The record-union., 1899-01-14


ready been intimated at army taaS-
quarters, according, theoretically,
General Eagan's disclaimer of The re-
sponsibility to the Major General COM
manding the army as binding, that
this places the responsibility for any
thing he says or does on the depart
ment. The department, however, is
stopped for action in this carem, no
matter what the inclination of the Off
Gals might be, by the fact that the
President has given his solemn promise
to protect the witnesses who might ap
pear before the War Investigating
Commission from the consequences of
any testimony they might give there
He was compelled to give this pledge
at the beginning of the investigation
by the open intimation in certain quar-
tiers that army officers would not dare
to testify to all of the things they
knew that would reflect upon the adj
ministration of the War Department.
When General Miles made his first
statement before the Commission, in
which he spoke of embalmed beef as
being furnished to the soldiers, General
Eagan resented this, but found on
SOduOlLS LIE OlllCIdlS u The u0pdIl-
ment that he could not prefer charges
against General Miles of slandering
him. as he desired to do, because the
Presidents promise protected the COM
handing General as well as all other
witnesses. This led to General Ea-
CAMS attempt by letter addressed
to General Miles, to learn if he had
said the things published in the news
papers as part Of his testimony. The
purpose was to secure a repetition, if
possible, outside of the Commissions
Chamber, of the offensive statements,
in which case the foundation, General
Eagan thought, might have been laid
for the formal charges. This attempt,
however, failed, and General Eagan,
being thrown back upon the testimony
given by General Miles before the Com
mission, and finding him beyond reach,
according to the rules of military law,
awaited himself of the same means ac-
cording to his friends, of redressing
his grievances.
According to this view, therefore, the
matter has narrowed down to a per-
sonal issue between the two officers,
for reasons already given. The army
officers advancing this view state that
neither the President, the Commander
in-Chief of the army, the Secretary of
War, nor any army officer or War De-
partment official can take cognizance
There was only silence and desertion
at army headquarters and the Inspec-
tor Generals office. Neither General
Miles nor General Breckenridge were
at their desks at 1:3O o'clock, in spite
of the fact that the commanding Gen
eral is a hard worker and usually is
on hand promptly after the department
opens None of their subordinates
were inclined to discuss the events Of
yesterday, except to guardedly say that
they wished the War Department
could wash its linen indoors" This
homely proverb was made use of by
three prominent officials who declined
to say anything for publication.
General Eagan was at work in his
office promptly as usual He refused
to say anything beyond what he had
given to- the War Commission yester-
day, saying that his statement was
then a full declaration of his feeling
and belief. 1t was an official utter
ance, he said, made to the body which
had a right to hear it, and he declined
to enter into any expost fact of news
paper war.
1t was stated at the War Department
to-day that orders have been issued
to Inspector General Breckenridge to
proceed to Porto Rico and Cuba for a
thorough inspection of the army camps
there. The idea is ridiculed that this
order has any connection with the beef
investigation set on food by General
Miles, and now being prosecuted by the
Inspector Generals office. In the In
spector Generals office it was not ac-
cepted as likely that this order was in
any way a continuation Of the policy
that had made General Breckenridge
the first, for a long time the only
Major General of volunteers. to be
mustered out of the service and re-
duced to his regular rank in the regular
army.
1t is said by persons who may be
regarded as authorities on military
law that in its present phase the con-
troversy between Generals Miles and
Eagan is not one that will admit the
calling of a court of inquiry. This is
entirely apart from the question of the
right to call a court-martial 1t has
been known for a month past that q
bad feeling existed between the COM
manding General and the Commissary
General of the army, yet such has been
the effect through military discipline
that before yesterday this had not
manifested itself openly 1t is true
that the two men have not come into
close contact frequently, and their re-
laiions being confined strictly to the
exchange of official communications,
there was no occasion for the develop
ment of personal friction, but in view
of General Eagan's known bitter feel
ing, It is now learned that 1t was with
some anxiety that the friends of the
two officers saw them meet last week,
the occasion being a periodical session
OF the managers of the Soldiers Home.
General Miles is ex-officio President
of this board, and General Eagan is a
member of the board. The two Off
GERS met, sat at the same table, and
transacted business without the slight
est signs of ill-feeling, and without
showing a trace of animosity for what
ha6 gone before. 1t is a matter of
speculation, however whether, failing
proceedings before court-martial or
some other judicial method of dispos-
ing of the issue between the two men,
the relations between them can be pre-
Sc. we'd to the point where even official
business can be transacted.
Commissary General Eagan consent
ed to be interviewed tonight. When
the subject of his testimony before
the investigating committee was
preached he first made clear the fact
thet he and he alone WAS reSnonsih1o