The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-08

New York, October 5.-General AL
gers book on the Spanish-American
war, which his publishers state '"has
been delayed and changed because OF
the death of President Mckinley" viii
be issued next Thursday.
Opening his book with survey of
the Cuban situation in 1898, General
Alger says:
1.-The thoughtful observer of public
events during the years 1s95-97 need
hardly to be reminded that both the
tion sought by every honorable
means to avoid complications
with Spain, though protesting
against the conditions prevalent in
Cuba" He then comments upon our
unpreparedness for war at that time
and the splendid spectacle of the coun-
try's response to the governments ul-
timatum upon Spain. He then leads
the reader through the hurried prepa-
| rations for war, it's embarrassments of
difficulties. the persecution OF the office
seekers, the disappointment of hundreds
| of volunteers, the demands Of sea-
| coast cities and towns for immediate
| and impossible protection and the saw
age criticism of the military admins
| tration plans of campaign and the bat
| tie with the apparently endless list of
short comings and grievances. Then
| follow the plans of the campaign; the
| embarkation at Tampa. which was Sc
verely criticised at the time, but which
General Alger is now convinced that.
all things considered was not a mis-
| take
The account of the march on Santf-
ago is graphically pictured and por-
trays one Of the fights at Caney and
San Juan.
The round robin" incident comes in
| for fair share of space While the
negotiations for surrender were pend
ing before Santiago the general officers
| OF Shafter's army met and signed a
round robin" which was given out for
publication. This paper showed great
alarm over the threatened coming of
| yellow and entric fevers and went on
to say this army must be moved at
once or it will perish"
J OF the 'round robin itself, General
Alger says he has no criticism to offer;
but he does criticise the publication of
it, saying that it was one of the most
unfortunate and regrettable incidents
of the war
ADMIRAL SAMPSON CRITICISED.
| General Alger reviews at length the
differences between General Shafter and
Admiral Sampson and quotes many Of
fetal letters. He concludes this chap
! ter in these words:
1T is difficult to account for Admiral
SIMPSONS seeming attitude towards
the army during the operations before
| Santiago, as well as to excuse him for
his contradictory statements, subse-
quently made in his official report Af-
ter the, 3rd of July the admirars con-
duct may be due to the keen disap-
pointment resulting from his non-par-
ticipation in the engagement with Ger
vera's squadron. Possibly he felt that
Shafter's request for a conference on
the morning Of July 3rd, innocent
though it was, was responsible for his
being deprived of the honor of actively
participating as commander-in-chiefin in
one Of the most remarkable victories I'm
the annals of naval warfare"
| MILES-EGAN CONTROVERSY
OF the Miles-Egan controversy over
the alleged furnishing Of embalmed beef
to the army, General Alger says:
THE commission appointed by the
president at my request to investigate
the conduct of the war department in
the war with Spain commonly known
as the war investigation, or the Dodge
commission, met on the 2lth day of
| September 1885, Up to the 21st of De-
cember 1898 this commission had taken
testimony in seventeen towns and
cities and in many different camps.
| granting, wherever IL went. to the cit
izens, soldiers or ex-soldiers, an oppor-
tunity to appear for complaint or tes-
timony Of any kind regarding the con-
duct OF the war. The commission VISIT
ed numerous camps in which the
still were many thousands of soldiers.
both regulars and volunteers, who were
invited to give their evidence without
regard to rank or service.
MILES SHOWN UP.
Op the 21st Of December the major
general commanding the army Of the