The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-04
MILES VS.. ROOSEVELT EFT AL.

commanding general Of the army has largely 'I -. 90
fact that the nredent went of his way to MAKE an W
,;t, 80 i Nils another slap in the face has by no
means added to the formers popularity Even many " us
friends pointed out that he could have noorseu
letter without adding that Had there been any uouo
as the wisdom of denying GenefSl Ni'i'S i't'
paners would remove such doubt =, ,
There is no doubt that the quarrel between Roosevelt anu
Root on one side and Miles the other has never o
ceeded in bitterness by any that has occurred !"
ele in recent wears Miles and Root are at daSserS points
and the president is doing everything IN MS power "
his cabinet officer Ii is quite of the question 10 pleue
with any degree OF certainty as to future Mn,
the case but there is excellent reason to peleVe S'
will be placed on the retired list at the earliest possible mo
ment As has been pointed out heretofore IN h's eoie
snondenc seems that Root and OF his TRENDS are
still hopeful of preventing the utter defeat OF the io
army reorganization bill and they realize that the
retirement of the commanding general at this time would ao
soutcy destroy whatever small chances OF success te
urc in question may he thought to possess On the otner
hand Miles will voluntarily retire because OF inc iepi'
mand administered him result OF MS inteVle" on
the Schv case nor because the developments with refer
cuce to his request to be the Philippines lie VIII re-
main in Office until his age limit reached unless he Is aroi
trary placed the retired list by the president Inc DC
lct is general that Roosevelt is only awaiting aVorsoe
opportunity and that he will take advantage of his preroga
tive and commanding general at the earliest posi-
bic moment consistent with the interests Of the Root bill
OF course it is altogether unlikely that some fresh
clash may in the future and no surprise need DC
felt if such clash should come and should be followed by
/
tremey anxious to get rid Miles who has proved some
thing thorn his side since his accession to the
presidency only the advice OF his most trusted friends
has prevented him from wreakng his dispeasure on the
general prior to this time.
In the meantime Miles being ignored far possible.
1t quite likely that he would be glad enough to voluntarily
go retired list but for the fact that he thinks he
be able long in the active service pre-
the successful carrying out of of the adminsa
tons plans among them the reorganization bill.
1t is considered to be somewhat odd that General Miles
should have the secretary OF another communication
with reference the proposed trip the Philippines after
the Bueson resolution calling for all the in the
offered to the house The of opinion to
be that Miles realizing that the chances largely in favor
OF the papers being made public wished strengthen his
side of the much possible 1t may be that he did
this much by calling forth the unwarranted criticism of
Root and the president by setting forth additional facts
with reference his proposed plan for the pacifcaion of
the Philippines,
* Il
careful reading Of the correspondence will show that
Root charges Miles with making missatement of fact
with being DESTROYS of setting himself up military die
ator in the Philippines with betraying military secrets and
with trying to review opinion of the president which, ap-
parently held to be above by NOR
tails To these charges all of which contained in the
last letter of the secretary to the president the general has
had opportunity reply and should he reply the chances
that the president would attempt do something toward
"dscpning him. Thus it will be that another inter-
estng phase OF the be presented Roots last
and the presidents uncaed-for Miles both
written after the latter had given his testimony before the
senate committee military affairs, which testimony
generally admitted have completely destroyed whatever
chances OF success the may have had 1t plain
that relations between the three officials strained to the
breaking point and there is nothing in evidence this time
to indicate that the will be relieved in any way
Another matter which may be brought out BY that nno-
cent little paragraph in Henry Watteson letter to his paper
two weeks ago is that with reference to the condition
OF affairs in Iayabas province the Philippines The war
department has been carefully guarding the that
charges of serious have been filed by the civil
governor Of that province against the military adminra-
ton OF the islands and that General Chae had been direct
ed by the department to make thorough investigation of
these charges General Miles reference the matter let
the cat out of the bag extent and now it is not
altogether improbable that will ask for all the facts
SO tar as they can be ascerancd this end The war de-
parment officials he very much afraid that some
thing OF this kind will be done and there is reason to be-
eyc that they will do everything in their power to nrevcn,
complete publicity being given the charges
4
The tact that the charges mentioned have been made Nv
no means comedies with the OF Governor Taft
and others to the effect that the conditions existing in the
islands highly satisfactory and that thoro,eb b
existed between the military the civil authorities l.
may or may not be significant that General Smith who NOT
long ago issued an order contemplating the of the most
drastic methods imaginable in the subugaon of N, n,,
IN the territory under his command has been r4..d 80
~ the Philippines and ordered to take charge of the denar
ment OF Texas with headquarters Fort sam Houston
"ne OF course the matters discussed here are the mos,
N Na'sUN ''Cllon between the ad-
""sdUoh ana the commanding general of the army there
are several others involved and one of thethe locate;
o. the proposed permanent camps military instruction
considerable interest to Texas 1t will be recalled that the
board OF generals OF which Miles was the head rec.nt
o" 'Ne various sites that had been under consdera
uon and that this report ignored Texas comnIet.Iy e.
iay Root took the matter up as much perbsps bec.,a.
vines was opposed to as because its merit showed on Il,
la'e Within very few days after the Miles board had ~
ns department issued orders directing Captain R;eb
" P'o'eeo from Galveston TO San Antonio and n ,,.l
4ooush survey of the site that point which had hs.
10 the government for the location of one Of the nc
poseo camps Inasmuch Mr. Root seems to hold the .n
us' now Texas chances for securing one Of the
s1 em TO be brighter than before Renresertt;
yuen ~'' continue to push the matter and viii sh ~
whole bill in the military AFFAIR." anu win hght the