Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-04-05
ARMY LINEN IN THE WASH.
Gen. Miles Talked, and by Parading
His Grievances Laid Bare
His Weak Side,

The time had arrived near the close of
the Spanish war when, in spite of all the
clashings and differences, Miles came for
ward spectacularlY to occupy the centre
of the stage As Major General com
mandinE the army, he went to the front
just i'm time to be on the spot at SANTA
go when the Spanish forces laid down
their arms. 1t was through him that
the correspondenCe was carried on which
led to the surrender Of Toral, and he was
i'm a position to reap such glory as there
was i'm that historic event His conduct
at that time could not have been finer
He was all that the representative Of
the military power of the United States
ought to have been. He showered upon
Shafter, the active leader of the eXpc-
dition, unstinted compliment for the sue
cess which had been gained, and with
magnanimity that was worthy of his
rank he permitted Shafter in person to
accept Torals surrender. Then he has
tened to Porto Rico and swept over that
island in a bloodess campaign, which
for dramatic completeness finds no exact
parallel i'm the annals of war. 1t was
no doubt, due to his genius and original
conception that the invading army was
received by a cheering population, not
as conquerors. but as liberators and
guests. I shall never get credit for this,
he said at the time, because there has
been no blood-letting. People will not
understand a victory without that
But i'm spite of his foreboding the credit
was given him, and his fame at home
rang loud.
Then his evil genius caught him and
he began to talk lie had learned that
when he set out for Santiago the Ad-
iutaut Gcneral-the Michaevelian Cor
hin-had anticipated his arrival at San
tiago with a private despatch to Shafter
that Miless coming made no difference
II 40 n ntt
go to superscde him. 1t was "A question
of military etiquette in which the people
at large could take little interest. but
the thing ranked i'm Mies's breast. 1t
came as the elimination of what he re-
cardcd as a decp-seated conspiraCy to
humliatc him and challenge his authori-
tY. At distance from home. out Of
quick communication with his friends he
brooded over his wrongs, pictured him
self held up on the pllory of public opin-
ion through the agency of his enemies
in the department, with no chance to get
Justice and deprived of the credit which
he felt to be rightfully his He unbur-
dened his grievances upon every willing
ear. lie told a sad story of intrigue
and uncovered every conceivable skele-
ton in the military closet At last a
newspaper correspondent to whom he
had reCited his tale Cabled IL all home.
and the country was treated just at the
climax of spendidly successful war to
an exhibition of army linen in the wash
Miles criticised Alger ne denounced
Corbin he surred Shafter who had first
been detailed to command the Santiago
eXpcdition bv his advice. he dashed the
entire military administration For
weeks while ne WAS stiu in Porto RicA
and after his return to the United States
the pewspapcrs were filled with his
rlaints and headlines fairly blazed with
army scandal II vas a question at mo
War Denartmept whether ha should moi
he dorri,ad of his commend for bis
mart i'm what M matter how - ,o,,Id ,,o
viewed was a pIarfnr breach ~ ,,,iii-
tnrv discinIina Secratarv AIpar nronasnd
his removal and Corhin favored a. hut
The president nlw,vs loan tn do nns
pleasant things rarn,itted M action ana
Mills retained his ,I,ce E,ror, tbat da,.
IN mis- tber. has h.s, no cor,r,,rtc,tion
between Miles and Corhin evcnnt mar
which was absoIut.ly necessary for The
.p"Uu. "a i"u'i'c business ana up 10
W, ''iii' 'i'"' -NlS'l l'lN 'll' h'pdI 'IltIN