Evening star., 1902-03-25
GEN. NILES STATEMENT
MADE PUBLIC 81 SENATE MILL
TARYa o.oHM1rTEE.
Some Things Also That Were Not
Mentioned in the First
Publication.

Last night the Senate committee on mill
| tary affairs made public the statement of
General Miles before the committee as it
| will appear in the official records The fea-
lures which caused something Of sensa-
ton when published the day the statement
| was made do not appear, and the following
colloquy at the close Of the hearing ex-
| plains it:
Mr.. Pettus-'Mr. Chairman, think there
| ought to be some. mode Of having these
notes revised" a.
The Chairman-"That will be DONE"
Mr. Pettus-"The report of the proceed
| ings should be submitted to General Miles,
with permission to strike out such portions
as ought not to be published ~ -s-,. .
| Mr. Proctor-"That is it."
General Miles-.I do not know that there
| is anything to be stricken OUT.
| The Chairman-"We have been in the
| habit sof submitting. to the witness before
| the committee. whoever he was. the stenog-
| rapher's report Of his remarks for correc-
| ton, Of course"
| Mr. Pettus-"I wanted to go 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 desire to strike out, and
| think he should be allowed that privilege"
|
that -oe~-.~-.,
Mr.. Pettus-"Ie.. should be allowed me
| liberty of striking out anything which
ought not to be published even if Ii is
| stated correctly in the report"
The stenographers report was submitted
| to General Miles. and the official report in
| dicates that he followed closely the written
statement he had prepared and read to the
| committee. The main facts of the generals
| opposition to the War Department staff
| bill were given at the time.
| Some Features Of His Statement.
| Some of the features of the statement
| however, not reported at the time are Of in
| terest Concerning the inspector generals
| department he said:
In the bill under consideration 1t is pro-
| posed to abolish entirely the corps Of in
| spectors who have been most instrumental
| in keeping the army up to its high charac-
ter and efficiency and in discovering defal-
| cations, ineff1ciency and maladministration
| and, on the other hand, in encouraging and
| reporting meritOrious conduct, efficiency
and ability in all the different commands
| and departments of the service
Speaking Of the general efficiency Of pay
| uuartermasters and commissary depart
ments, he said:
THE three departments mentioned have
| rendered most efficient service in the great
! civil war. the wars Of the frontier, the
| Spanish-American war, and in the Phil
| ippines and China. The maladministration
| III llc COHIIIilSSdIy department llaL OCCa-
| stoned SO much suffering In 1893 was not
| the fault of the system, but of those re-
| sponsible for Its administration, and since
| 1t was exposed and corrected I am not
| aware that a single case has been report
| ed where a soldier has not received his
| daily food and his pay when due from the
cOmm1ssary and pay departments, respec-
lively: and these have been promptly trans
| ported TO him through the efficient manage
| ment of the quartermaster's department.
Hia nnininn ~ %ha n;11
| Further along Gen. Miles said Of the bill:
ut is Capitalization of the most pro-
| nounced type augrnents the power of the
staff and in effect removes it further from
touch with the fighting force Of the army
The scheme is revolutionary, casts to the
| winds the lessons OF experience and aban-
| dons methods which successfully carried us
| through the most memorable war epochs of
| our history The proposed plan is
| but an effort to adopt and foster, in a re-
| publican form Of government such ours
| a system peculiarly adopted to monarchies
| having immense standing armies 1t would
seem to GermaniZe and Russianize the
| small army of the United States"
Gen. Miles said that before the Spanish
war began he called on President Mckinley
| and that when the President said he sup
| posed the army was ready he Gen. Miles,
| replied:
THE army, as far as the personnel is
| concerned, Is ready for any service, but
| there is much to be done In the way Of
| equipment and the defense Of the coast,
| which ought to be supplied at the other
| end of the capital"
| The President he added consulted men,
bers of Congress and the $50,OOO.OOO defense
| fund was voted.
| In addition to that portion of the state
ment heretofore published showing how
! the President could by promotion make a
| captain chief of staff with the grade Of
| lieutenant general. Gen Miles said: -....
1T seems to me that you are throwing
| the door wide open for future autOcrat or
a military despot. 1t Is not. In my judg-
| ment 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 full
| filled all your requirements, to adopt such
| a scheme"