The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-02-18
REPORT OF WAR BOARD,
hHioa'mei" Army Beef Charges
Held to be Untrue.
NO FAULT WITH ALGER
'A'-'on b2tweeu Gen. Miles and tn c
government at Washington
Shown Up.

y ashlnStor. ID. c., Feb 13.-The re
port submitted to the President last
NedncSday by the commission appoint-
GO ny nm To investigate the conduct OF
u" war department in the war viii
Spain was iiiadc public last night The
I'l"'ft * unanimous one. all the mrrn-
DOTS "i the commission having signed it
except Col. Sexton. whose death or
currrd FEBRUARY t. At its close it says:
II is with profound regret that the. cam
iulSHlnl REPORTS that during its later session
Loi James 4. Sexton was prevented bv
r nirhness from being present and on Feb
h'.lSi = our beloved colleague closed an
Hobared and active life.
The report is a voluminous document.
containing about Go,U0 words, and an
oliI'lal abstract. prepared by the sccrc-
tt.H OF II" commission. was furnished To
'ue press for its convenience
ne hrSt part Of the commissions re
IPr' 4ta!" with the preparation for wnrI,
ana ihc calling Of witnesses. In all 49o
witnesses appeared before the board, all
u nut one OF whom testified under oath.
hcSc witnesses included the secretary
ol war, the commanding general, heads
81 departments ana lesser army officers
lirther than this the commission visit
cd III person many of the old camps and
inspected troops Hnd supplies.
Suggestions in General.
Before proceeding TO sprritir de-
sci1ptlnn of toe cpn,iuc; and managemrut
ol the war the report gives comments
ana suggestions touching certain matters
Nhtch came under consideration as a
ipSlcal consequence of the inquiry urr-
sued hy th" commission. Referring 10
me question of retired officers the report
says:
Under existing laws the officers of the
arm! are retired when they reach the age
"l ~ We have had before lis many suS
SeStlonS MAD" by officers on the retired list
who are men of experience and distinction
tnat this law should be so amended as to
GlEc to the President the right TO call into
active service any retired officer during the
time of war.
In the matter Of rcgimcntal officers the
commission found that all volunteer COM
mihdS olhCered by men OF military expo
rlencc and training Jared much better
than those Ofiicered by amateurs The
soldiers were more effectively cared for,
enjoyed better health ana We're better
fed ami clothed The commission recon-
nendS for the future strict cxamn;-
llon INTO the qualifications of all officers
appointed To the army, regular or YUlun-
teer. The establishment Of schools of
instruction for inexperienced officers talk
cn from civilian life to meet the cmer-
GelcN created by the war is highly com
meudcd.
SDcaks Against Red Tape.
y most important criticism by the com
mission Is as follows:
The routine work in the departments, in
our opinion, is far beyond what is neccs-
sary, and each wear seems To increase II.
The methods employed make il almost i'm
possible to transact business promptly. No
well regulated concern or corporation could
transact business satisfactorily under such
regulations as govern the staff departments.
The report then proceeds to take up
the subjects in their regular order, be
ginning with the army. II tells OF the
increasing of the army by the mastering
i'll of 2OI ,244 volunteers and the immense
work thrown upon the war department.
which II met with carn"Stness ana cn"r-
Ey. hC report recommends that hence
forth the country should bc in better
state of preparation for war and neCcS-
Sary supplies kept constantly on hand.
Friction in the Department.
Perhaps the most significant uttcrancc
IN the whole document. 50 far as con
Germs the discipline and efficiency of the
army, comes next;
For many years the divided authority ana
responsibility in the war department has
produced friction. for which, in the inter
est Of the service, a remedy, If possible.
I
the President the commander in-chief of
the army. ana he cannot transfer that au-
lhority to any other person. The President
selects his secretary Of war, who has his
confidence and who is his confidential ad-
wiser. The commanding general il assigned
to duty H. such bY the President and his
duties are defined under III" military laws
Of the United States.
The President must have the same power
Of selection Of his general in chief as he
has Of his secretary of War. Without this
or that the secretary OF war VIII plac" III
thr Gcueral-i In chief that confidence which
is necessary to perfect harmony Neither
the President nor the secretary Of war
should have in the command of the army
an officer who Is not working in harmony
with him.
Secretary of War
The report now takes up the war do
partment and itS various chiefs of sub
divisions, beginning with the secretary
of war:
The records of the war department.
which have been laid before us show that
tn" secretary of war extended to all chiefs
"f bureaus cordial and fun support. and
promptly responded 10 every proper de
maud made upon him Ivy commanding OF
uCCrs.
No tcStimany has been presented show
iu- Intentional neglect of duty nor nnv
;ttt"upt to serve personal interests The
charges mad" that the secretary Of war
was peruuitriy interested In contracts pur-
department have been thoroughly examined
lud found hascle>S.
In the Judgment of the commission there
yy:IS lacking in the general administ r, ti.,
Of the war department during the contInU
gncc Of the war with Spain that complet"
Ira>p nf the situation which was essential
To the highest efficiency and discipline Of
the army
In regard to the adjutant generals de
partmcut the report shows the great
amount nf work done by Brighten. H.
&. C"rhiu and his assistants. In the
face of all this II says th"r" have been
very few complaints against this depart
mcut.
The commission finds that the depart
mcut OF the Inspector general Brig. ten
J. G. Breckinridgc. was not a. efficient as
il should have been. There seems to
have hHCn question as 10 the authority
10y which inspections were to be ordered
and in one case the instructions OF the
secretary "f war were ignored.
The ouartcrnrastcr's Department..
Th, quartermaster'> department. Brig
Gen. NJ. |. Iudincton. found itself, upon
the declaration of war, confronted with
an amount uf labor and responsibility for
which. the report says, II was neither
physically nor financially prepared. 1t
continues:
In spite Of every effort there were occa-
SiorIS where troops suffered from poor tent
ag, ar lack 81 teutugr and absence OF straw
for bedding whsr" clothing WAS scarce
and troops suffered discomfort for lack Of
shoes. shirts ana other articles Of apparel
NJ Santiago the deficiency at the front ap-
pears to have been caused rather from
4 i1ck Of transportation from the coast than
/ from iHrk of clothing ana teuraCe. Il sup
4 PLY Ut which MS on the transports Great
/ ""m"laiut vaS made Of lack of transporta-
/ TO" facilities 1t the camp at No1tauk
Z Point. ; y.
The condition of tho railroad congestion
dutius The carry portion of The time Tampa
! was occupied by troops seems unpa -aiisl,d.
} ShawIus. .su almost iuCXCrSahle lack Of cX-
! eCUtiyc ability on the part Of those charged
! with tho loading. unloading and handling
/ nf the trains