Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-06
REPORT OF GEN. MILES
FAvoRS READJUSTING THE MILL
TARY DEPARTMENTS.
Need Of Garrison Buildings Pointed
out-Fortifcations Inadequate
~ Supplied.

The annual report Of Lieut.. Gen. Miles,
commanding the army, submitted just be-
fore his departure for the Philippines, Oc-
tober /, was made public by the Secretary
of War today. 1t is much shorter than
usual and is extremely conservative in tone.
After noting the fact that he has not yet
received the reports of the adjutant gen.
eral, the inspector general and the division
commander of the Philippines, Gen. Miles
gives a brief review of the operations OF
the military departments in the United
States as reported to him. He makes a
special Endorsement of the argument Of
Maj. Gen. Brooke in favor of a readjust-
ment of the geographical limits of the de-
partments with view to equalizing the
duties and responsibilities of the various
comma nders.
Need Of Garrison Buildings.
Gen. Miles also invites attention to the
remarks of Maj. Gen. Hughes, command
ing the Department of California, in regard
to the lack of provision for housing the ar
tillery garrisons at Fort Rosecrans, Cal,
and at Bonita Point, Cal, illustrating
'the urgent and imperative necessity of
having buildings properly constructed to
shelter the garrisons when the engineers
have completed the Notifications and the
for these expensive coast defenSeS."
THE same conditions exist Gen. Miles
says, lin the Department of the Columbia,
where three companies of artillery are now
in tents and some of the officers living in
huts not suitable to shelter public animals.
OF course this Is discouraging to the
troops, injurious to the health of the gar
rfsons. and no doubt Is the cause of some
assertions: and I would call attention to
the fact that hundreds of thousands of dol
lars are being used, especially for cavalry,
while very small amount is being used to
afford shelter to the artillery exposed to
the severe climates along the Atlantic, Pa
cific and gulf coasts. These troops are re-
quired to be located adjacent to the forti-
fications, notwithstanding the exposed po-
sition of many Of them, and l see no reason
why buildings should not be properly con-
structed in time to be occupied, when 1t Is
known for years exactly where and when
they will be required
Inadequately Supplied.
The general commanding calls attention
also ito the incomplete condition of the
Notifications, especially on the Pacific
coast, where millions have been expended in
engineering and ordnance work, and yet the
commands have not been properly supplied
with ammunition, electrical plants and
other appliances essential to the effective
use of these Notifications in actual war
fare"
Referring generally to field operations.
General Miles says: During the past year
there have been no serious engagements,
except that of the troops under Gen. Frank
D. Baldwin in Mindanao, p. l., with the
Moros. For the number of men engaged
this was very spirited and desperate en-
gagement Our forces were commanded by
one of the most experienced and efficient
officers of the army, whose record has al
ways been of the highest order, and his
achievement, together with that of the
troops, in this engagement, made another
chapter of fortitude, tenacity and heroic
sacrifice in the history of American arms"
1t is stated in the report that the with
drawal of the troops from Cuba, the reduc
ton of the garrison in Porto Rico to the
minimum, and the reduction by at least
one-half in the number of troops serving
| in the Philippine Islands render 1t reces-
sary to provide additional accommodations
for the shelter of troops that are required
to be stationed within the United States,
and General Miles says the appropriation
for the next year should be largely in
creased.
Tribute to the Army.
In closing his report General Miles pays
the following tribute to the American army:
1.-The experience during the great civil
war, and years of campaigning along our
western frontier, afforded the best schools
of practice for army in former years.
The attention given to calisthenics and
gymnastic and military exercises made our
small army corps of athletics, while the
elementary schools established for enlisted
men, the post libraries, the post lyceums
and officers schools, the various schools Of
instruction and practice for officers, as well
as the Military Academy, produced an
army of such excellence that | was able
in nv annual report for 1896 to state: The
personnel of the army was never in better
condition.
This was proven to be true by the for
titude skill and herOiSm displayed in every
serious campaign on every field of mortal
combat wherever the army has been en-
gagged in any part of the world during the
last four years. During that time many
changes have occurred and the army has
varied Service of the senior officers, their
experience in organizing, disciplining, in
structirtg and leading their commands, as
well as the excellent discipline, instruction
and exemplary conduct of the soldiers Of
the army of '9S, have been the leaven of
the army of the present time. Evils may
creep into any system or great organlza-
ton. Such as have affected our army have
been or will be eradicated
THE army has maintained it's charac ter
for more than a hundred years with great
credit to itself and honor to the nation
and the same rules of rigid integrity, of
honor impartial and exact justice to all
and proper recognition of faithful. valuable
and distinguished services that have pre-
vailed in the past are the only ones by
which it can be sustained in the future.
CAS- our government is different in char
acter from any of the great powers of the
world, our army must necessarily be unlike
in some respects other great armies.
at has been my endeavOr, in general
orders and in other ways, to impress Upon
oil that their devotion to the PRINCIPLES of