The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-06
ALCER ON CUBAN WAR
.roRETARY WRITES A BOOK
rEAT is FULL OF SPICE.
IT MAKES GOOD READING.
.u,rs AND SAMPSON BOTH ROUND
LY ROASTED.

,,.4o-1, statements" and That
IA. Conduct After July Was Due
a. 11ecn Disa a2pOintment'-Miie
,,nAIed without Gloves for His
part in the "EmbaImed Beef" Con-
r.x--The Commanding Gem
-, charged with Seeking No
.or,etv and With Conduct Highly
r,hecomfng to an Omcer. in His
r.,t,ou--The "ROund Robin" Incl
dent Reviewed.
New York, Oct. 5.-Gen. Alger's book
~ tbe spanish-Ame-ican war, which
,is publishers state has been delayed
.,d changed because of the death OF
president Mckinley" will be issued
next Thursday. i.
OnerinR his book with survey OF
.Ao Cuban situation in 1898 Gen. Alger
says:
nTbe thoughtful observer Of public
events during the years 1S95-1S97 need
4 hardly be reminded that both the
4 Cleveland and the Mckinley admins
Il trat,ons sought by every honorable
means to avoid complications with
Spain, though protesting against the
h conditions prevalent in Cuba"
He then comments upon our unpre-
paredness for war at that time and the
splendid spectacle of the country's re-
sponse to the governments ultimatum
upon Spain. He then leads the reader
through the hurried preparations for
war, its embarrassments and difficult
ties the persecution of the Office seek
er, the disappointment of hundreds of
volunteers, the demands of seacoast
cities and towns for immediate and i'm
possible protection, and the savage
criticism of the military administra-
tion plans Of campaign and the battle
with the apparently endless list of
shortcomings and grievances. Then fol-
low the plans of campaign; the en-
barkation at Tampa, which was severe
ly criticised at the time, but which
Gen. Alger is now convinced that, all
things considered. was not a mistake.
The account of the march on Santa
90 is graphically pictured and portrays
one Of the fights at Caney and San
Juan.
The Round Robin Incident.
The round robin" incident comes in
for fair share Of space. While the
negotiations for surrender were pend
ing before Santiago, the general Off
GERS OF Shafter's army met and signed
4 round robin, which was given out
4 for publication. This paper showed
great alarm over the threatened COM
ing Of yellow and enteric feYers, and
went on to say this army must be
moved at once or it will perish"
Of>the round robin itself, Gen. AL
ger says he has no criticism to offer.
But ne does criticise the publication of
IT, saying that it was one of the most
unfortunate and regrettable incidents
of the war.
Shafter and Sampson.
Gen. Alger reviews at length the diff
Ietences between Gen. Shafter and Ad-
Hiral Sampson and quotes many off,
cial letters. He concludes this chapter
In these words:
II is difficult to account for Admir-
al Sampson's seeming attitude towards
ene army during the operations before
tSahtlago' as well as to excuse him for
ms contradictory statements, subse-
Huentiy made in his official report. Af-
.er July the Admiral's conduct may
De uue 10 the keen disappointment re-
suillng from his non- n-participation in
tne engagement with Cervera's SQUAD
toh' Fosslbly he felt that Skaters re-
tueSt LOT conference on the morn
lug Vi July 3, innocent though 1t was
W. was responsible for his being deprived
y. the nonor OF actively participating
90 commander in-chief in one of the
LIS n.Ts' remarkable victories in the an
N@ls OF naval warfare"
me "EmbaImed Beef" Inquiry.
VI the Miles-Egan controversy over
tne alleged furnishing of "embalmed
'VeI ar, 10 the army, Gen. Alger says:
p,.aiS tne commission appointed by the
tb'eSIuent ~. at my request to investigate
tbe e cohduet OF the War Department in
es ' war with Spain, commonly known
'no5dt, ne war investigation or the
5ouse commission, met on the oath
oS VI september, 1898. Up to the 21st
VI, VI december, 1898, this commission had
snS eTSeh testimony in seventeen towns
s"s ,'u eities' and in many different camps,
tai.''ns' Wherever it went, to the cit
roI4s' RS soIdlers or ex-soldiers, an op-
t.ttuIlIty TO appear for complaint or
'55i.iolV or any kind regarding the
ittuct OF the war. The commission
styIl numerous camps in which there
h1tL we're many thousands of soldiers,
~ i.t sulars and volunteers. who were
resn oi.e9 10 give their evidence without
NJ ITO 70 rank or service. On the 21st
msnSi-sI nSiSe1iiper. per. the major general COM
annea,,-s, tle army of the United States
slttIno Delore the commission, then
,to.tnls IN Washington, and made his
easements with respect to the canned
~ in 81 and refrigerated beef furnishes s
"SIt, sie army during the war.
oush the commission had been
cbsrass nearly three months. the
fria.sses with respect to canned and re-
frst Seeu beef were now made for the
excrsaLie' elLi1e' and stranger and more in
dnrJasa aDIe and more unsoldierIv still.
tenda5 al these months, with this pre-
tbev hilowledge of facts, which. II
know NisVed should have been made
protect,oy 'ne secretary of War for the
had never , vi me army. Gen. Miles
er mentioned the subject.
not shot for Gen. Miles.
with et. ~ Miles seemed to be pleased
Statements NSSeosIlety which his startling
his subsa,.,o,eIo oeIore the commission and
gave MIN! hi4uent en newspaper interview
March ,ao, Tor, again, on the a1st ~
lsbed' la9S' in New York citv he nub-
Assoc, through REPRESENTATIVES, ~ tha
tan nsreeu Press, and of a Metronoii-
unmilitsr,' additional charges This
making IN ras, ana Questionable method OF
charess IN public grave and scsndoIo',s ~.
the - IIegarding a brother off,ne. "a
which s"he VI MS department-charg
CATION suDsequent and caref,,l tnvast,
Untrue proved both unwarrsn+ed 90
charaetssesemed to appeal to cartsi,
commsnSi,sties OF the major Sensrn, %
would be- beng a 70 which references bsrs -