Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-03-22
MILES Is ANGRY
THREATENS TO RESIGN IF PRO.
POSED ARMY REoRGANlzA-
TON BILL PASSES.
OPPOSED TO GENERAL STAFF

OPPOSED lU GENEKAL SlRrF
Believes in Lieutenant General Having
Complete Control and Quotes DC.
casions Where ii Worked to Great
Advantage-Asserts New Measure Is
in Interest of Favorites Of Secretary
of War and Adjutant General.
Washington, March 21.-General
Nelson A. Miles told the senate com.
mittee on military affairs during the
day that if the bill introduced by Sen.
ator Hawley at the instance of the wal
department for the organization of a
general staff for the army should be
come law he would decline to long
er hold his commission. The reason
he gave for the statement is that the
bill is utterly subsersive of the inter
ests of the military establishment, and
he said that he would not be 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 be,
hind closed doors, and in which Gen
eral Miles touched upon variety OF
subjects connected 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 o.
the army shall be assigned to com.
mand 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 com.
manding general of the army shall be
performed by the chief of general
staff or other general officer designat;
ed by the secretary 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 upon the separation
from active service of the said lieu
tenant general Of the army, said office
except as herein provided, shall cease
and determine" 4.
General Miles said that If this pro.
vision should become a law it would
have the effect of destroying the unity
of the army and he read 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 observa'
ton had, he said, the effect of confirm
ing these views and he gave an illus
tration of it's beneficial effect
,@ In Time of Emergency,
instancing the beginning Of the war
with Spain. "
81 heard at midnight he said
'sthat the Spanish feet had been locat'
ed definitely at Santiago, and hasten
ed to the home of Secretary Long,
where the news was confirmed. Shaft.
er was then at Tampa, and sat down
there, in the secretary's house, and
wrote a dispatch directing him to
start Immediately for Santiago with
the result that the army was soon on
its way to the point where it's presence
was needed. Suppose he added, ex-
hibiting the message which he had
sent to General Shafter, Il had been
compelled to get around to a dozen or
more majors, as many colonies and
any number of generals constitute
ing a general staff -'"
Then he added that in all probabil:
ity 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 relieving him (the senior
general) of command and making it
possible for any other officer to be ap-
pointed. He declared that under Sec
ton Z it would be competent to one
day promote a captain to the position
of brigadier and the next day make
him chief of staff, thus practically
placing captain at the head of the
army. Warming up somewhat he as
serted 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 fayorites.
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 it, but
the committee did not ask for the
names .