The record-union., 1899-01-18
The Cammissary General Will Be-
Held to Answer
For His Condemnation Of General Miles
Before the War Commissioners.

q Court Of Inquiry to Try the
Army Officer for His Violent
and Aggressive Language Used
on the Witness Stand.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Presf-
dent to-day announced at the Cabinet
meeting after it assembled for its reg
ular session that he has decided to or
der a court martial to try Commissary
General Eagan for the abusive and vio
lent language he had used respecting
Major General Nelson A Miles while
on the witness stand before the War
Investigation Commission last Thurs
day.
Ever since the sensational event the
President has been celebrating over
the matter, and has had frequent con-
sultations with army officers and 9TH
ers regarding the steps that should be
taken, for he was convinced from the
outset that the question for considera-
ton was what action should be taken,
and not whether any disciplinary meas
ures at all should be had. A determine
tion to take some action was vigor-
Ously expressed at the last Cabinet
meeting, but the President reserved
| final decision.
| To-day, just before the Cabinet ses-
sion. he held q conference with the
Secretary of War and Adjutant Gen
eral Corbin. 1t was not long in dura-
tion, but the action to follow General
Eagans utterances was decided upon,
and when the Cabinet met the Presi
dent announced that he had reached
his decision in the matter. He said
he had determined that there was only
one course to adopt, and that was to
order a court-martial to be convened
at once to try General Eagan. The de-
| cision, which was reached only this
morning, now reports that a court
martial which had been decided on
yesterday met the unanimous approval
| of the Cabinet. Three of the Presi-
dents official advisers, Secretary Alger,
Secretary Wilson and Postmaster Cen
eral Smith, were absent, but their
views are known to coincide thoroughly
with the Presidents decision
| There was some discussion following
the Presidents announcement in which
the case was talked over to some ex-
tent, though the President himself took
| little part in this discussion. The de-
| tails of the action were left to the Sec
retary of War, who had withdrawn
| just prior to the session, to return to
the War Department, to put in motion
| the machinery for the convening of
the court.
| While it was not definitely stated
after the Cabinet meeting what speci-
ficafions would be made against Cen
eral Eagan, it is understood that the
specific charge on which he will be
tried will be conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman.
The personnel of the court was not
taken up, that phase of the action
having been held to be not Cabinet
matter, but one that rested between
the President and the Secretary of
War. The understanding, however, was
that the order would be issued within
few hours, probably before the close
of the department.
General Wesley Merritt, formerly
commander-in-c of the Philippines,
has been mentioned as likely to pre-
side over the court, and a Cabinet Off
cial said today he would not be sur
prised at General Merritt's selection.
The Cabinet session occupied about
an hour and a half. Advices were re-
ceived from Manila that the situation
is very quiet. The dispatch was to the
War Department, and proved the most
gratifying official news from that quar-
ter received since the state of affairs
in the archipelago recently assumed
serious phase. 1t is announced that the
people who had moved out of the city
owing to the alarm at unfounded re-
ports were quietly returning to their
homes. At Iloilo affairs are progress
ing quietly, and the gratifying fact re-
ported in the dispatch was that the.
officers aboard our ships and the indi-
vfdual insurgents were fraternizing
freely off shore, and that there was no
trouble.
President Mckinley announced dur
ing the session that he had passed
on the personnel of the commission to
visit and report on the Philippines as
follows: Messrs. Schurmann, Dewey,
Election had already become known, and
official announcement will shortly fol-
low.
The remainder of the session was
taken up with matters of administra-
tive detail.
EAGAN'S AMENDED STATEMENT.
w VAoI1lAN04O jail AN " 90
Investigating Commission to-day decid-
ed to make public the amended state
ment filed by Commissary General Ea-
gan yesterday. The commission per-
mitted the representatives of the press
to read the statement, and it was for
mally announced to the newspaper men
that General Eagan had eliminated all
objectionable statements, and therefore
the document would be accepted official
ly by the commission as evidence.
As already stated, the charges made
by General Eagan in the document are
mainly in the line Of excision, yet the
phraseology has also been altered fre-
quently. He refers to General Miles
as the senior General Nelson Miles. and
while keeping strictly within the line
of propriety in the judgment of the
commission in a negative manner, at
least, he resents any assumption OF
General Miles superiority, and asserts
that he is as good, as old, and as ex-
perienced a soldier as General Miles
He also criticises the latter's attack on
the beef industry as infamous. 1t is
believed that so far as the commission
is concerned the incident is now closed
General Eagan begins his new state
ment by stating that he holds in his
hand the official copy of the statement