Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-20
PLACING THE BLAME
For Conditions During the War
Last Summer.

Report That Secretary AIger, Gems
Miles, ShRfter, breckenridge and
Brooke, the Medical Department and
Congress VIII BE Criticised.
Briefly stated, the commission to inves-
tigate the conduct of the war will place
blame as follows;
Secretary Alger- For weakness espec-
tally in his relations with Mai Gen Miles;
for permitting Gen. Miles TO go to San
tiago.
Gen. Miles-For his conduct before,
during and after the war; for his selection
of certain army camps; for telling Secre-
tary Alger he was in the habit of making
out his own orders; for bringing unbound
ed charges that bad beef was supplied to
the troops in Porto Rico.
Gen. Shafter-For certain points which
he admitted in his testimony.
Gen. Breckinridge-Fo leaving his de-
partment to take part in the Santiago bat
tle for not making more inspections.
Gen. Brooke-For conditions at Camp
Thomas.
Medical Experimentation lack of inspec-
tions; for failure TO carry out proper san
itary regulations.
Congress For failure to make appro-
prlaJlOQS tOf Su1OkeleSS pONueI'
President Mckinley will have in his
possession the full report of the war COM
mission within the next 10 days.
This report, it is asserted, will not be a
whitewash of the army administration.
1t will be unanimous on all essential
points 1t will declare that the primary
trouble is due to the lack of proper mill
tary organization.
1t will show that Secretary Alger was
weak, especially in his relations with Maj.
Gen. Miles, hut it will not find him re.
sponsble for the camp "horrors." Subor-
dinate officers will be blamed for the con-
ditions which existed with respect to these
matters. Neither the secretary nor any
member of his family, it will be stated,
had any interest in any of the camp sites.
Camps Selected by Miles.
The report will show that it was he who
recommended the location Of the camps at
Miami and Chickamauga; that it was one
of his aids who selected the camp site at
Camp Alger; that before the war he rec
commended the concentration of the regu-
lars at Chickamauga, and that Secretary
Alger strongly objected to the location of
camp at Miami, but was overruled.
1t will show that Gen. Miles was direct
ed by the secretary to make an inspection
trip of all the camps, but informed him
that he was in the habit of making out his
own orders.
1t is also stated that the secretary should
never have permitted Miles to go to Santi-
ago, though an observation of this kind
may not be included in the report. These
instances convinced the commission that
the secretary should have taken steps to
compelled Gen. Miles to comply with his
instructions.
Coming down to the beef controversy,
the commission will find that Gen. Milps's
charges were unfounded; that the - Off
GERS whose reports Gen. Miles submitted
as showing the beef supplied for the Porto
Rican army was unfit for use never served
in Porto Rico, and that there was abso-
lutely no criminality in any of the con-
q Tracts ma6Afer supplies for the service.
Little Fault with SKATER.
So far as the Santiago campaign is con-
cerned, the commission will report that
Gen. Shafter conducted that movement as
efficiently as could have been expected I'M
der the circumstances.
No fault will be found with Gen. Shat
ter, except with respect to the points which
he in his testimony admitted.
The commission will recommend that
the transport system be placed under the
navy. Col. c. F. Humphreys, now on
Gen. Brooke's staff, who had charge of the
fitting out of the transports, will be called
upon tomorrow to explain the condition of
those vessels and he will have to make a
very good explanation to satisfy the COM
mission. Commanding officers of the
transports will also come in for a share of
the blame.
Inspector General Criticised.
The commission will recommend the
radical Reorganization of the inspector
generals department and, it is said, will
sharply critcse Gen. Breckenridge for his
action in leaving his inspection depart
ment to take part in the Santiago battle
instead of staying at home to attend to his
inspection duties. Had there been more
inspections the commission is satisfied the
epidemics of typhoid and many of the ir-
Irregularities which prevailed would not
have occurred.
Gen. Brooke will be criticised for the
conditions which existed at Camp Thomas,
and the medical department will be blamed
flor lack of inspection and failure to carry
out proper sanitary regulations
The quartermaster general will be ac-
quilted of charges of high prices paid for
animals for the army, and the report will
state that he obtained them very cheaply;
but he may be criticised for clothing fur
nished the men.
Congress Also at Fault.
The report will also show that Congress
was responsible for the equipment of the
soldiers with black powder, as the ord
nlnce department did not get in time the
necessary appropriations for smokeless
powder.
1t has been found by the commission
that war has never been operated with
such a small loss of life. Only one per
cent of the army died from illness and in
battle.
Faults which existed at Santiago also
existed in Porto Rico, there being a great
deal of illness at that place. The Manila
campaign was thoroughly satisfactory.
With respect to Montauk Point, the
commission will find that it was the best
point that could have been selected for
bringing the troops home from Cuba; that
it would have been better had the several
thousand men and several thousand an
South, but that there was no foundation
for many of the complaints which We're
filed.
--.
The Pet Dog as Baggage.
"Madam," said the conductor, as he
punched the ticket of Titusville lady,
81 am very sorry, but you can't have your