The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-24
The Latest Literary Enterprise OF the
Miles Bureau.

Vi tue LlttJllb u "HOle.
The Latest Literary Enterprise OF the
Miles Bureau.
An esteemed correspondent in Lowell,
Mass. writes us the subjoined note re-
specting the ideas and attitude OF Gen.
MILES In May Of last year as to the proper
military policy in the Philippines:
ITO THE EpI1oR OF TIM sux-Sir: The incloscd
clipping would seem to be utter perversion
contradiction ofa recent editorial OF yours II so.
it would be interesting and instructive to read your
correction OF same. JAMES b. RUSSELL"
LOWELL. July TO-"
The clipping here referred to consists Of
a statement prepared at Gen. MILEs's
headquarters and given out for publication
on j July II. The statement may be re-
gardcd as Gen. MILES,. 1t begins thus:
There has been some discussion in the press re.
Gently relating to an alleged difference Of opinion
regarding the number OF troops to be sent to tho
Philippines in the nrst instance"
Then follows what a careless or imper-
fectly informed reader would assume to
be q full exhibit OF the official corre-
spondence relating to the subject; and at
the end of the statement this paragraph
occurs by way OF conclusion:
at thus appears there controversy
garding the number Of troops TO be sent. Con.
MILES. in fact. having DESIGNATED moro than Gen.
NERRIrr called for. but only difference of opinion
to the composition of tho force. Gen. MERRIrr
desiring to have more regulars than was designated
by Con MILES. Certain newspapers have attempted
to show that Gen. MILES did not want more than
5000 troops to be sent to the Philippines under
Gen. MERRIrT but the above ofc ial correspondence
shows this not to be the CASE
Our correspondent in Lowell desires to
know what we have to say in reply to the
statement from Army headquarters.
We say that by suppression Of material
parts OF the official correspondence, and a
perversion Of the true significance of other
parts this statement" attempts to sup
port the theory OF certain newspapers /"
that Gen. MILES is the only man for the
Philippines now, because at the beginning
of the trouble there he was the only man
to perceive the extent OF the job before
our army, and to demand that an ade-
quate force be sent out.
The audacity of this performance on the
part Of headquarters astonishcs US consid-
erably, and disgusts us not little. Only
| a little more than a twelvemonth after tho
| event, and with the full official correspond
| ence on record and accessible to every
body, here is Gen. MILES actually posing
as the long-headed commander who was
more liberal than Gen. MERRITT himself in
his estimate Of the number Of troops re-
quired in the Philippines and at variance
with MERRITT only as to unimportant de-
| tails concerning the composition OF the
| nj
MILEss headquarters clerks compiling and
issuing to the newspapers n selection md
arrangement OF parts OF tho official cor.
respondence designed to promote that view
| OF the matter!
The truth may be ascertained by anybody
| who takes tho trouble to read not only the
documents which Gen. MILEss press bu.
rcau has published, but also the documents
which 1t has failed to include.
The truth is that from tho very beginning
OF May Gen. MILES was affirming and re-
| affirming the proposition that m army OF
five or six thousand men was all that the
conditions in the Philippines required. His
earliest recommendation was dated on May
3. Two-thirds of one regiment OF regular
infantry, two companies Of regular cavalry
three volunteer infantry regiments, and
two heavy batteries OF volunteers, with nc
field artillery whatever, was the size OF the
force MILES wanted to send out that is tc
say, less than 5000 men, including alto
gether less than I 800 regulars.
That was on May 3. On May / 8 the Navy
Department received despatch from Ad
miral DEWEY stating that Manila was In hi
power, and that il he took the city well