New-York tribune., 1899-05-11
COURT AND INQUIRY.
THE BEEF INVESTIGATION REALLY A
TRIAL OF GENERAL MILES FOR
cRrTICIsING WAR DEPART
MENT BUREAUS.

ro the Editor OF The Tribune.
Cir. Never was the overwhelming and un-
.crunulous power OF the War Department bu-
resucracy more conspicuously demonstrated
than In the beef inquiry 1t has been plain to
ohservant people that II was not an earnest in
oury into notorious staff abuses. but in fact
,,,al-the trial by court Of bure aucrats-of the
General supposed to be commanding the Army
,or having criticised the bureaus
The court was composed of a majority Of
,ureaucrats. for General Wade was the only
zeal soldier on the board. Colonel Gillespie is
member Of the Corps Of Engineers. and Lieu
tenant Colonel George B. Davis. the War De
rartment's counsel, is member OF the Judge
advocate Generals Bureau.
General George w. Davis. although officer
n. the line. has. by detail. been War Depart
nent habitue for a dozen or fifteen years He
has been promoted from captain to major. then
lieutenant colonel. and. finally. brigadier-gen-
oral Of volunteers. without having served
day with the regiment to which he belongs
Three -fourths of his thirty-two years in the Reg
ulsr Army have been passed detached SER
vice For the last six years he has been the
mower behind the throne in the War Depart
r,ant During the plenitude Of his influence
NTH Secretary Lamont he secured the appoint
,er, of several relatives to llfe-tenure places In
the nublic service. and his military cronies were
onoted from line TO staff positions. or de-
failed from the field into easy places.
IInon the incoming Of the Republican Admin
,s,ration Davis ingratiated himself with
tbs new Secretary, and was among the hrst 10
,s made a brigadier of volunteers For awhile
he mustered in troops. and then commanded
division at Camp Alger, near washington
After the lighting was all over and the yellow
,ever had abated General Davis secured an
.ss,vnment TO the command of the District of
Pinar del Rio. in Cuba This ne was eAer-
c,sine when recalled to go on this Commission
10 try General Miles. His withdrawal from 50
s,a,ont a post for such purpose was most
singular But his known affinity for bureau
cracv his craft in bureau intrigue and. beyond
all his keen perception of what high of1ciai-
dom REQUIRES in such inquiries at once point
sd ,in out as the one above all others to give
direction and force to the blow about 10 De
launched at General Miles under the CLOAK Oh d
pretended inquiry into the beer scanuai' az
ing performed the duty in accordance WIN ti'e
eynectations of those who selected him ne mas
been rewarded with the Governorsnlp OF for'o
Rico. , 80 enc
Judge Advocate Generals Department. has been
long member of what is known as the VA az
Department Ring" although he has since 1870
been stationed at West Point as the law tu'o.
M the military academy Previously ne hau
been some FIVE or six years in Washington III
charge of the War Records Bureau ana as
sort of factotum Of the various secretaries. his
connection with the extraordinary Antletdin
hattle-fcld work Is a matter of record. he Is a
man of parts but nothing like so able IN mill
tary politics as the other Davis. But, IKE tne
other his sails are always trimmed TO the OH
cial breezes blowing from the Secretary once
and if things go right he hores to succeed Gen
eral Iieber two years hence as Judge Advo-
cate-G General His expected reward is some as
tance ahead and events may defer It, III tne
vacancy was to occur Immediately he would
proba bly, get II. $1,000
Colonel Gillespie of the Corps OF Engineers
belongs 10 that bureau which, having lts orleln
in West Point holds itself above everything
sublunary military civil. Nothing Is certain
ly known. of his personal feelings toward Gen
eral Miles but it has long been notorious IN
Army circles that the two Davises were hostlle
10 the General commanding. although 1t is prop
able that Miles was unaware of this attitude
Nearly every bureau influence has long peen
against him. General Wade made good fig
urehead for the court. but 1t is safe TO say that
the two Davises formulated the report, as they
rave trend to all the proceedings.
So here is the spectacle of the DEFENDANT De-
Iartment and bureau not only naming the
nudge and the Jury 10 try the complainant Cen
nation selecting themselves as judge and jury
They also named from among themselves the
prosecuting attorney. II General Miles was 10
be tried why he not tried by his peers, ana
rot these subordinates Of the bureaus? Why
:, ere these bureaucrats and hangers-on OF the
War Department selected for this commission
instead OF the numerous general officers easily
acCe ssible? ANTl-BUREAUCRAC1'
New-York May 10 1899.