The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-20
THE MILES ROW
SENATORS ALLISON, HALE, Me COMAS AND HoAR PLEAD
 FOR HIM.
Agreement is Reached-Commander May Not Be Retired Until He Reaches the Age Limit,
 Which is Near.

Walter weIlmans Washington Special to
 Chicago Record-Herald.
 Four Republican Senators went to the
 White House today and urged the Fres-
 ident to permit General Miles to remai,
 undisturbed at the head of the army.
 They were Senators Allison, Hoar, Hale and McComas The Senators told the
 President that in their opinion the en-
 forced retirement of General Niles Wouiu
 be mistake of colossal proportions.
 They pointed out that the public IS not
 quick to understand the true inEardness
 of matters here in Washington, and that
 in the popular mind the Presidents mo-
 lives might be miscostrued.
 Although they recognized that the fres,
 ido mt had reasons which to him seemed
 sufficient they feared the public would
 believe General Miles had been retired
 because he had opposed administrauoh
 policies and because he had been instru-
 mental in bringing to the notlce ot .ne
 Civil Governor of Tayabas province in
 the Philippines. In the opinion or the
 Senators this would greatly harm the ad-
 ministration and the Republican cause
 generally.
 1t was also suggested to President
 Roosevelt that General Miles has only
 about fifteen months to serve before ms
 retirement under the age limit, ana un-
 less imperative reasons demanQed earneI action they advised that he be permitted to hold his place on the active list 10 the end of his time. President Roosevelt, in reply. explained to the Senators some of the reasons why he believed General Miles has destroyed his usefulness as the senior general m command of the army, and why the goou of the service requires his retirement With most of these reasons the reaue,s of The Record-Herald are already famll- far. The President explained that he had no personal animosity toward General
 Miles but that he could not reconcile
 with his duty any insubordinatlon on tns
 part of officers of any rank. lie said
 while viola tion of the articles Of war Dy
 a few of our soldiers in the Philippines
 was bad enough. and should De rigor-
 ously punished t was small matter
 compared with subversion Of dlscipiine at
 the very head of the army itseH. , ne
 President brought to the attention or ms
 callers the charge which has been maoe
 that General Miles has acted with Dem
 ocratic Senators, members or the Pnlnp- pine Committee, in trying to oiscreui' the
 army, and asked if that sort of thing was
 to be tolerated.
 The Senators told the President they
 did not indorse such conduct, ana auini. ,
 ted that 1t was probably true 1ehera'
 Miles had overstepped the .oounds or pI2;, :.
 priety in advising with the Democratic Senators whe were carrying on pohti,, cal campaign against the army anu
 against the administration: But .ney added they were authorized by trlenus U,
 General Miles to say that the Generai
 had agreed to say and do nothing in the future: that he was willing to keep ap- solutely silent. and that Ire would do ms best to so conduct himself as 10 meet
 with the Presidents ppsSant npprs3Sxaanitf Roosevelt JTpon hearing this President ,,t ;. !. promised to take no action ,,l at p,,aant prese., and there the matter rests. The fresiuens has already decided to drop tne case s os General Miles till after the return oe Secretary Root from Cuoa' apoo' 'i- end of the month ,,o, ~, Although the Senators Who cai.su C,, the President today in General Mlies 5 behalf declined to say whether UT no, himself. that is the general understand ing. All four Senators are persoila, friends of the Lieutenant General ana one of them, Senator Hoar, IS ms hlhs- man by marriage.
 In more than one way General Miles finds himself in the center Of the storm of gossip at this time. It became knowI, | today that General Hawley, chalrnlaii oi | the Senate Committee on Mihtdry Al l certain appropriations in which the War l Department is greatly interested Ill case | the President places the l.leutenant oSh- | eral on the retired list. General HaWley declares. in his bluff way, that the pro nosaI to retire General Miles is an et- fort to degrade him before the Amerlca, | people. and that if 1t be done there Will | be trouble. ,..--. ,,, If is said by Senators who know the | inside of affairs in the Military Commit l. | tee that the threat to make troupe ioi the War Department over the approprla' 1 ton was the real reason why the re- | tirement of General Miles was not CT | dered this week as had been originally ] intended. At this time the War Depart | ment is interested in large numper o' | appropriations beyond the usual grist | siIch as the $4. OOO. 600 or $5,000.0OO for re | bIilding West Point and couple or mii | lions for the Governors Island plan tt l say nothing of the general staff bill anc | the confirmation of Captain Crozler as chief of ordnance. All these facts indi l cate that the friends of General Miles are rallying to his support and that battle royal is on between them and tho l administration.
 | Secretary Root is not escaping atteu | ton. The head of the War Department 1 was never personally popular In Con | gress. although his great ability Is rec ognzed by all. It Is conceded by men Oi l both political parties that he is the ab' | lest man who has sat in the chair Of the l Secretary of War for many years. He is | essentially constructive rather than emo | lient and he drives so hard to his ends l that some Senators think him abrupt l and cold. The beet sugar men blame hin