The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-25


pIininS the General.
Washington. March 2O.-General Mel
son A Miles told the senate committee
IN military affairs that if the bill in
troduced by Senator Hawley, at the
instance OF the war department, for the
organization of a general staff for the
army should become a law he would no
longer hold his commission. The rea-
son he gave for the statement is that
the bill is utterly subversive of the in
terests of the military establishment,
and he said he would not be a party to
such a proceeding to the extent even of
continuing to hold his place.
The statement was made in the
course Of a prolonged hearing by the
committee, which was conducted behind
closed doors and in WHICH General Miles
touched upon d variety of subjects con-
nected with the army. The portion OF
the bill to which he directed his especial
criticism is that contained in Section Z
reading as follows:
THAT from and after the passage Of
this act the senior general officer of the
army shall be assigned to command
such portion of the army as the presi-
dent may direct, or be detailed to duty
IN the general staff corps. All duties
Prescribed by law for the commanding
general of the army shall be performed
by the chief of general staff or other
general officer designated by the secre-
tary of war. Provided that so long as
the present lieutenant general OF the
army continues on the active list he
shall be the chief of the general staff
and nnnpn tho cnnnrnfiAn Grown o4t;yra
service Of the lie lieutenant general OF
the army. said office. except as herein
provided, shall cease and determine"
General Miles said that IL this provi-
sion should become a law it would have
the effect of destroying the unity OF the
army and he e numerous authorities,
including Napoleon, Wellington, Wash
ington, Cass and Grant to show the ne
cessity of having one head TO the army
and of controlling authority. His own
experience and observation had, he
said, had the effect of confirming these
views and he ave an illustration of it's
beneficial effect in time of
instancing the beginning of the war
with Spain. II heard at midnight" he
said. that h Spanish fleet had been
located definitely at Santiago and 1 has
tened to the home of Secretary Long
where the news was confirmed. Shafter
was then at Tampa, and l sat down
there, in the secretary's house and
wrote a dispatch directing him to start
Immediately for Santiago, with the re-
suit that the army was soon on it's way
to the point where its presence was
needed. Suppose" he added. exhibiting
the message which he had sent to Cen
eral Shafter Il had been compelled to
get around to a dozen or more majors,
as many colonies and anv number of
generals constituting a general staff"
Then he added that in all probability
the senior general of the army would
not. under the provision he mad quoted,
have been in position to do anything,
n he called attention to the clause
relieving him the senior generaD OF
command and making it possible for
any other officer to be appointed. He
declared that under Section I it wOuld
be competent to one day promote a cap
tain to the position of a brigadier and
the next day make him chief of staff,
thus practically placing a captain at
the head of the army. Warming Up
somewhat he asserted hat the bill was
calculatedbto accomplish no purpose ex-
cept to allow the secretary of war and
the adjutant general to promote the in
terests OF their personal favOrites.
General Miles was questioned as tn
the reason for locating the American
army OF occupation at Tampa and hold
ing 1t there so long with The resulting
congestion.
Replying to the first question. he said
that 1t was because OF the order to oc-
cupy Havana The delay was due, he
said. TO the fact hat the American
army was supplied with only siXty-fouI
rounds of ammunition which would not
have been sufficient for more han half
an hour of fighting. Considering that
Havan was n of the best fortified
cities in the world, he said that to have
attacked it would have been ~foolhardy
I'm the extreme: He declined. however
to criticise the hen secretary of war
Genera Alger. for the condition Of at
fairs saying that probably any one else
in the position would have done about
What he did. He laid the general blame
for this condition OF unpreparedness al
the door OF congress-
In the course of his remark Genera
Miles told the committee in confidence
that with the bill n law he could nov
name the men who would hold tn
places OF honor provided under 1t, but
the committee did not ask for thu
names
The news Of General Miles state
mants today before the military com