The Topeka state journal., 1899-01-13
ARMY CIRCLES SHOCKED.
No Official Action Likely in the Miles
Eagan Controversy.


Washington, Jan. 13.-Army circles
this morning had scarcely recovered
from the shock given yesterday by
ComInissary General Eagan. Still in
the consideration Of the matter, the of
fiers had reached the point where they
began to appreciate the real gravity of
the event and to understand that 1t
was not to be discussed lightly and
without due thought of the conse-
quences, the case being one entirely
without precedent in the military his
tory of the country. Therefore there
was a notable disinclination on the part
of officials to express for publication
any opinion on the merits of the case.
This was true from Secretary Alger
down to the lowest commissioned Of
ficers, but privately it was evident that
nearly all regretted the incident and de-
plored it as calculated to injure the
whole army. 1t was pointed out that
the immediate effect would accentuate
more sharply the division of the army
into two camps and thus injure the
chances of the enactment of legislation
favorable to the military establishment.
The sober second judgment of the
coolest minds on both sides, meaning
by that the friends of Gen. Eagan and
the friends of Gen. Miles, inclined to the
opinion that no action will follow yes
terday's eruption.
M'KINLEY'S PLEDGE INTER-
VENES.
1t has already been intimated that
army headquarters according, theoreti-
caIly, Gen. EaSanS disclaimer or Cn0
responsibility to the major general COM
manding the army as binding, that this
places the responsibility for anything
he says or does on the department. The
department, however, is stopped from
action in this case, no matter what the
inclination of the officials might be,
by the fact that the president has given
his solemn promise to protect the wit
nesses who might appear 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 quarters that army officers
would not dare to testify to all the
things they knew as it would reflect
upon the administration of the war de-
partment.
When Gen. Miles made his first state
ment before the commission, in which
he spoke of embalmed beef as being fur
niShed the soldiers, Gen. Eagan resent
ed this, but found upon sounding the
officials of the department that he could
not prefer charges against Gen. Miles of
slandering him, as he desired to do, be-
cause the presidents promise protected
the commanding general as well as all
other witnesses. This led to Gen.
Eagan's attempt, by letter addressed
to Gen. Miles, to learn If he had said the
things published in the newspapers as
part of his testimony. The purpose
was to secure repetition, if possible,
outside of the commissions chambers,
of the offensive statements, in which
case the foundation, Gen. Eagan
thought, might have been laid to formal
charges
EAGAN'S SCHEME FAILED.
This attempt, however, failed and
General Eagan, being thrown back upon
! the testimony given by General Miles
before the commission and finding him
beyond reach, according to the rules of
military law, avaiIed himself of the
same means, according to his friends
of grievance According
to this view. therefore, the matter has
narrowed down to a personal issue be-
tween the two officers, for from the rea-
sons already stated, the army Othc1alS
advancing this view, state that neither
the president, the chief
of the army, the secretary of war, nor
any army officer or war department
official can take cognizance of it. There
was only silence and deSertion at the
army headquarters and the inspector
generals office. Neither General Miles
nor General Breckenridge were at their
desks at 1920, in spite of the fact that
the commanding general is a hard
worker and usually is on hand promptly
after the department opens. None of
their SubordinateS was inclined to dis
cuss the events of yesterday except to
guardedly say that they wished the war
department could wash it's linen in
doors.
This homely proverb was made use of
by three prominent officials who de-
clined 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 yesterday say
ing that his statement then was a full
declaration of his feeling and belief. 1t
was an official utterance, he said made
to the body which had a right to hear
it, and he declined to enter into any ex-
post facto newspaper war. 1t was stated
at the war department today that Or
ders have been issued to Inspector Cen
eral Breckenridge to proceed to Porto
Rico and Cuba for a thorough inspec-
tion. of the army camps there The idea
connection with the beef investigation
set on foot by General Miles and now
being prosecuted by the inspector gen
erals office.
Stay of Execution Granted.
Wichita, Jan. 13[Two negro rn,rderers