The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-12-27

President Personally SITS Him
For n Recent Inuaeryieyv

PRESIDENT Personally sts Him
For n Recent Inuaerview
Washington, Dec. "a. - President
Roosevelt Saturday privately scored
Lieut.. Gen. Nelson A. Miles for his
interview commencing the
report of Admiral Dewey on the Schley
case.
subsequently, by the special direction
OF the president, Secretary of War Root
sent to Gen. Miles IN official letter OF
censIre, which was given to the public
by direction of The president.
practically at the same time Secre-
tary Long promulgated his letter APP
proving the findings of the court Of in
quiry, disappearing of the report sub
mitted by Admiral Dewey alone, and
declaring that this minority opinion
could not have been submitted without
improperly.
Miles, Dewey and Schley were all
made the recipients of official and pub
lie displeasure within a few hours.
Maclay Told to Resign.
The one ray of light from the Schley
point of view was the fact that the
president Immediately on receiving the
report of the u of inquiry showing
that Schley had not been a catiff and a
coward telegraphed for the resigna-
ton of Edgar S. Maclay, who wrote the
remarkable naval history which pre-
cipitated the court of inquiry.
The approval of the findings of the
court was a foregone conclusion, and it
was well understood that President
Roosevelt, in spite of his own personal
opposition of Schley, would not hest
tate a moment IN putting Maclay out
of the service; in fact, would have don
so long ago had he not feared such
action might prejudice the court of in
quiry.
Roosevelt Censures Miles.
The sensational feature of the day, of
course was the terrific arraignment Of
Gen. Miles, both personally and by let
ter, n his official censure, an act
Which is not usually %resorted to except
under the gravest provocation. The
president assumed the entire RESPONSE
bility for the censure of Gen. Miles,
and not only that, but he took matters
in his own hands, received the lieu
tenant general commanding the army
in one of the window seats of the
presidents office, and f1ayed him alive
Icl llt interview HS gave ouI III iii
cinnati.
The president was much in earnest,
and he old Gen. Miles without mincing
words that his printed interview com
mending the course of Admiral Dewey,
and by inference denouncing the ma
jority of the court, was a gross breach
of military discipline, which could not
and would not be tolerated.
The president went at his work with
the impetuosity characteristic Of him,
and was Sc much in earnest and felt
hat Gen. Miles was SO much to blame
that he made no attempt to conceal the
matter.
Flags Miles i'm Public.
On the contrary, it appears to be true
that Gen. Miles was Inundated by
having the scathing ebuke heard by
many other people. According to COM
mon report it was ven more severe
than the official letter of censure signed
by Secretary Root, but which is un-
derstood to have been practically die
tated by the president himself.
Gen. Miles freely admitted the au-
thenticity of the interview. He de-
clared, however, that he had not the
remotest idea that his words reflected
upon the court in any way. He told
the president-what he said in his let
ter-that the interview referred en-
tirely to those persons who had de-
clared Schley to be a coward and poll
troon, and cast no reflection at all upon
the navy department or upon the
court.
President Out of Patience.
This personal explanation was not
received as at all sufficient by the pres
ident, who was entirely out of patience
with Gen. Miles, and told him hat an
officer of his experience should have
sense enough to refrain from any COM
ment whatever upon a c~ontroversy
which concerned the navy department
alone.
The rebuke to Gen. Miles came from
the commander-in-chief to the lieuten-
ant general, commanding the army, a
personal subordinate. The fact that a
young and impetuous president, him
self q veteran of the recent war, was
rebukings in the strongest possible
terms another gray-haired veteran of
III Civil War did not render the affair
any the less a military function.
Gen. Miles, having presented his two
letters and having made his oral state
ment, took his rebuke like a soldier.
He wilted as a matter Of course, be-
cause the president was terribly in
earnest and spoke from deep convic-
ton of the proprieties of the case.