Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-14
AlGER DID BEST HE COULD
Secretary of War Talks to New York Re-
porteS.
Says His Department. IL Like ~ GreaA
Private Business Enterprise-
Indirect Criticisms.

Secretary Alger was in New York yes
terday attending the Lincoln day dinner
of the Union League Club. In regard 10
the report of the war commission. Secretary
Alger said that he would rather say moth
ing about it until he had read the entire re
port. Gen. AIger. however. said that he had
carried on the work all The way through
the war to the best Of his ability.
During the war, said the Secretary,
when We had so much to do. criticisms be-
gan to appear in some papers. When this -
happened l gave orders that those papers
should not be sent to me. there was no =,
time to waste. My first duty was 10 con-
duct the affairs OF the department a. well
as l could
General Alger compared the department
with u large private business. saving that
many unforeseen things happened in The
department Just as in large private bust
ness Storms came up which could not be
prevented.
Sometimes the manager Of a private
business, said the Secretary. has looked
over the field, and believes he has good and
faithful helpers. Then he learns that he
has been incorrect in his thought and that
some of his men have not proved true.
These are generally unforeseen things
Whlch viii happen in any large private bust
ness concern as We'll as to a government
department Though the work OF the War
department was difficult l carried it on
as was my duty, to the best of my ability
Regular for Army Commander.
When asked about the criticism by the
war commission of General Miles. Secretary
Alger asked to be excused from talking
| about that.
Secretary Alger said in connection with
the intended naming of a commanding Off
Ger Tor the army, that he thought a regular
army man would he named in preference
to a volunteer. although Congress could do
as II wished about such a matter
lie said that the volunteers have no stand
~ ThNh1T ar
Secretary Ayers attention was called 10
the selling of supplies In Havana al less
than the regular market rates. In connec-
tlon with which ii was said that the SUD-
plies were all army rations. The Secretary
said
Col. Bliss, who was in charge of the COL
lection of customs at Havana was asked To
investigate this when ii was learned that
such sales were being made. Some persons
were selling supplies at less than any one
eIse could sell them after importing them
and paying the duty. Col. Bliss found that
two men were buying up all the surnlus
rations from the troops The ratfons the
troops received were more than they could
use, and it is considered legitimate to sell
them again.
1t is general practice in the army for
companies to sell their surplus rations and
pLdce the sums received TO the credit of the
company funds. These two men were I'm a
way, carrying on legitimate business
Duty on Rations sold.
Col Bliss found that they had a store
house full of flour and coffee. and some
other things. and that they were able to
Sell flour at 50 a barrel less than persons
VINO We're importing flour and paying duty
on H. He told them, after consulting Wash
lngtoh, that they must either pay duty on
lhe goods or he would prevent them from
selling them.
This virtually stopped this practice.
orders were given to the commissary de-
partment to buy back the extra rations so
that the soldiers would get as much from
the government from outsiders and save
the scandalous talk
In speaking of the Philippine and Santf-
ago campaigns Secretary AIger said:
Gen Shafter and his expedition had to
iahu on hostile island and do the attack
ing during the worst season there, the hot
test part of the rainy season Gen Otis had
been at Manila for some time and he was
prepared for the attack. In Santiago Gen
Smarter had to attack the Spaniards, while
in the Philippines our forces occupied the
position the Spaniards had in Santiago"
Gen Alger said he wished to make no
criticism of Gen Otis, who had done bril-
liant work in Manila He said that the two
campaigns could hardly be compared. as
they had been fought at different seasons
and from different positions. The general
In each case, he declared, was entitled to
great credit.
The Situation in Cuba.
Secretary Alger spoke generally Of the
work now being done in Cuba. He said
that there was very little friction at San
tiago. In spite Of the reports to that effect
Gen. Wood and Gen. Brooke were working
in entire harmony. Gen. Brooke he said
in answer to a question was in charge of
the whole island. Some misunderstanding
had been caused at first by the mistake
made by the officers at Santiago who
thought that the moneys collected at San
uago had TO be sent TO Havana. This was
not required IL being necessary to send
only reports of the amounts received
Tho work of lettering conditions gencr-
any IN cuba was going on hampered some
what by the lack of transportation facili-
ties In the interior and by countless little
difficulties which We're coming up and being
mastered. He said that he was satisfied
with the work Taking into consideration
the short time that We had been i'm Cuba
We were doing very well.
The Secretary said that a mystery i'm
Cuba was the whereabouts of the Cuban
men, The United States officers who had
gone into the interior had failed to find
them.
OF course" said he the reconcentrados
were largely driven into, the large cities
but We cannot find anywhere near the num-
berS OF men we expected to find For in
stance, an officer from Sancti Spiritus who
came back to Washington last week told
US that that town filled with women
and children. but no men. They are not I'm
the country districts as far as We can find
The Cuban army is estimated al 30 600 men
but this does not account for the thousands
who are not to be found. They are not
with Gomez, and il is yet to he learned
where they have disappeared TO-"