The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-14
ALGER SHUT HIS EYES.
He Refused to See Newspapers That
Criticised His Department

New York, Feb. 14.-Secretary of War
Russell A Alger, who came here to
attend the Lincoln day dinner of the
Union League club in Brooklyn, said
in regard to the report of the war COM
mission that he would rather not say
anything about it until he had read the
entire report.
Gen. Alger, 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
began to appear in some papers When
this happened gave orders that those
papers should not be sent to me, as
there was no time to waste. My first
duty was to conduct the affairs of the
department as well as L could
Gen. Alger compared the department
with a large private business, saying
that many unforeseen things happened
private business. 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. There are generally
any large private business concern as
well as to a government department
Though the work Of the department was
difficult, I carried it on, as was my
duty, to the best of my ability
When asked about the criticism of
the war commission of Gen Miles Sec
rotary Alger asked to be excused from
talking about that.
Secretary Alger, in connection with
the intended naming of a commanding
officer of the army, said he thought a
regular army man should be named in
preference to a volunteer, although con-
gress could do as it wished about such
a matter
Secretary Ayers attention was called
to the selling of supplies in Havana at
less than the regular market rates, in
connection with which it was said that
the supplies were all army rationS- The
secretary said: Col. Bliss. who was
in charge of the collection of customs,
at Havana, was asked to investigate
this. when it was learned that such
sales were being made. Some persons
were selling supplies at less than any
one else could sell them after import
ing them and paying the duty. Col
Bliss found that two men were buying
all the surplus rations from the troops.
The rat1OnS the troops received were
more than they could wish, and it is
considered legitimate to sell them again.
1t is a general practice in the army
for companies to sell their surplus ra-
lions and place the sums received to
the credit of the company funds. These
two men were, in a way, carrying on a
legitimate business.
Col Bliss found that they had a
storehouse full of flour and coffee and
some other things and that they were
a bile to sell flour at 81 a barrel less than
persons who were importing flour and
paying duty on it. He told them, after
consulting Washington, that they must
either pay duty on the goods or he
would prevent them from selling them.
This practically stopped this practice
Orders were given to the commissary
department to buy back the extra ra-
tons, so that the soldiers would get
as much from the government as from
outsiders and save the scandalous
talk
Speaking of affairs in Cuba, the sec
rotary said:
THE reconcentrados were largely
driven into the larger cities, but we can
not find anywhere near the number of
men we expected to find For instance,
an officer from Sancu Spiritus who
came back to Washington last week
told US that the town was filed with
women and children, but no men. They
are not in the country districts, as far
as we can find The Cuban army is es-
timated at go 900 men, but this does not
account for the thousands who are not
to be found. They are not with Gomez,
and it is yet to be learned where they
have disa