The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-08
ALCER'S BOOK
ON The WAR
DELAYED AND CHANGED BY
M'KINLEY'S DEATH.
WILL Be ISSUED THURSDAY
General Miles and Admiral Samp-
son Criticised by Author, Who
Defends Canned Beef.

"SoA VA JAZZ op"AAAo LII ASoA Wal,
which his publishers state "has been
delayed and changed because Of the
death of President Mckinley" will
be issued next Thursday.
Opening his book with a survey of
the Cuban situation in 1898, General
Alger says: "The Thoughtful observ-
Ell Of public events during the years
1S95-1897 need hardly be reminded
that both the Cleveland and the Nc
Kinley administrations sought by
every honorable means to avoid COM
plications with Spain though protest
ing against the conditions prevalent
in Cuba"
He then comments upon our unpre-
paredness for war at that time and the
splendid spectacle of the country's
response to the governments ulti-
matum to Spain. He then leads the
reader through the hurried prepare
ton for war, it's embarrassments and
difficulties, the persecution of the Of
flee seeker, the disappointment Of
hundreds Of volunteers, the demands
mediate and impossible protection
and the savage criticism Of the mil
itary, administration, plans of cam
paign, and the battle, with the appar-
emily endless list of shortcomings
and grievances. Then follows the
plans of campaigns; the embarkation
at Tampa, which was severely crit
icised, at the time, but which General
Alger is now convinced, hat all
things considered, was not a mistake.
The account of the march on Santi-
ago is graphically pictured and pre-
pares n for the fights at Caney and
San Juan.
The Round Robin incident comes in
for a fair share of space. While the
negotiations for surrender were pend
ing before Santiago, the general Of
ficers of Skaters army, met and
signed a round robin which was given
out for publication. The papers show
ed great alarm over the threatened
coming of yellow and enteric fevers
and went on to say, "this army must
be moved at once or it will perish"
OF the round robin itself, General
Alger says he has no criticism to Of
fer. But he does criticise the publ
cation of it, saying that it was n
of the most unfortunate and regret
able incidents of the war.
General Alger reviews at length the
difference between General Shafter
and Admiral Sampson and quotes
many official letters. He concludes
this chapter in these words: 1T is
difficult to account for Admiral
SIMPSONS seeming attitude towards
the army operations before Santiago
as we'll as to xcu him for his con
Trajectory statements subsequently
made in his official report. After
the third of July, the admiral's con-
duct may be due to the keen disap-
pointment resulting from his non-par-
ticipation in the engagement with
Cervera's squadron. Possibly he felt
that Skaters request for a confer
eice on the morning of July 8, inno-
cent though it was, was responsible
for his being deprived of the honor
of actively participating as com
mander-in-chief in one of the most
remarkable victories in the annals
of naval warfare"
OF the Miles-Egan controversy over
the alleged furnishing of "embalmed
beef to the army General Alger said:
"The commission appointed by the
president at my request to investi-
gate the conduct of the wal depart
ment during the val with Spain com
monty called the war commission or
Dodge commission, met on September
"a, 1898. Up to December Fl, 1898.
this commission had taken testimony
in many towns and cities and in many
different camps, granting wherever
it went to the citizens, soldiers or
ex-soldiers an opportunity to appear
for complaint or testimony of any
kind regarding the conduct of the
war. The commission visited num-
erous camps in which there still were
many thousands of soldiers both reg
uiars and volunteers. who We're in
vited to give their evidence without
regard to rank or service. On Deem
Der 81, the major general command
ing the army of the United States. az.
reared before the commission, then
sitting in Washington, and made his
statements with respect to the can
ned. fresh and refrigerated beef furn-
ished to the army during the war.