The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-01-29
THREE NOTED PERsoNAGEs.

HleHI anu bencTHl Mics commanding
the army, once were very friendly but
the personal ties appear to have been
| sundered. So the rumor runs, and in
| confirmation of rumor reports from
| the national capital say that one thing
| is certain, General Miles has not call
! ed on the secretary since the repri-
mand by Root, and his friends declare
that he has stated that he will never
again voluntarily call upon his official
superior. All the business between
| the secretary and the general since
| the incident of December has been by
| correspondence. Prior to the repri-
mand General Miles was frequent
visitor at the Office of Secretary Root
The two men were much interested
i'll military matters and General Mil S
called often at the big war office to
get advice and counsel from Mr.. Root,
always walking into the latter's pri-
vate office without waiting for the
messenger to announce him. The
two men were on excellent terms,
and those who remembered the rela-
tions of the general commanding and
former Secretary Alger commented
on the fact that the star of Miles was
in the ascendant All this is now
changed and it is likely that it will
be war between the two men from
now on. 1t is known that General
Miles feels very bitterly toward Secre-
tary Root and toward the President,
and that the wound caused by the
reprimand has not healed at all. So
far as the President goes, everything
indicates that he has dismissed the in
cident from his mind. The one OBJ
ject that he sought to achieve has been
obtained-that of silencing the army
and navy officers on the Schley CON
troversy. The President, however,
seems to have been more attentive to
General Miles than before. He was a
a guest at the diplomatic dinner
given by the President, and as a mark
of special honor was asked to escort
to the banquet table, Miss Carew, sis
ter of Mrs. Roosevelt. So far as is
known General Miles has not called
at the White House since the repri-
mand except i'll response to social in
vitatiOns.
ADMIRAL SCHLEY.
1t is not known when the President
will act in the Schley case but it is
thought that he is still waiting to re-
cieve the briefs which Judge Rayner
is preparing. These papers will be re-
ferred to Attorney General Knox, to-
gether with the records of the court
of inquiry for report upon the ques-
ton of the regularity of the proceed
ings A man who is well Informed
upon the various sides of the contro-
versy suggested the following plan as
the best way of settling the matter
by giving general satisfaction all
around: ITO my mind it would be
perfectly proper for the President to
admit that Admiral Schley displayed
uncertainty and indecision during
certain parts of the Santiago cam
paign. But he could dismiss all that
because of the fact that the Navy De-
partment condoned it by keeping
Schley in command. Then he could
take up the question of the naval bat
tie and could consistently declare
Schley to have been in command
there, and as such entitled to the
credit for the victory. Dewey gave
this as his view of the case, and the
general public and everybody else be-
lieves the same way except few peo-
pie i'll the navy department. Such
decision by the administration would
be just to everybody and would satisfy
the public clamor that justice be
given 10 Scnley.
CAPT. HOBSON.
Rumor, as ever, deals freely and
sometimes wantonly with the name
of the hero of the Merrimac. In a
lecture recently in Boston he denied
the report thathe was about to leave the
navy to study law or go into politics,
but Washington report declares that
i'll well informed circles at the navy
it is believed that Hobson
will soon ask to be retired. The fact
that his eyes are in very bad state,
and that they give no promise of i'm
proving, is made the reason for the
probable retirement of the young Off
Ger. On the other hand rumor insists
that he contemplates entering politics
and becoming a candidate for Con-
gress i'll an Alabama district. His
eyes, 1t is said, are giving him good
deal of trouble, and have bothered
him seriously for the past three years.
His sight was injured by the glare of
the light on the waters off the south
coast of Cuba where for several
months he was engaged in raising the
Maria Teresa and working on the
other wrecks. The inflammation sub
sided when he came north, but the
trouble returned when he went to Ma
Mia, where he was assigned to the |
task of raising the Spanish ships. |
Hobson was engaged on this duty for
many months and was finally forced |
to give it up and go to the hospital |
for treatment. At first it was thought |
ne was irreparably injured, but long |
course of treatment with no work to |
10, restored them somewhat. The |
glare of the sun on the water and the |
white beach sand caused infamma- |
ion, which was aggravated by his |
failure to have it attended to- Since |
hat time Constructor Hobson has had |
nothing to do. A year or
80 was taken up by having him look |
after the naval exhibit at Buffalo and |
alter sending him to Charleston, S. G.,
or the same purpose. 1t is under
stood at the navy department. that |
dobson's eyes are in such shape as to
ncapacitate him for active work as a
constructor 1t would be no surprise
% naval men should he apply for re-
irement. If he were to do this he
would go off the active list as a cap
ain with three quarters pay. And
lnce the fOrpUOiDp was mt in tuna |