The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1902-04-02
SOME PLAIN TALK
From General Miles on the Proposed
Army Bill.
1T MEANS GENERALIZATION.
Throwing the Door Wide Open
FOR Future Autocrat Or
Military Despot,"
Says the General.

The statement of Gen. Miles before
the senate committee on Military af-
fairs as it will appear in the ofiici al
records, has been made public. The
features which caused something OF n
sensation when published the day the
statement was made do not appear
and the following colloquy at the close
of the hearing explains it:
Mr.. Pettus-Mr. Chairman. I think
there ought to be some mode of hay-
ing these notes revised.
Inc eChairman-That will be done.
Mr.. Pettus-The report of the pro-
ceedings should be submitted to Gen
Miles, with permission to strike ont
such portions as ought not to be pub
liShed.
Mr.. Proctor-That is It.
Gen alileS-I do not know that
there is anything to be stricken out.
The Chairman-We have been I'm
the habit of submitting to the witness
before The committee, whoever he was.
Tie stenographer's report of his re-
marks for correction, of course.
Mr.. Pettus-1 wanted to 90 further
than that. The stenographer has no
doubt taken down correctly what the
general has said, but there are some
things that he said which he may de-
sire TO strike out, and think he should
be allowed that privilege.
The Chairman-He must be the
judge of that.
MIR. Pettus-He should be allowed
the liberty of striking out ANYTHING
whlch ought not to be published, even
IL III Is stated correctly in the report.
Ihe stenographer's report was sub
mitted to Gen. Miles and the offIcia,
report indicates that he followed
closely the written statement he had
prepared and read to the committee
The main facts of the generals opposi-
tlon to the war department. staff hill
were given at the time. Some of the
features OF the statement. however.
not reported at the, time are of in.
tereSt.
Gen. Miles said OF the bill:
lt is Capitalization of the. most
pronounced type, augments the power
OF the staff and in effect removes it
lurther from touch with the fighting
force or the army. The scheme is rev-N
olutionary, casts to the winds the les
through the most memorat ta.a,,,
epeehs of our history y II
posed plan is but an effort to-
ana roster, in republican IL
government such as ours, a syS>
peculiarly, adopted to monarchies hay
ing immense standing armies. 1t
would seem to GermaniZe and Rus
Sian;Ze the small army of the United
States"
In addition to that portion of the
statements heretofore published Show
ing how the president could by promo
tions make captain chief OF staff
with the grade Of lieutenant general,
Gen. Miles said:
1t seems TO me you are throwing
the door wide open for future autocrat
or military despot. 1t is not, in my
judgment, in accordance with the
principle and theory of democratic
government and for the best interests
OF the army, which has existed more
than hundred years and fulfilled all
your requirments, to adopt such a
scheme" "
In commenting on the above The
| bNaIS Say lllIS ID SlTOuR language,
certainly, and quite enough to make
1t plain why President Roosevelt on
hearing Of it was seized by and almost
irresistible desire to retire Gen. Miles
from his position at the head OF the
army-a method OF restoring har-
mony IN the military establishment
which he was only kept from adopting
by the urgent advice of his friends in
the senate. This Indictment OF the
measure by Gen. Miles corresponds
with that pre- sented several days ago
, by this newspaper on the strength OF
Secretary Roots admission that the
purpose of the army bill was to let
the ranking officer of the army come
/, in with the president and go out with
president. We observe that Henry
!. WatterSon took the same view in his
speech on Monday night, when he de-
| clared that this army reorganization
: bill, if it shall become law, will
J make the power Of the president abSo-
lutte" and that it ought to be entitled
AN act TO make the president OF the
United States a military dictator"