The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-24

no sympathy with any efforts to dis
parage a distinguished and gallant Off
Ger likewise had no such reference.
Very respectfully.
NELSON A. MILES,
Lieutenant General"
General Miles supplemented this let
tre with the following handed to the
secretary today:
Headquarters OF the Army.
washington, December 81.
THE Honorable, The Secretary of War.
"SiT:-Referring TO my note of yes
terday, and in order that there may be
no misunderstanding 1 desire to say
that for several years a distinguished
and gallant officer has been assailed by
parties who have endeavored to write
him and other high officials down. un-
til finally, he appealed against such as
saultS to q coordinate branch Of the
government. That coordinate branch
Of the government granted him a court
of inquiry, and, as / understand it, they
unanimously eXhonorated him from
such epithets as coward. poltroon. ct
cetera, and their opinions were given
to the public for the information of all
citizens. When I said that I had no
sympathy with those who had endeav-
ored to destroy the reputation of
high officer who like all other officers,
life l had in mind and referred to those
assaults against which the admiral had
appealed for protection and justification
and certainly not to a coordinate
branch Of the government. I request
that this note be laid before the prcsi-
dent. and have no objection to it being
made public. Very respectfully,
NELSON a. MILES,
Lieutenant General
iS IN tho
following letter of Secretary Root to
General Miles:
War Department,
washington, D. c., December 81.
"Sir:-By direction of the president,
communicate to you his conclusions
upon your course in the interview to
which your attention was called by nv
letter of the 10Th instant.
Your explanation of the public state
ment made by you is not satisfactory.
You are in error If you suppose that
you have the same right as any other
citizen to express publicly an opinion
regarding official questions pending the
course of military discipline. The es-
tablished and invariable rules of Off
cial propriety necessary to the effec-
tive discipline of the service impose
limitations upon the public expressions
of military officers with which your long
experience should have made you IA
miliar Your duty is to express your
opinion on official matters when called
upon by your official superiors or in the
due course of your official reports and
recommendations and not otherwise.
The first article of the regulations gov
erning the army Of the United States
provides:
Deliberations or discussions among
military men conveying praise or CEN
sure, or any mark Of appreciation, to-
ward others in the military service
are prohibited"
This provision has been part of the
army regulations for at least half
century and the highest obligation to
observe it rests upon the officers whose
high rank should make them examples
to their subordinates. Any other rule
of action in the military service would
be subsersive of discipline. 1t would not
Re tolerated in any officer of whatev-
be tolerated in any officer of tn whatev-
er rank. The present facts are that for
several years there had been unfortu-
nate and bitter controversy in the
navy departments controversy gen.
orally deplored even by the partici-
pants. as tending to bring the service
into disesteem at home and abroad and
TO destroy those relations of mutual
fidence and friendship between naval
officers which the interests of effective
service require. In this controversy
the army had not been involved and no
bar had been raised to that good feel
ing and friendly relation between all
the officers of the navy and all the Off.
GERS of the army which is essential to
the successful and harmonious Coop
Grafton of the two services in prepara-
tion and in action. A court If inquiry
has been held on the matters in contro-
versy and a report had been made in
which one member Of the court had dis
sented in some particulars from the
majority, and the report was pending
before reviewing authority. At this
point you. the lieutenant general Of the
army, saw fit to make public express
sion, of your opinion as between the
ma jority and the minority OF the
court, accompanied by a criticism
OF the most severe character
which could not fail to be applied
val officers against whose view your
opinion was expressed.
"It is OF no consequence on whose
side your opinion was, or what it was
You had no business in the controver-
sy and no right, holding the Office
which you did. to express any opinion
Your conduct was in violation Of the
regulation above cited and Of the rules
of official propriety; and you are justly
Very respectfully.
"ELIHU ROOT,
Secretary Of War.
Lieutenant General Nelson A Miles,
Headquarters Of the Army
"P. S.-Your second letter OF explana-
ton. dated today, and received since
the above was written. does not change
the case. The necessity for repeated
explanations but illustrates the impor-
tance Of the rule which you have vio-
lated ELIHU ROOT
Secretary of War"
The fact that simultaneously with the
publication Of the Miles correspondence.
Secrtary Root gave out copv Of Sec
retsry Longs order directing that Mac
laws resignation he requested taken in