The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-14


Of war will place in the general in chief
that confidence which is necessary 10
perfect harmony. Neither the presi-
dent nor the secretary of war should
have In the command of the armv an
officer who is not working in harmony
with him."
The report now takes up the war de-
partment and its various chiefs Of sub
divisions, beginning with the secretary
of war. 1t says:
"The records Of the war department
which have been laid before us show
that the secretary Of war extended to
all chiefs Of bureaus cordial and full
support, and promptly responded to
every proper demand made upon him
by commanding officers
.No testimony has been presented
showing Intentional neglect OF duty,
nor any attempt to serve personal In
terests. The charges made that the
secretary of war was pecuniariiy in
terested in contracts. purchases and
other transactions of the war depart
mcnt have been thoroughly examined
and found baselesa.
"In the Judgment Of the commission
there was lacking In the general ad-
ministration cf the war department
during the continuance of the war with
Spain that complete grasp OF the sit
uation which was essential to the high
est efficiency and discipline of the
army.
"The commission has refrained from
criliczing certain of the heads of bu-
reaus for not having acted with fore
sight in preparing their various Depart
ments for active war before war was
actually declared, because 1t has ap-
peared that the national defense fund
provided for by the act of March 8,
1898, was not made available for use
except for the navy and the coast de-
fenscs, and the expenditures incident
thereto, until after the declaration or
war"
Adiutant Generals Department.
With reference to the adjutant gem
erals department the report says:
"This department, which was organ
Ted and trained to take care oil
small regular army, was required 10
rapidly provide for organizing ana
mastering In .6O,G GOO soldiers and within
six months to muster out 100000 The
economy of previous years. by which
nearly every article of equipment not
Immediately needed by the army was
disposed Of and no provision mace Ter
eu,errcncies. rendered immediate eff
fective expansion of the army inpos-
sibe.
The adjutant general testhIeu 'ias
there had not been deficiency Of one
dollar reported on the part of vonu-
teer staff officer, and that he wished to
make it q matter Of record that in the
distribution Of MANY millions of dol
lars during this war there was yet
TO be made the first charge of dcfAica-
tion against any army officer, regular
or volunteer,
OF the INSPECTOR generals depart
ment. Brigadier General j. c. Breck-
iuridge in charge, the report says:
",rho commission find that the in
snoctor generals dcpartment was not
as efficient as it ought to have been.
There seems to have been question
as to the authority by which inspec
tious were to be ordered. on at least
one occasion, May Ii, the secretary Of
war instructed the major general COM
mandlng the army to inspect certain
c,u,n. The major general did not act
upor such Instructions, stating it to be
his place to order inspections.
"Tne ouartcrmaster's department. in
cborre of Briradier General NJ l.
J.udington. found itself confronted
with the statutes which prohibit any
| s.overnmcnt department in cXpending
nancy in excess Of appropriations
that nurchases shall not exceed
| tho nocessit,es of the current year. and
| tho+ oil nronoso,s shall he advertised
II will thus he observed that the dec
I.r,,i,n of wor threw upon the de-
n,r,ment an amount of labor and re-
| snn,et,i,itv for which 1t was neither
| nI,ysir,l,v nor financially prepared.
,y,,. ,t,,o nn,rtcrmaster.
.r,o ,1an,,,,ant has reported that
~ An,iI 1ses IT was amply pre-
,,,s.I ,,i,,, oil nocassarv clething and
,,.,a .,,nnl,os for three months for
ua'pae ~. WOW oro.rizea II an
! .n ,h,t within n fcw weeks II be-
p - raoss,,rv to nrovidc for cloth
80. a o,,,,;r,inr n, army of mere
ha ,la, 1,r,r,nr NJ a million of men.
'"ui ,, " -. 49, -, o,orv offort there were
| ~ ,.,,.,o ,,,ons curf.r,d from
49, ta ,a,,,ra ~ fron, laci, Of tentase