The times., 1899-01-27
FRIDAY. JANUARY q, 1899.
The Purity of AIger.

II is all mistake. All this hullaba-
loo about army scandals is without the
least reason. Somebody has imposed on
the creduiity of the country. There was
not only never any lack of supplies during
the war. never any transport horrors and
medical deficiency. never any lack OF at
tention TO the sick, never any rotten
beef but also never any complaint that
anything was ever wrong about the con-
duet OF the war We have this on the
authority Of General Alger, as he pre-
fers to be called. Yesterday that distin-
guished warrior. who is said to have slain
mere soldiers than any other hero living
or dead. condescended TO enter the room
OF he Alger Relief Commission. He was
received standing and in silence by his
sdmiring indicators. He graciously per-
mi1teo a degree OF familiarity. That IS 10
say. he authorized them TO call him Cen
eral' in preference TO Mr.. Secretary"
Then he testified
He agreed with Adiutant General Corbin
that the War Department did not expect
var until it was formally declared. al
though it distributed money for coast de-
fence. He contradicted Surgeon General
Sternberg by saying that official had made
no demand on him for funds or authority
10 buy things. He made the important
admission that he was advised OF the op
erations of the several bureaus as far as
the chiefs advised him: and that as far as
they failed to advise him it was their own
fault. Also, so entirely wholly. comp.o
ly. and absolutely was he satisfied with
himself and everybody in the War Depart
ment. that he had never criticised, re-
bukcd, censured disciplined, or otherwise
scolded anybody connected with il. He
believed there had been complaint CT the
lack OF supplies before Santiago but il
was wildly absurd and unreasonable, since
there were ships full of supplies only few
miles from the shore. He did not say it,
but il was evident that he blamed hungry
soldiers for not swimming out 10 get ra-
tions and the sick for not swimming out
TO get medicines. In short. IN re was
never a complaint OF the quartcrmaster
and medical departments. All the wit
nesses who testified TO appalling defects
were clearly in a trance Why. il has rot
even been necessary to inquire into the
conduct of any bureau, said Genera Al
Ct
1t required no little courage for the
Commissioners TO ask if such a pure
white soul had made any money out of
contracts or camp locations and the like
but with the sweetness of the saint he said
he had not. Most interesting OF all. he had
never heard that beef was preserved by
hot
anybody had ever refused TO eat the
canned microbes supplied to the army.
He did not know why the Inspector Cen
eral left his Office 10 go into active ser
vice at Santiago-or no; that is not ex
actly it. He only knew that at the re-
quest of General Miles. General Breckin-
ridge was attached TO the staff of the
Commanding General. Nothing was said
of the emasculation of his Office by the
order of the Adjutant General. With the
confding trust Of the pure and innocent
General Alger relied on camp commanders
10 notify him If there was anything wrong
about the camps. He stated that Camp
Thomas was selected by General Miles. but
forgot TO say that that officer never sug-
gested that forty thousand troops should be
collected there. And, in spite OF all the
testimony, showing that it was impossible
10 have requisItion from Camp Thomas
nlled, he assured his friends and defenders
that he always took vigorous steps to have
all acquisitions promptly filled.
In short if there is any man in this
country. outside the asylums. who knows
less about the conditions of the army
during the war than General Alger
showed. he can make fortune as a mu-
scum freak. All the ten thousand facts
that have caused such fierce public indig-
nation and imposed so much hardship on
our soldiers, are as unknown to the Sec
retary OF War as TO a Hottentot baby.
One is left to wonder how man who was
not locked up in cellar could have kept
his mind so positively free from all knowI-
edge Of things Of general and daily CONVEX
sstion.