Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-13
MANY CRITICISMS
Report Of the War |nves-
tgating Commission
SECRETARY ALGER NOT SPARED
Lacked a Complete Grasp Of
the Situation.
GEN. MILES WAS DERELICT IN His DUTY
lnexcusabIe Lack of Ability in the
Quartermaster Department.
GEN. MILES WAS DERELICT IN His DUTY
lnexcusable Lack of Ability in the
MEDICAL: CORPS BLAMABLE

The report of the war investigating COM
mission has been released for publication
| by the President, and it bears out in every
particular the advance accounts of its con-
| tents as printed in The Star exclusively.
Summarizing its observations under the
heads of the departments concerned, the
commission finds substantially as follows:
The Secretary of War-Lacked that COM
plete grasp of the war situation which was
essential to the highest efficiency and dis
| cipline of the army.
Gen. Miles-Accused of dereliction of duty
in connection with the beef matter
Adjutant generals observation-disclosures
in its work, and added greatly to the eff
cheney of the army.
Inspector generals department-Not as
efficient as it ought to have been.
Judge advocate generals department.
Worked with efficiency and to the benefit
of the service
The quartermasters department-Criti-
cised for shortages of supplies, inexcusable
lack of executive ability in handling trains
poor equipment and unsystematic loading
of transports.
Subsistence department-Did not fail to
serve the rations prescribed by law on the
transports and at the camps.
No refrigerated beef treated by any chem
icals.
The signal corps-Highly commended.
The pay northumberland labors
promptly and efficiently.
Engineer Observation-Disclosures praised for
its services.
The ordnance department-Untiring in its
work before and after the war.
The medical Observation-Disclosures for
shortcomings In administration and opera
ton. but commended for vast deal of
good work
from perfect, as good as might reason
ably be expected. Chickamauga, Alger.
Miami and Tampa are pronounced unsatfs-
factory. Montauk is credited with being
an ideal place for the isolation of troops III
with contagious diseases. The others are
commended.
General conclusions-The result of the
campaign was the complete realization of
the several objects contemplated
Divided Authority and Responsibilities
The most significant utterance in the
whole document, so far as concerns the dis
cipline and efficiency of the army, is as fol-
lows:
FOR many years the divided authority
and responsibility in the War Department
mas produced friction, for which, in the in
terest OF the service, remedy, if possible
should be applied. The Constitution makes
| the President the commandments of
the army, and he cannot transfer that au-
thorlty to any other person. The President
selects his Secretary of War, who has his
commence, and who Is his confidential ad-
wiser. The commanding general is assigned
TO duty as such by the President and I'M
der the military laws of the United States
his duties are defined as, follows:
The command exercised by the command
ing general of the army, not having been
made the subject of statutory regulation is
determined by the order of assignment If
, has been lahftnallV Of II
gate of the several territorial commands
that have been or may be created by the
President
The military establishment is under or
ders Of the commanding general of the
army in that which pertains to It's discip-
line and military control. The fiscal affairs
of the army are conducted by the Secre-
tary of War through the several staff de-
partments CPar. 1877, a. r. 1880
"All orders and instructions from the Pres
ident or Secretary of War relating to mill
tary operations affecting the military
control and discipline of the army will be
promulgated through the commanding gen.
eral Par. 1SS, A. r., 1880.
Miles Referred To.
Lieut.. Gen. Schofield, who has probably
had as much experience and given the
question much thought and study as any
one in our country. says in substance:
Recent experience has served to con-
firm all the results of my lifelong study and
&c SApti itiCe tildl lHe proper position
for the senior officer of the army on duty
at Washington is not that of commanding
general, a position which is practically inn
possible, but that of general-in- chief, which
means, in fact, chief of staff to the Pres-
dent. The title of general-in-chief was a
permanent one during the entire history
or the country up to the time when Gen.
Grant became lieutenant general.
When | became the commanding gem
eral l addressed to the President letter.
in which i pointed out to him what had
been the result of my study and expert
ence. and saying that the only way was to
abandon entirely, which l did during my
seven years of service, all pretense of be
ing the commanding general and to con-
tent myself with acting as the chief of
staff of the army under the Secretary of
War and the President. The result was
that perfect harmony prevailed during my
! time, and ] did exercise a legitimate infll-
ence In command of the army, this because
L did not claim to exercise ANYTHING which
the law did not give me-
Ihe President must have the same
| power of selection of his general-in-chief
as he has Of his Secretary of War; without
| this there can be no guaranty that he will
give, or that the Secretary of War win
place in the general-in-chief, that conf
! dence which is necessary to perfect har-
| mony. Neither the President nor the Sec
| rotary OF War should have in the COM
| mand of the army an officer who is not
| working in harmony with him."
What is Said of Alser.
Taking up the War Department and it's
various chiefs of subdivisions, beginning
| with the Secretary of War, the report
states:
1.-The records of the War Department.
which have been laid before US. show that
| the Secretary of War extended to all chiefs
| OF bureaus cordial and full support and
/ promptly responded to every proper de-
| mand made upon him by commanding off,
| GERS.
| NO testimony has been presented show
| ing intentional neglect of duty or any at
| tempt TO serve personal interests. The
! charges made that the Secretary of War
| was pecuniarily interested in contracts
| purchases and other transactions of the
| War Department have been thoroughly ex-
| amined and found baseless.