The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-21
MILES SHOWS SPIRIT
WILL RESIGN If NEW ARMY BILL.
BECOMES A LAW.
ALL THE TALK IN WASHINGTON
CEN. MILES MAKES VIGOROUS AT
TACK ON MEASURE.

Riu with Gloves on Behind Closed
doors, but Is Afraid to stand for
His Statements in the Open-Gen-
eraI staff Would Control the Army
Under New Scheme and Ranking
General WOuId BE Figurehead.
Would Be No Real Head, Says
MILES. and Dangerous Results
would Follow.
Washington, March 20.-Gen. Nelson
A. Miles to-day told the Senate Com
'mittee on Military Affairs that if the
ALL 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 decline to longer hold his COM
mission. The reason he gave for the
statement is that the bill is utterly
subversive of the interests of the mill
tary establishment. and he said that
he would not be party to such a
proceeding to the extent even of con-
tinuing 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.
Miles touched upon variety of sub
jects 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 of
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
handing general of the army shall be
performed by the chief of general staff
or other general officer designated by
the Secretary of War. Provided, that
so long as the present lieutenant gen.
eral 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"
Would Destroy Unity of Army.
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 authori-
ties including Napoleon, Wellington,
Cass and Grant to show the necessity
of having one head to the army and
Of controlling authority. His own ex-
perience and observation, he said, had
the effect of confirming these views,
and he gave an Illustration of its bene-
fetal effect in time of emergency, in
stancing the beginning of the war with
Spain.
Il heard at midnight" he said, that
the Spanish fleet had been located
definitely at Santiago and l fastened
to the home of Secretary Long, where
the news was confirmed. Shafter was
then at Tampa, and l sat down there,
in the Secretary's house, and wrote
dispatch, directing him to start inn
mediately 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, exhibit
ing the message which he had sent to
Cen Shafter, II had been compelled
to get around to a dozen or more ma
Jors, as many colonies and any num-
Der of generals constituting a general
staff"
How Things Could Be Worked.
Then he added that in all probability
the senior genral of the army would
have been in position to do anything,
and he called attention to the clause
relieving him {the senior generaD of
command and making it possible for
any other officer to be appointed. He
declared that under section 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 a cap
tain at the head of the army. Warm
ing up somewhat, Gen. Miles said the
bill was calculated to accomplish no
purpose except to allow the Secretary
of War and the Adjutant General to
promote the interest of their personal
favorites.
Gen. Miles was questioned as to the
reasons for locating the American
army of occupation at Tampa and
holding it there so long with the re-
sulting congestion. Replying to the
frst question, Gen. Miles said that it
was because of the order to occupy
Havana. The delay was due to the
fact that the American army was
supplied with only GA rounds of am
munition, which would not have been
sutt1cient for more than half an hour
OF fighting. Considering that Havana
was one of the best fortified cities in
the world, to have attacked it would
nave been foolhardy in the extreme.
lie declined, however, to criticise the
then Secretary of War, Gen. Alger, for
the condition of affairs, saying that
probably anyone else in the same po-
sltlon would have done about what he
uld. He laid the general blame for this
condition of unpreparedness at the
coor of Congress.
IN the course of his remarks, Gen.
Miles told the committee in confidence
mat with the bill law he could now
name the men who would hold the
PAGES of honor provided under it, but
lhe committee did not ask for the
names.
Secretary Roots Testimony.
The printed report of the testimony
VI secretary Root before the Military
Nommittee on this bill was made pub
nc Today. In his statement the secre-
AIRY stated that the general staff of
,ue army as it is proposed to organ
ne IL under this bill would be simply
Ss an advisory board. and that its
principal duty would be that of an adj
Vlsory board
asked as to the place the command
ef-ln-chief would occupy with refer
Piled:
The plan of the bill is to have the
o.He1 OF staff selected by the President
comfnander-in-ch and to have
so detail so that he will come in
President
tb Senator. Bate-Do I understand thai
lie Il -