The St. Louis Republic., 1902-01-23
DECLARES HE WAS MlsQU0TED.
Major Hunter Says He Did Not
Criticise the Army.

Major George K Hunter of the Fifteenth
Cavalry, who Is now at JEFFERSON BARRACKS
on leave of absence. in discussing an ar
ticle in an afternoon paper quoting him as
having criticised Uncle Sans military sys-
tenn and ridiculing General shafter. said
last night:
THE statements ascribed to me In the ar
ticle in the afternoon paper are ridiculous
and misleading. They purpors to be ex.
the banquet given to Poultnev Bigelnw by
the Contemporary Club Monday night. The
sentative at te banuuet and ht6 the hs Speech
made on that occasion was evidently mis-
interpreted by somebody who heard it and
repeated 1t in that form to the paper. The
paper sent a representative down TO see
me this morning to ask me II the state
ments accredited to me were correctly re-
had said at the banquet. as closely as I
could remember its substance. The repre-
sentative, in detailing our interview Of this
morning. has miSQuoted me and placed me
in a false light
"At the banquet I was called upon for
an apt or fluent after-dinner speaker. hav-
ing been called upon to speak in pub
lie only three or four, times. 1 did not
temporary Club desired me to critizise the
remarks of the speaker who preceded me,
whose speech dealt considerably with the
States Government. % When a arose. @ there there.
fore. said that did not wish to take is
sue with Mr.: Bigelow. and that subscribed
TO nearly ali he had said. I spoke Of Ger
owing to the conditions Confronting her on
every every side and said that the splendid dis
that necessity. 1 said that the only criti-
cism made by foreign officers Of our
cipline applied to small details for which
commanders OF foreign troops are sticklers
soreign officers say that our men are born
marksmen. loyal and obedient. but that
they are not soldiers. In that they do not
observe al! the little details of military
precision of movement which are apparent
in the German troops in the fieid as on
parade.
Il then went on to describe the valor of
Chinese troubles. and as remember it paid
them high compliment. 1 did refer to
General shafter and the battle Of San
Juan ' Hill but did not criticise him nor say
violation of the f-my regulations regarding
discussion OF my superiors. 1 referred, in
passing to what has been frequently aliud-
ed to in the Official reports and public
prints. namely, that General Shafter was
sick in bed at the time Of the battle per-
spring profusely and greatly distressed
view with the reporter this morning said
that we had a splendid military system,
most efficient corps Of instructors at West
Point. and Secretary of War whom /, as
well as every other officer, regarded as one
of the most competent men who had ever
held the office, and whose earnest interest
is manifested in his efforts in securing the
passage of bill which will increase the
effectiveness es the army. The reporter
misquotes me as saying that the efficiency
of the army is being undermined by poll
tics. That is ridiculous. have a son who
is now a cadet at West Point, and it does
not seem reasonable that I would give
are accredited to me. The entire article
is sensational and misleading, and can
not fathom the motive for its publication"