The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-25
IL Was Very Carefully Revised and
Edited Before Becoming Part
of the Official Records.
COLLOQUY THAT EXPLAINS
ALSO SHOWS NEWSPAPER STATE
MENTs WE'RE NOT BAsELEss.
Points from the Generals Testimony
Door Open for a Future
'Military DespOt."

WASHINGTON, March 24-The state
ment of General Miles before the Senate
committee on military affairs, as it will
appear in the official records, was made
public tonight. 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, L think there
ought TO be some mode of having these
notes revised
The Chairman-That will be done.
Mr. Pettus-The report of the proceedings
should be submitted to General Miles with
permission to strike out such portions as
ought not to be published.
Mr.. Proctor-That is it,
General Miles, do not know that there
is anything to be stricken out
The Chairman-We have been in the habit
of submitting to the witness before the
committee, whoever he was, the stenog
raphers report of his remarks for correc-
ton, OF course.
Mr.. 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 he said
think he should be allowed that privilege.
The Chairman-He must be the judge of
that
Mr.. Pettus-He should be allowed the lib
erty of striking out anything which ought
not to be published. even if it stated cor
rectly in the report.
The 'stenographers report was submitted
to General Miles and the official report in
dicates that he followed closely the written
statement he had prepared and read to the
committee. The main facts of the generals
opposition to the war department staff bill
were given at the time. Some of the feat
ures of the statement, however. not report
ed at the time are of interest Concerning
the inspector-generais department. he said:
I'm the bill under consideration it is pro-
posed to abolish entirely the corps of in
spectors, who have been most instrumental
in keeping the army up to it's high charac-
ter and efficiency and in discovering de-
falcations, inefficiencies and maladminis-
tratiOn, and, on the other hand, In encOur-
aging and reporting meritorious conduct,
efficiency. ability in all the different COM
mands and departments of the service
Speaking of the general efficiency OF pay.
QuartermaSter and commiSSary depart
ments, he said: The three departments
mentioned have rendered most efficient
service in the great civil war, the wars
of the frontier the Spanish-AmeTican war
and in the Philippines and China. The
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in the cOmmissary de-
partment that occasioned so much suffer
ing in 1895 was not the fault of the sys-
tenn. but of those responsible for its ad-
ministrauon, and since II was exposed
and corrected l am not aware that a
single case has been reported where a
soldier has not received his daily food
and his Fay when due from the commits
sary ana pay departments, respectively,
and these have been promptly transported
to him through the efficient management of
the quartermaster department"
Further along General Miles said of the
bill: 1T is Capitalization of the most pro-
nOunced 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 revolutionary, casts
TO the winds the lessons of experience and
abandons methods which successfully car
ried us through the most memorable war
epOchs of our history. The proposed plan
is but effort to adopt and foster, in
a republican form of government such as
ours, a system peculiarly adapted to mon
arches having immense standing armies.
1t would seem TO Germanize and Rus
sianize the small army of the United
States"
General Miles said that before the Span
ish began he called on President Nc
Kinlcy and that when the President said
he supposed the army was ready he Gen
eral Miles, replied: The army, far as
the personnel is concerned, is ready for any
service but there is much to be done in
the way of equipment and the defense Of
the coast, which ought TO be supplied at
the other end of the Capitol The Presi-
dent, he added consulted members of Con-
gress and the S50000,O00 defense fund was
voted.
In addition to that portion of the state
ment heretofore published showing how the
President could. by promotions. make a
captain chief of staff with the grade of
lieutenant general, General Miles said: 1t
seems 10 me you are throwing the door
wide open for a future autocrat a mill
tary despOt 1t is not, in my judgment,
4 afvaIa he
theory of a democratic government and
for the best interests of the army, which
has existed more than a hundred years
and fulfilled all your requirements, to adopt
,,,l,, o1,o