that :ay seem to reflect upon
HH,r supcrors. 1t Is not to be expected that
such. an investigation would bring out tho
wh4s<;ruth and nothing but the truth. Yet it
isi[.yjtablc that II there Is no investigation
wR full authority 10 bring out the whole
.1s,,h. and ordered for the express purpose or
disclosing the truth and nothing bnt the truth.
popular opinion VIII he impressed by such ac-
counts as are made public.
Tho question is whether II Is better 10 leave
one-slded and no, always honestly conducted
inquiries to hold public attention. and all the
more closely inasmuch as 1t Is common for men
TO infer that official investigation Is not ordered
because its results would not he credtable
The success OF the Government IN raising
equpping. transporting and directing a large
army so intelligcntly tina, not single sklrinlsli
resulted in rcpulse, and a force was surrendered
actually larger than the American force TO which
n surrendered. and effectively everywhere
that Manila. Porto Rico and the largest PROV
ince Of Cuba were conquered ana spain was
brought TO ask peace within about thre"
months, commands admiration everywhere.
and proves that Il great part OF the work was
performed with rare zeal and remarkable abil-
ity. Yet vague discredlt will rest upon all con-
nected with the Army. from the highest TO the
lowest officials. II such accounts as are current
shall he accepted without the light which an
impartial inquiry would give
II would he Idle to attempt 10 Ignore the
widely express ID discomfort and, indeed tho
occurrence of many regrcttabc things Errors
nave been committed which seem TO go beyond
the effects OF mingled nexpcrience and rcd
.apc. The public, OF course. demands that
scne one shall be held responsible and shall
he punished. and. striking at the mark tina;
comes first 10 hand. concentrates d!spieasurc
upon the Secretary OF War and two or three
of his heads Of bureaus. Full and fair invest!-
cation will. and il alone can. in due time clear
the air and reval the real facts In the case.
Mere clnmor and random charges will do more
harm than good.
But whatever else comes out the real root
cause Of the trouble should not he overlooked
in the rage for immediate victims The sys-
tematlc stlnting of the Army. the persistent
refusal to put It. not on a war basis. but on an
adequate peace basis. for Nation OF the size
Of this. and the hnal refusal to prepare for war
even while doing everything possible TO pro-
woke it-these and other lamentable features