Evening star., 1901-10-07
ALGER ON WAR WITH SPAIN.
Former Secretary of War Has Writer
q History.


q History.
A dispatch from New York says:
Gen. Alger's book ON the Spanish-Amer-
lean war. which his publishers state has
been delayed and changed because Of the
death Of President Mckinley will be is
sued next Thursday.
Opening his book with q survey Of the
Cuban situation in 1898, Gen. Ager says:
THE thoughtful observer Of public events
during the years 1S95-1S97 need hardly be
reminded that both the Cleveland and the
Mckinley administrations sought by every
honorable means to avoid complications with
Spain though protesting against the condi-
tions prevalent in Cuba" He then comments
upon our unpreparedness for war at that
time and the splendid spectacle of the
country's response to the governments ul-
timatum upon Spain. He then leads the
reader through the hurried preparations
for war, the plans of campaign, the en-
barkation at Tampa, which was severely
criticised at the time, but which Gen. Alger
is now convinced that. all things consid-
cred, was not mistake. The account OF
the march on Santiago Is graphically pic
tured. with the fights at Canay and San
Juan.
The round robin incident comes in for
fair share of space Gen. Alger says he
has no criticism to offer. But he does crit
icise the publication of it, saying that 1t
was one of the most unfortunate and re-
SrettaDle incidents OF the war.
Gen. Alger reviews at length the differ
ences between Gen. Shafter and Admiral
Sampson, and quotes many official letters.
He concludes this chapter in these words:
''It is difficult to account for Admiral
SIMPSONS seeming attitude toward the
army during the operations before San
tfago as well as to excuse him for his con-
Trajectory statements, subsequently made
in his official report. After the Sd of July
the admirals conduct may be due to the
keen disappointment resulting from his
non-participation in the engagement with
Cerveras squadron. Possibly he felt that
Skaters request for a conference on the
morning of July 8, innocent 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 remark
able victories in the annals Of naval war
fare"
OF the Miles-Egan controversy over the
alleged furnishing of "embalmed beef to
the army, Gen. Alger reviews the organiza-
ton and work Of the commission, and adds:
On the 2st Of December the major gen.
eral commanding the army of the United
States appeared before the commission
then sitting in Washington and made his
statement with respect to the canned, fresh
and refrigerated beef furnished to the army
during the war.
Although the commission had been sit
ting nearly three months the charges with
respect to canned and refrigerated beef
were now made for the first time; and.
stranger and more fnexcusable and more
unsoldlerly still. during all those months.
with this pretended knowledge of facts,
which. IL they existed. should have been
made known to the Secretary Of War for
the protection OF the army, Gen. Miles had
never mentioned the subject.
Gen Miles seemed to be pleased with
the notoriety which his startling statement
before the commission and his subsequent
newspaper interviews gave him; for again,
on the 31st of March, 1899, in New York
city, he published, through representatives
OF the Associated Press and Of a metropol-
itan paper, additional charges. This unmH-
itary and questionable method of making
In public grave and scandalous charges re-
garding brother officer and the work Of
his department-charges which subsequent
and careful investigation proved both un-
warranted and untrue-seemed to appeal to
certain characteristics Of the major general
commanding to which reference here would
bo out Of place.
If we are to believe written evidence to
the contrary, 1t does not appear that Cen
Miles was even honest In making his dila-
tory charges that the timed beef was is-
sued as the pretense OF an experiment. ;
ana that It was not q part Of the ration.
On the 11th OF June. 1006 his most corSi-
Dental STAN Ofacer signed q letter .df-
rection OF the major general Commanding
the army. instructing the depot commits
sary at Tampa to furnish Gen. Nunex
1854 pounds Of canned roast beef. to be