Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-31
MILES REBUKE
IS EXPLAINED
At LAST
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
MILES AND ROOT SENT TO
CONGRESS BY THE
PRESIDENT.


warded to that body the full text of the
correspondence between Lieutenant Cen
eral Nelson A. Miles commanding the
army, and Secretary Root concerning a
plan outlined by the former to bring about
a cessation of hostilities in the Philip
pines. resume of the correspondence,
together with the endorsement upon it of
President Roosevelt, follows:
Under date of February It. 1902. General
Miles transmitted to the secretary of war
a memorandum outlining his plan to Sc
cure cessation of hostilities in the Phil
ippines with request that it be forward
ed to the president. After directing at
tention to the situation in the Philippines
and to the enormous expenditure of money
and lives in the islands, he says that dur
ing the past century Indian wars have
been averted by consultation with chiefs
of the various tribes. Our friendly rela-
lions with the people of Cuba and Porto
Rico also had been promoted by the same
means.
He requests, therefore, that he be au-
thorized to proceed to the Philippine is
lands with delegation of Cubans and
Porto Ricans and while there direct the
disposition of the United States forces to
the end that they may occupy the most
healthful and strategetic positions and al
so to take such measures as will tend to
restore confidence to the Filipinos and
demonstrate to them that our government
is prompted by the highest sense of jus
tic.
On his return to the United States he
desires to bring such representative Fill
pinos as he may think advisable in order
that they may realize the advantages this
government offers them. and at the same
time afford opportunity to consult with
the officials of this government. He is
confident that such measures would be
beneficial to the Filipinos and highly cred
table to this government.
Secretary Root forwarded to the presi-
dent General Miles memorandum under
date of March s. with his disapproval of
the recommendations. He says the con-
duct 6affairs in the Philippines has been
able and successful. More rapid progress
has been made toward the acceptance
of American sovereignty, the restoration
of peace and the establishment of civil
government than was to have been eN-
pected.
Concerning the proposal to bring official
delegates from the Philippines to the
United States, the secretary says: ut
would be very difficult to keep such pro-
ceeding free from spectacular and sensa-
tional features, which would be injurious.
In a subsequent letter submitted to the
secretary of war on March a. General
Miles regrets that the secretary should
have considered his proposition, promoted
in the interest of humanity. as in any way
spectacular and sensational" He says
he would not anticipate any such result
from its adoption.
He calls attention TO the fact that when
in Cuba last year he advised members OF
the constitutional convention to make an
appeal directly to President Mckinley,
which they did. The president granted
the Cubans' request for an audience, made
through him, and the result of the delega-
tion,s visit to Washington was most graf
flying.
Referring to his comment that the war
in the Philippines had been conducted
with marked severity, General Miles says
his information was based upon official
reports. He says it was his purpose near
ly a year ago to go to the Philippines and
his projected visit had the approval of
President Mckinley.
Secretary Root comments upon General
Miles second memorandum, dated March
18th. He says the apparent purpose of
the memorandum was to show that the
action taken on the first was wrong. ~
The secretary adds that on the 18th of
July 1900 General Miles applied to be
sent to the Philippines and to China in his
official capacity. General Macarthur had
reported tnat not single regiment could
be spared from the Philippines, yet Gen
eral Miles accompanied his application by
a recommendation that 1900 troops be
withdrawn from the Philippines and sent
to emma. Inc WlInQrdWdl OF so many
troops would insure insurgent control or
a large part of the Philippines The secre-
tary says that at least two-thirds of the
5000 were wholly unnecessary in China.
The application and recommendation,
says the secretary, were, in fact, accom-
panied by a request from General Miles
that supreme command of the allied
forces should be obtained for him. Under
these circumstances President Mckinley
declined to authorize the sending of Cen
eral Miles either to the Philippines or to
China. ass
A year afterward the secretary of war
authorized the lieutenant general to ex-
tend his inspection tour to the Philip
pines for the purpose of inspecting only.
He has never been authorized to go for
any other purpose. &
THAT of course, means continues the
secretary Ito command General Chaffee,
and he asks authority also to take such
measures as will tend to restore as far as
possible confidence to the people of those
islands, and demonstrate that the pur-
pose of our government is prompted by
the highest ideas of Justice That means,
il it means anything, authority to do him
self, or to require the civil officers OF the
Philippines to do under his directions, the
very duties which were charged upon the
Philippine commission, and the civil gov
ernor in the islands by President McKin-
ley, and which they are now engaged in
doing
Referring to- the reflections Of General
Miles upon the conduct of the military
forces in the islands, based upon official
reports, as he says, Secretary Root says
that a report of the civil governor of the
province of Tayabas, containing in gener-
all terms and without specification or
Names serious charges against the mill
tary administration in that province and
against the conduct of the army generally
in its relations to the civil government
were forwarded by Governor Taft to the
secretary of war.
The report was sent to General Chat
fee with orders that he fully investigate
the charges as soon as possible and should
they be found true, to apply the necessary
administrative and disciplinary measures
to correct the evils He adds that the
necessary time for the investigation as
vet has not elapsed, and expresses his
regret that the officer of the highest
rank in the army should assume the
truth of charges rejecting upon the credit
of the army in advance of the investiga-
ton which has been ordered, and with
out giving General Chaffee, upon whose
particular command these charges reflect
an opportunity to be heard.
The secretary concludes by saying that
General Miles plainly evinces design
to procure the publication of the charges,
and of the lieutenant generals acceptance
thereof as true, in advance of the investi-
ero 4fou Of their frf1th and of the