Evening star., 1902-03-20
MILES WOULD RESIGN
Would Not Serve Under the
Proposed Reorganization.
STATED TO SENATORS
ANNOUNCEMENT TO MILITARY
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
Relates Experience of Spanish War
to Sustain His Contention
Against the Bill.
STATED TO SENATORS

Gen. Nelson A. Miles today told the Sem
ate committee military affairs that if
the bill introduced 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 de-
cline to longer hold his commission. The
reason he gave for the statement is that
the bill is utterly subversive of the inter-
eSts of the military establishment, and he
said that he would not be party to such
Il proceeding to the extent even of contin-
uing to hold his place.
The statement was made in the course of
a prolonged hearing by the committees
which was conducted behind closed DOORS
and in which Gen. Miles touched upon a
variety of subjects connected with the
army. The portion of the bill to which he
directed his especial criticism is that con-
tanned in section Z. reading as follows:
Duties of General of the Army.
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 President 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
retary of War: Provided. that long as
the present lieutenant general of the army
continues on the active list he shall be the
chief of the general staff, and upon the
:. para ton from active service of the said
lieutenant So neral of the army, said office.
except as herein provided, shall cease and
determine.
Gen. Miles said that if this provision
should become a law. it would have the
effect of destroying the unity of the army,
and he read numerous authorities, includ-
ing Napole, i. Wellington. Washington.
Cass and Grant, to show the necessity of
having ore head to the army and of con-
trolling authority.
Dispatch Of Army to Santiago.
His own experience and observation had,
he said, had the effect of confirming these
views. and he gave an illustration of its
beneficial effect in time of emergency, in
stanclns the beginning of the war with
Spain Il heard at midnight, he said,
that the Spanish fleet haa been located
definitely at Santiago, and 1 fastened to
the home of Secretary Long, where the
news was confirmed. Shafter was then at
Tampa, and l sat down there, in the Sec
retary's house, and wrote a dispatch di
roCting him TO start Immediately for San
tiago. with the result that the army was
soon on its way to the point where its
presence was needed. Suppose he added,
exhibiting the message which he had sent
to General Snafter, Il had been compelled
to get around to dozen or more majors,
as many colonels and any number of gem
erals constituting general staff
Would Tie Generals Hands.
Then he added that In all probability the
senior general of the army would not,
der the provision he had quoted, have been
in position to do anything, and he called
attention to the clause relieving him the
senior generaD of command and making
II possible for any other officer to be ap
pointed. He declared that under section
Z it would be competent to one day pro-
mote a captain to the position of a brig
adler and the next day make him chief OF
staff, thus practically placing captain at
the head of the army.
Warming up somewhat. he asserted that
the bill was calculated to accomplish no
purpose except to allow the Secretary Of
War and the adjutant general to promote
the interests of their personal favorites.
Delay at Tampa.
General Miles was questioned as to the
reasons for locating the American army Of
occupation at Tampa and holding it there
SO long, with the resulting congestion.
Replying to the first question, he said
that it was because Of the order to occupy
Havana. The delay was due, he said, to
piled with only sixty-four rounds Of am
munition, which would not have been suf-
ficient for more than half an hour Of fight
ing
Considering that Havana was one of the
best fortified cities in the world, he said
that to have attacked it would have been
foolhardy in the extreme. He declined,
however, to criticise the then Secretary of
War, General Alger, for the condition Of
affairs, 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 at the door Of
+ Congress.
Could Name the Lucky Ones:
In the course of his remarks General
Miles told the committee in confidence that
with the bill law he could now name the
men who would hold the places Of honor
provided under 1t, but the committee did
not ask for the names.
Wants to Know About Niles Offer.
Representative Burleson Of Texas today
introduced In the House the following res
olution of inquiry:
Resolved, That the President be, and
he hereby is, respectfully requested. II the
same is not incompatible with the public
interests, to transmit to- the House copies
of all correspondence relating to and pa
pers bearing upon, the matter Of the re-
cent request of Lieut. Gen. Nelson A.
Miles to be assigned to duty In the Philip
there plan outlined by him having for
its purpose and being calculated to bring
about an immediate cessation of hosttltties
in said Philippines without further loss of