The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-14
SECRETARY ALGER
Talks on tho Conduct of the War.
Says He Conducted the Affairs OF
His Department to the Best nf' His
Ability. F

NEW YORK, Feb. 13.-secretary OF
War Russell a. Alger, who is here to
attend the Lincoln Day dinner OF tho
Union League Club In Brooklyn said to.
day In regard TO the report OF the war
commission that he would rather. say
nothing about 1t until he had read the
entire report. General Aiger, however,
said that he had carried ON the work all
the way through the war TO the best OF
hts 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
iirst duty was to conduct the affairs Of
the department as well as I could"
General Alger compared the depart
| ment with large private business, say
Ing that many Unforeseen things han
pened In the department lust as In a
large private business. Storms came
! up which could not be prevented.
sometimes the manager OF pri-
vate business" said the secrctarv, has
looked over the field and believe he has
good and faithful helpers. Then he
learns that he has been Incorrect In his
thought aud that some OF his men have
not proved true. These are generally
Unforeseen things which will happen In
any large private business concern as
well as TO u government department.
Though the work of the war depart
ment was difficult, l carried 1t on as
was my duty TO the best OF my ability"
When asked about the criticism BY
the war commission OF General Miles.
Secretary Alser asked to be excused
from talking about that.
Secretary Alger said in connection
with the intended naming of II CON-
mandins officer for the army that he
thought regular army man would be
named in preference TO II volunteer. al
though Congress could do as 1t wished
about such 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 otthe
epl'VNhioAt VI 1ustol1lS ~ NAV aha. NlS
asked TO investigate this, when 1t was
learned that such sales were being
made. Some persons were selling sup
plies at less than any one else could sell
them after importing them and paying
F, the duty. Colonel Bliss found that two
men were buying up all the surplus ra-
| tons from the troops. The rations the
| troops received were more than they
could use and il is considered legitimate
to sell them again. 1t is a general prac-
tice In the army 70" companies to sell
their surplus rations and place the sums
| received 10 the credit OF the company
| funds. These two men We're. in a way
carrying on legitimate business.
col. Bliss found that they had q
storehouse full of flour and coffee and
some Other things and that they We're
| uble 10 sell flour at 81 n barrel less than
+ PERSONS .avho weresimpurtinS' liou-t and
paying duty on II. lie 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 We're slven 10 the commIssary
department to buy back the extra .a-
tlons so that the soldiers would get as
much from the government as from
| outsiders AMI save the scandalous
talk"
In speaking OF the Philippine and
Santiago campaigns, Secretary Alser
said:
| General Shafter and his expedition
had to land on hostile island and do
the attacking the worst season there,
\ the hottest part o. the rainy season.
| General Otis had been at Manila for
some time and he was prepared for the
attack. In Santiago General Shafter
| had to attack the Spanlards. while IN
! the Philippines on" forces occupied the
position the Spaniards had in Santiago"
General Alser said he wished to
make no criticism Of General Otis, wh1
had done brilliant work In Manila. He
said that the two campaigns could
hardly be compared, as they had been
| fought at different seasons aud from
different positions. The general In each
case. he declared was entitled 10 great
credit
Secretary Alser spoke generally OF the
work now being done in Cuba. He said
that there was very little friction at
Santiago. In spite OF the reports to tina I
effect. General Wood and General
Brooke were Working In entire har-
meRS. General Brooke. he said, In an
swcr to 4 question. was In charge of the
whole island. Some misunderstanding
had been caused at first by the mistake
of the officers at Santiago, who thought
that the moneys collected at Santiago
! had TO be sent to Havana. This was not
required. It being necessary 20 send only
reports OF the amounts received.
The work Of bctternG conditions gen.
orally IN Cuba was going on. hamper
ed somewhat by the lack of transporta- :
| ton facilities III the interior and by
countless little difficulties, which were
coming mp and being mastered He
| saId that he was satisfied with the
work. Taking into consideration the
| short time that We have been In Cuba.
we were doing very we'll. The secre-
tarr said that mystery in Cuba, was
! the wherea bouts Of the Cuban men.
| The United States officers who had
gone into the interior had failed to find
them.
| "Or course" said he. "the reconccn-
trados were largely driven Into the large
cities, but We cannot find, anywhere near
! the numbers Of men we expected to
| find. For instance. al officer from Sane
| /! Splr!tus who came back 10 Washing
ton last week. told us that that town
| was filled with women and children,
| Dut no men. lHcS are iiol III tnc Co'iu-
try. districts. as far as we can find. The
| Cuban artny Is est!ma ted at thirty ta6a-
sand men, but this does not account for
the thousands who are not TO be found.
! They are not with Gomez and Il Is yet
10 be learned where they have dIsap-
pcar"d to-"
-Four Found Dead.
MAfttBoitU,M Mass. Feb. ia police
| man uhn Ayrut 10 a amnll hOuse I'm The