Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1902-03-28

IN interest OF rdvOTlteS " 0SS'Sso'J
Of War and Adjutant General.
Washington, March 21.-Generai
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 war
department for the organization OF
general staff for the army should be-
come a 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 a 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 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 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"
General Miles said that if this pro
vision should become 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, tc
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 Has
tration of it's beneficial effect
In Time Of Emergency,
instancing the beginning of the wal
with Spain.
II heard at midnight he said
that the Spanish fleet had been locat
ed definitely at Santiago, and l hasten
ed to the home Of Secretary Long
where the news was confirmed. Shaft
er was then at Tampa, and sat dow
there, in the secretary's house, an.
wrote a dispatch directing him t.
start Immediately for Santiago will
the result that the army was soon O,
it's way to the point where it's presence
was needed. Suppose he added, eS
hibiting the message which he ha'
sent to General Shafter, II had BEEF
compelled to get around to a dozen Q
more majors, as many colonies an
any number Of generals constitut
ing a genera! staff
Then he added that in all probabi
ity the senior general of the arm
would not, under the provision he ha
quoted, have been in position to q
anything, and he called attention t
the clause relieving him (the senio
generaD of command and making
possible for any other officer to be a.
POINTED. He declared that under sec
ton I it would be competent to on
day promote a captain to the positio
of brigadier and the next day ma
him chief OF staff, thus practical!
placing a captain at the head OF tn
army. Warming up somewhat he a.
serted that the bill was calculated t
accomplish no purpose except to allo'
the secretary of war and the adjutan
general to promote the interests {
their personal favorites.
In the course of his remarks Genera
Miles told the committee in confidenc
that with the bill law he could no
name the men who would hold tn
places of honor provided under it, b.
the committee did not ask for tn
names.
LIE PASSED IN COMMONS.