Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-20

Washington, March 20.-Gen. Neison
"A. Miles today told the senate COM
mittee on military affairs If the bill IN
troduced by Senator Hawley at the IN
stance Of the war department for or
SANITATION of the general staff for the
army should become a law ne would
decline longer to hold his commission.
THE reason he gave for the
statement is that this bill is ut
,ar,v snbversive Of the interests of
The military establishments and he
said he would not be party to such pro-
reeainrs. The portion Of the bill to
which Miles directed especial criticism
is as follows:
..rhat from and after the passage OF
this act the senior general of1eer OF
the army shall be assigned to command
such portion Of the arr as the presl-
liant may direct or be detailed to duty
In the general stan corps All duties
prescribed by the law for the COM
inanding general OF the ermy shall be
performed by the chief OF the general
staff or other general officer designated
by the secretary Of war. Provided that
SO long as the present lieutenant gem
eral continues on the active list ne
shall be chief OF the general staff and
upon separation from the active ser
vice, said lieutenant general ana saio
office, except as herein provided. shall
cease and determine"
Miles said If this provision should
become a law 1t would have the enect
of destroying the unity of the army and
he read numerous authorities, inciuo-
ing Napoleon, Wellington. washington
Cass and Grant, to show the necessity
OF having one head to the army and OF
controlling authority. His own exper-
fence and observation had the effect OF
confirming these views and he gave All
illustration Of its beneficial effect IN
time of emergency. instancing the pc
ginning of the war with Spain. !
heard at midnight" he said that the
Spanish fleet had been defeated def
nitely at Santiago and fastened to
the home of Secretary Long, where the
news was confirmed. Shafter was then
at Tampa and I sat down there, IN the
secretary's house, and wrote dispatcn
directing him to start Immediately Tor
Santiago, with the result that the army
was soon on its way to q point where
Its presence was needed.
Suppose" he added, exhibiting the
message which he had sent to Smarter.
"I had been compelled to get around to
a dozen or more majors, as many colo
nels and any number Of generals con-
stituting the general staff" Then, he
added in all probability the senior gen.
eral Of the army would not, under the
provision he had quoted. been IN a po-
sition to do anything, and ne called at
tentien to the clause relieving MIN
(senior generaD Of command and max
ing It possible for any other off1cer to
be appointed. He declared that under
section Z 1t 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 plac-
ing q captain at the head OF the army
Warming up somewhat he asserted the
hill was calculated to- accomplish no
purpose except to allow the secretary
OF war and the adjutant general to pro-
mote the interests Of their personal ia
vorites. Miles was questioned as to his
reasons for locating the American army
OF occupation at Tampa and holding
1t there so long with the resulting con-
.ra,+,on Paplytn1 to the first question,
he said 1t was because of the order to
occupy Havana. The delay was due,
he said, to the fact that the American
army was supplied with only sixty
four rounds OF ammunition which
would not have been sufficient for more
than half an hours fighting. Consider
ing that Havana was one of the best
fortified cities in the world, he said that
to have attacked it would have been
foolhardy in the extreme. He declined,
however. to criticise the then secretary
of war, Gen. Alger, for the condition OF
affairs, saying that probably any one
else in the position would have done
about what he did. He laid the general
blame for this condition of unprepared-
ness at the door of congress. In the
course Of his remarks Miles told the
committee in confidence that with the
bill 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.