The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-12-27
GIN. MILES REPRIRANDED
TALKED ON SCHLEY VERDICT.
Secretary Root Calls Him Down and
Asks for an ENpIanation-Th g
General Replies in Two Letters
Not satisfactory to Senator-May
Mean Another Trial.

Washington, Dec. 22.-Because Lieuten
ant General Nelson A Miles, in an IN
terview at Cincinnati, commented on the
findings of the Schley court of inquiry,
Secretary of War Root, by direction OF
the president, severely reprimanded the
ranking officer of the army
The words of Lieutenant General Miles
which gave ofIense were contained in the
following expression;
Il am willing to take the Judgment OF
Admiral Dewey in the matter. He has
been commander of fleet, and as such
has known the anxieties and responsible
ties which rest upon a man under these
circumstances. lie was instrumental IN
the destruction of one Spanish fleet, and
knows and realizes the feelings that en-
compass an officer under such conditions.
l think Dewey has summed up the matter
in a clear and concise manner, and pc
ieve his conclusions will be Endorsed by
the patriotic people of the United States.
have no sympathy with the efforts which
have been made to destroy the honor OF
an officer under such circumstances
The determination on the part OF the adj
ministration absolutely to terminate fur
Their discussion of the Sampson-Schley
controversy took shape in the publication
of some remarkable correspondence that
has passed between Secretary Root ami
Lieutenant General Miles relative to the
latter's interview, published in Cincin-
matt paper, commenting upon the Scnley
,,.,I
attracted much attention officially, but
after the lapse of two days without any
sign of official action, the conclusion he
came general that the interview would he
ignored. Therefore the publication of the
full correspondence on this case created a
sensation in army and naval circles. It
is seldom that so severe a reprimand is
administered to an officer of high rank
in either service What the result will
be can not be foretold, although it is as
sumed that General Miles will submit
without further comment.
That General Miles appreciates the
situation is shown by the deep concern
he manifested and his frequent visits to
the office of Secretary Root. 1t was nee
essary for him to write two letters to
meet the demands of the department, and
even then there was no expression of sat
isfaction on the part of the secretary for
the second explanation. However, Secre-
tary Root himself regards the incident as
closed At least he does not purpose TO
take any further action unless obliged to
do so.
Part of the Reprimand.
The reprimand is contained in the fol
towing letter of Secretary Root to Cen
eral Miles:
'War Department, Washington, Dec.
22.-Sir: By direction of the president,
l communicate to you his conclusions
upon your course in the interview to
which your attention was called by my
letter of the 10Th.
"Your explanation of the public state
ment made by you is not satisfactory.
You are in error when you say that you
have the same right as any other citi-
zen to express publicly an opinion regard
ing the questions pending in the course
of military discipline. The established
invariabe rules of official propriety nee
essary to the effective discipline of the
service impose limitations upon the pub
Tic expression of military officers.
GA court of inquiry has been held on
the matters in controversy and a report
had been made in which one member at
the court had dissented in some particu-
lars from the majority, and the report
was pending before the reviewing author
ity. At this point the lieutenant general
of the army saw fit to make a public ex-
preston of his opinion as between the
majority and the minority. of the court,
accompanied by a criticism of a most Sc
we're character, which would not fail to
be applied by the generality of readers
to the naval officers against whose view
your opinion was expressed. 1t is of no
consequence on whose side your opinion
was or what it was. You had no bust
ness in the controversy and no right,
holding the o. ce which you did, to eX-
press any opinion. Your conduct was in
violation of the regulation above cited
and the rules of official propriety, and
you are justly liable to censure, which |
now express. Very respectfully,
ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of War.
''Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles,
Headquarters of the Army
"P. S.-Your second letter of explana-
ton, received since the above was writ.
ten, does not change the case. The ne
cessity for repeated explanation but illus