Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-27
THE / 1ylDEEfACTS
General Miles Censured by
His Orders.
MACLAY'S RESIGNATION DEMANDED.
Commander of Army Told lie Had No
Business to Express Himself on
SchIey Notwithstanding Long
Approves Majority Report.


WASHINGTON, Dee. 23.-The latest
sensation in the Schley case following
the action of Secretary of the Navy
Long in approving the findings of the
court of inquiry is the appearance Of
President Roosevelt ON the scene and
exercising his prerogatives as COM
mander in chief of the army and navy,
In doing which he ordered the repri-
mand of Lieutenant General Miles by
Secretary Root and demand for the
resignation of Edgar Stanton Maclay
from his berth as special laborer in the
Brooklyn navy yard.
General Miles is the general COM
handing the army, and the censure i'm
posed by the presidents direction is
called forth by an interview on the
Schey court and its findings Mr.. Ma
clay is the historian of the navy, whose
accusations of "caitiff" conduct against
Rear Admiral Schley caused the rum
pus which resulted in the court of in
quiry, and who also talked in violation
Of the regulations.
General Miles was reprimanded for
saying:
| am willing to take the judgment of
Admiral Dewey in the matter. He has
Deen commander of fleet and as such
has known of the anxieties and RESPONSE
Dilities which rest on a man under those
circumstances. He was instrumental in
the destruction of one Spanish fleet and
knows and realizes the feelings that en-
compass an officer under such conditions
L think Dewey has summed up the mat
7
believe his conclusions will be Endorsed by
the patriotic people of the United States.
! have no sympathy with the efforts
which have been made to destroy the hon
or of an officer under such circumstances.
Mr.. Maclay also gave an interview
on the findings of the court, in which
he declared that all the statements he
had made had been substantiated by
the testimony presented to the court of
inquiry.
When the interview with General
Miles was published, Secretary Root
by instruction of the president, called
upon the general for an explanation
which was made in writing.
The formal reprimand is contained in
q letter from Secretary Root to General
Miles, in which the secretary says:
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 in the course of
military discipline. The established and
tnvariabe rules of official propriety neces-
sary to the effective discipline of the serv-
Zee impose limitations upon the public ex-
pressions of military officers, with which
your long experience should have made
you familiar.
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 recommended tons
and not otherwise. The first article of the
regulations governing the army of the
United States provides:
deliberations or discussions among mill
ftary men conveying praise or censure or
any mark of appreciation toward others
in the military service are prohib-
tied"
The present facts are that for several
years there had been an unfortunate and
bitter controversy in the navy department
"A controversy generally deplored even by
the participants, as tending to bring the
service into disesteem at home and abroad
and to destroy those relations of mutual
influence and friendship between naval
officers which the interests of effective
service require.
In this controversy the army had not
been involved, ana no bar had been raised
TO that good feeling and friendly relation
between all the officers of the navy and
all the officers of the army which is essen
tial TO the successful and harmonious CO.
operation of the two services in prepara-
ton and in action. a court of inquiry had
been held on the matters in controversy
and a report had been made in which one
member of the court had dissented in
some particulars from the majority. and
the report was pending before the review
ing authority.
AT this point you, the lieutenant general
of the army, saw fit to make public ex-
preston of your opinion as between the
majority and the minority of the court
accompanied by criticism of the most
severe character, which could not fan IN
be applied by the generality of readers to
the naval officers against whose view YOUR
opinion was expressed. 1t is of no conse-
quence on whose side your opinion was or
what it was
Secretary Root concluded his letter
with this sharp reproof:
You had no business in the controversy
end no right holding the office which YOU
do, 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 liable
10 censure, which | now express
SECRETARY LONGS APPROVAL
Before he made public his indorse.
ment on the findings of the court OF
inquiry Secretary Long showed it tC
the president, who heartily approved it
This is Secretary Longs approval OF
the majority report:
The department has read the testimony
I'm this case, the arguments of counsel a
the trial, the courts findings of fact, opin
Son and recommendation, the individual
memorandum of the presiding member
the statement of exceptions to the sale
findings and opinion by the applicant
the reply to said statement by the judg,
advocate of the court and his assistan
and the brief this day submitted by coun
sci for Rear Admiral Sampson traversini
the presiding members view as to VIII
was in command at the battle of Santiago
And, after careful consideration, tn
findings of fact and the opinion of tn
full court are approved.
As 70 the points on which the presiding
member differs from the opinion of tn
majority of the court. the opinion OF tn
majority is approved
30 Of h