Evening star., 1901-01-11
SKATERS WORK ATTACKED
SENATOR PETTIGREw CRTTICIsES
OPERATIONS BEFORE SANTIAGO.
Senate Votes to Make Shafter, Wilson
and Lee Major Generals and Fut
Them on the Retired List.

! IHe army reorganization DILL occupied tIs
Senate until after o'clock yesterday after.
noon.
Consideration was concluded of the com
mittee amendments to the bill, and the
Senate took UP the amendments proposed
by individual senators. The amendments
providing for the appointment of Generals
James H. Wilson, FitZhugh Lee and Gen
eral Shafter to be major generals Of the
regular army and retired prevailed, despite
some opposition.
After The Stars report of the Senate pro-
ceedings amendments were made to section
81 Of the BILL providing for the retirement
| of officers, in effect that that section should
not apply to any officer whose active service
| IN the army does not exceed thirty-fivs
years; "and it shall not apply to any off,
Ger who has been placed on the retired list
| by virtue Of any special act of Congress
| or to any officer who has already received
| such higher grade"
! An amendment offered by Mr.. Penrose au-
thorizing the members Of societies and
corps and reg1mental organizations of Span
ish war veterans to and wear upon oc-
casions the distinctive badges of such or
ganizations was adopted.
| Mr.. Daniel V(a) offered an amendment
authorizing the President to select from the
| list of brigadier generals of volunteers two
| officers without regard to age for the pur-
| pose of appointing them major generals of
the regular army and retiring them. Mr..
Daniel stated that the amendment was in
| tended to provide for the retirement of
General j. H. Wilson and General Fitzhugh
Lee
Mr.. Sewell offered an amendment to the
amendment authorizing the President to
select a regular army officer not above the
rank of brigadier general to be appointed
as major general and retired In answer
to an inquiry Of Mr. Teller Mr.. Sewell re-
piled that his amendment was intended to
apply to the benefit of "the man who con-
quered the Spanish nation''-General Shaf-
ter
Skaters Campaign Denounced.
Mr. Pettigrew declared there was nothing
in the history of the conflict at Santiago
which warranted the proposed action by
the Senate. TT Is comforting distinction
for honor not won,' he declared, land for
services not rendered. 1 am opposed to It,
If l read the history of that engagement
correctly, the credit for our victory GER
tainly does not belong to General Shafter."
Mr.. Pettigrew then sent to the clerk 5
desk and had read a chapter of Senator
Lodges history of the Hispano-American
war, giving an account OF the battle Of
Santiago.
After the clerk had read for some time
Mr.. Pettigrew himself took up the reading
making, as he proceeded, sarcastic COM
ment upon General Skaters conduct of the
battle.
Yes" said he, this is the man who is
to be specially honored by Congress- after
it has laid before 1t this damaging testi-
mony from the most eminent historian of
this body. The victory at Santiago was
won not by Shafter, but in spite of Shafter
NOW, we propose to promote him for mere
blGndering incapacity and inefficiency with |
out parallel in the history of battles re-
sulting in victory.
We have already promoted Corbin, who |
was not away from Washington during the |
war, and Ainsworth, who acted only as |
clerk, and now We propose to put Shafter |
on the list to emphasize the fact that Con- |
gress never promotes anybody unless it Is |
sure ne has never done any fighting
Mr. Sewell made warm defense Of Cen |
eral Shafter He declared that General |
Shafter had been selected to command the |
army in Cuba of the best soldiers |
in the army-an officer who had settled sat
fsfactorily all the Indian troubles in the
southwest and who was the fighting man of |
the period. That he was a military genius
SAID Mr.. Sewell, was conceded by military
authorities and all competent to Judge
Mr.. SewelPs amendment was agreed to-
Al to 11-and the original amendment as
amended was agreed to without division
Mr.. Pettigrew offered as a new section of
the bill an amendment providing that one
third of the original vacancies created by
this act shall be filled by selections from
the officers Of volunteers. In support of
the amendment Mr.. Daniel (Va) declared
that the bill as 1t stood was a pro-
scrption against the whole volunteer force
of the United States.
The announcement from the House of the
death Of Representative Frank G. Clarke OF
New Hampshire was laid before the Senate
Mr.. Gallinger presented a resolution ex-
pressive of the sorrow of the Senate. which
was adopted. The chair appointed Senators
Chandler (N.H), Gallinger (NH), Deboe
(Ky), Scott (W.VaD, McLauren (S.C), and
Heitfeld Gdaho) as a committee of the
tional mark Of respect the Senate then ad-
joUrned.