The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-27
An Allegation Tested by a Fact.

First the allegation The Washington
correspondent Of the PiHsbur0 Dispatch
undertakes to explain In manner betoken-
ing authority tho ideas of General MILES
concerning the prosecution Of military OPP
erations in the Philippines:
General MILES has never uttered Q word to any
ono which would probably reach tho Of the pub
lie, but It is we'll known to his intimate friends that
from the beginning of the trouble in the Philippines
he has had better mental grasp OF the gravity of
the conditions there than any who has been
neoted with the management Of the campaign either
hero or in the Philippines.
"To these friends. at the firing Of tho nrst gun he
declared that troublesome war WAS apparently be-
gun. and that unless 1t could be crushed with one
tremendous initial effort IL would probably 60
years.
His theory was that every available vessel should
at DO started for the islands with all the m en-
and supplies they could carry; that q prodigious
effort should be made to prevent any addition the
arms and ammunition Of the natives, and to reach
at once tho internal source Of supply and cut that
OF once and for ALL
Now for fact The views Of the Major
General Commanding the Army as to the
proper military policy in the Philippines
ct the beginning Of our campaign there
were fully set forth in his official commu-
nications to the War Department. What
do they show?
General MILEs's original theory" was
that an expedition of five or six thousand
men was all that would be needed for the
Philippines. Two-thirds Of one regiment Of
regular Infantry. two companies OF regular
cavalry, three regiments OF volunteer in
fantry. two heavy batteries OF volunteers,
and no field artillery whatever, constituted
his original Recommendation for the SER
vice, Such was the size OF the army Gen.
eral MILES would have sent out at the be-
ginning.
General MERRITT was OF different opin-
ion. In his letter OF May 10, 1898. to Pres
ident MCKINLEY he predicted the trouble
with AaUNALDo which has since oc-
curredi
1T seems moro than probable that we will have
the so-called insurgents to fight as we'll as tho
spaniards. and upon the work to be accomplished
will depen the ultimate strength and composition
of tho forces"
Bear In mind that this Is MERRITT, not
MILES. Such part of General MILEss energy
as was bestowed upon the military aspects
| Of the Philippine question was devoted from
that time on to kicking against every pro-
posal to send out an adequate number Of
troops. to criticising MERRrrT's estimate Of
the number required, and to accusing him
Of exaggerating the work before our troops
In the islands.
General MILEs's part in the organization
OF our army Of occupation was simply that
OF an obstructionist and sorehead When
MERRITT said that from fifteen to sixteen
thousand men at least should be sent,
MILES reluctantly acquiesced. as he was
obliged to acquiesce. but he put his senti-
ments on record in this astonishing COM
ment, indited by him on May IS OF last
year:
THE troops mentioned in the within letter as
available to send to that department the Philip
pnesl number 1925. Tho Tenth Pennsylvania
Volunteers ordered to-day will be approximately
900 more. These troops. in my judgment. all
that 1t would be advisAbleto send to the Philippines
at this time. II it be deemed advisable 10 send ad.
ditonal regiments. they can be sent from New
Orleans or Tampa but the force ordered TO be
it, as already indicated ten thousand than will b
required for The purDOs."
That is to say. in General MILEss judg-
mcnt 5000 men were enough for the occu-
patton OF the Philippines, the defeat of the
Spanish. and any such trouble with the in
surgents as MERRITT already foresaw. II
he had had his way, that would have been
the size OF our army there. And from that
time on the only expressions OF opinion
from MILES which we find in tho published
official documents concerning the army in
the Philippines consist OF petulant and OBJ
structive objections TO adding this or that
regiment, or this or that battery OF artil-
lery TO the force already ordered.