The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-21
GENERAL MILES THREATENS
WILL RESIGN IF GENER4J-STAFF
 LAWIS ADOPTED.
UItimatum to the Senate Com mittce on
 Foreign Affatrs-DeclareS the Bill Is Subversive of the Interests of the

Army.
 Washington, March 20-General Nel
 son A. Miles told the senate committed
 on military affairs that if the bill intro
 duced by Senator Hawley, at the in-
 stance of the war department, for the
 organization of a general staff for the
 army should become a law, he would
 decline longer to hold his commission. The reason he gave is that the bill is
 utterly subversive Of the interests of
 the military establishment, and he said
 that he would not be party to such a proceeding to the extent even of con-
 tihuirg to hold his place.
 The statement was made in the course of a prolonged hearing by the com
 mittee, which was conducted behind closed doors, and in which General
 Miles touched upon variety of sub jects connected with the army. The
 part of the bill to which he directed
 his special criticism Is that contained
 in section 7. 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 i 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 in the active list, he shall be the chief of the general staff,
 and, upon the separation from active service of the said lieutenant general of the army, said office, except as here in provided, shall cease and determine.
 General Miles said that If this provi- sion should become a law, it would have the effect of destroying numerous au- thorities, including Napoleon, Yelling ton, Washington, Cass, and Grant, to show the necessity of having one head to the army and of controlling author ity His own experience and obserYa- ton had, he said, had the effect of con firming these views. and he gave an illustra tion of its beneficial effect in time of emergency, instancing the be- ginning of the war with Spain
 T heard at midnight" he said, that the Spanish fleet had been located definitely at Santiago, and I hastened to the home of Secretary Long, where the news was confirmed Shafter was then at Tampa, and I sat down there in the secretary's house and wrote a dis pa tch directing him to start immediate 1y for Santiago, with the result that the army was soon on it's way to the point where it's presence was needed
 Suppose" he added, exhibiting the message which he had sent to General Shafter, T had been compelled to get around to dozen or more majors, as many colones, and any number of gen erals constituting a general staff.
 Then he added that in all probability | the senior general Of the army would | not. under the provision he had quoted, | have been in position to do anything, | and he called attention to the clause re- | lieving him (the senior general of | and making it possible for | any other officer to be appointed. He | declared that under section ', it would | be competent one day to promote a cap tain to the position of brigadier, and l the next day make him chief of staff, thus practically placing a captain at the head GT the army.
 Warming up somewhat he asserted 1 that the bill was calcula ted to accom- plish no purpose except to allow the 1 secretary of war and the adjutant gem aral to promote the interests of their personal favorites.
 General Miles was questioned as to the reasons for locating the American army of occupation at Tampa and hold ng it there SO long, with the resulting congestion Replying to the first ques- ion, he said that it was because of the order to occupy Havana, The delay vas due, he said to the fact that the American army was supplied with only iixtyfour rounds of ammunition, which would not have been sufficient for more han half an hour of fighting. Consid- ring that Havana was one of the best ortified cities in the world, he said { hat to have attacked it would have ,een foolhardy in the extreme. He de ] lined, however, to crlticise the then ( ecretary of war. General Alger, for he condition of affairs, saying that z robably anyone else in the position I would have done about what he did. I Ic laid the general blame for this con- itiOn or unpreparedneSs at the door or ongress.
 In the course of his remarks General C files told the committee in confidence V hat with the bill a law, he could now a anne the men who would hold the il laces of honor provided under it, but r ie committee did not ask for the T ames. il