The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-04-02
SOME PLAIN TALK
From General Miles on the Pro posed
Army Bill.
IT MEANS CAPITALIZATION.
Throwing the Door Wide Open
for a Future Aurocrat Or
Military Despot,"
Says the General.

The statement of Gen. Miles before
the senate committee on Military af-
fairs as it will appear in the official
records, has been made public. The
features which caused something Of a
sensation when published the day the
statement was made do not appear
and the following colloquy at the close
Of the hearing explains it:
Mr.. Pettus-Mr. Chairman, think
there ought to be some mode Of hav-
ing these notes revised.
The Chairman-That will be done.
Mr.. Pettus-The report of the pro-
ceedings should be submitted to Gen.
Miles, with permission to strike out
such portions as ought not to be pub
lished.
Mr.. Proctor-That is it.
Gen. Miles-I do not know that
there is anything to be stricken out.
The Chairmar-We have been In
the habit of submitting to the witness
before the committee, whoever he was,
the stenographer's report Of bis re-
marks for correction, Of course.
MI. Pettus-I wanted to go further
than that. The stenographer has no
doubt taken down correctly what the
general has said, but there are some
things that be said which he may de-
sire to strike out, and I think he should
be allowed that privilege.
The Chairman-He must be the
judge Of that.
Mr.. PettuS-He should be allowed
the liberty Of striking out anything
which ought not to be published, even
if it is stated correctly in the report.
The steDographer's report was sub :
mitted to Gen. Miles and the Official
report indicates that he followed
closely the written statement he had
prepared and read to the committee.
The main facts of the generals opposi-
tion to the war department. staff bin
were given at the time. Some Of the
features Of the statement, however,
not reported at the time are Of in
terest.
Gen. Miles said Of the bill:
1t is Capitalization Of the most
pronounced type, augments the power
of the staff and in effect removes 1t
further from touch with the fighting
force of the army. The scheme is rev.
olutionary, casts to the winds the les
sons Of experience, and abandons
methods which successfully carried us
through the most memorable war
epochs of our history. = The pro-
posed plan is but an effort to adopt
and foster, in republican form OF
government such as ours, a system
peculiarly, adopted to monarchies hay-
ing immense standing armies. It
would seem to Germanize and BUS
sianize the small army Of the United
States"
In addition to that portion of the
statements heretofore published show
ing how the president could by promo
tions make a captain chief Of staff
with the grade Of lieutenant general,
Gen. Miles said:
1T seems to me you are throwing
the door wide open for a future autocrat
OF a military despot. 1t is not, in my
Judgment, in accordance with the
principle and theory of democratic
government and for the best interests
of the army, which has existed more
than a hundred years and fulfilled all
your requirments, to adopt such a
scheme"
In commenting on the above The
State says this is strong language,
certainly, and quite enough to make
it plain why President Roosevelt on
hearing Of it was seized by and almost
irresistible desire to retire Gen. Miles
from his position at the head Of the
armv-a method Of restoring har-
mony in the military establishment
which he was only kept from adopting
by the urgent advice Of his friends in
the senate. This Indictment Of the
measure by Gen. Miles corresponds
with that pre- sented several days ago
by this newspaper on the strength Of
Secretary Roots admission that the
purpose of the army bill was to let
the ranking officer Of the army come
in with the president and go out with
president" We observe that Henry
Watterson took the same view in his
speech On Monday night, When he de-
clared that this army reorganization
bill, if it shall become a law, will
make the power of the president abso-
lutte" and that it ought to be entitled
San act to make the president Of the
United States a military dictator"
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