Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29

ton were in fact accompanied by a request
from Gen. Miles that such supreme COM
mand of the allied forces should be OBJ
tanned for him. Under these. circumstances
President Mckinley declined to authorize
the sending of Gen. Miles either to the
Philippines or to China. "A year afterward
the Secretary of War authorized the lieu
tenant general to extend his inspection tour
to the Philippines for the purpose of in
spection only. He has never been author
lied to go for any other purpose.
The question whether the order which
the lieutenant general asks, sending him to
the Philippines would Interfere with the
present military and civil control must be
determined not by what the application
says about the order. but by the terms of
the proposed order itself. The lieutenant
general asks authority Ito give such direc-
lions as 1 (he) may deem advisable and
judcious for the best disposition of the
United States military forces"
That, of course, means to command Gen
eral Chaffee; and he asks authority 'also
to take such measures as will tend to re-
store as far as possible confidence to the
people of those islands, and demonstrate
that the purpose of our government is
prompted by the highest sense of justice"
That means, If it means anything, au-
thority to do himself or to require the civil
officers of the Philippines to do under his
direction, the very duties which were
charged upon the Philippine commission
and the civil governor in the islands by
President Mckinley, and which they are
is not to recommend, but to take measures.
If the measures to be taken are to be de-
termined by General Miles, then the power
OF the commission to determine upon them
must end. There is no place for any such
authority under the present government
and If it were to be granted the system or
civil government by which we have been
gradually and steadily superseding military
control, and have superseded 1t throughout
the greater part of the archipelago, would
again be subordinated to military power,
and the people of the islands would be sub
jected to the arbitrary control Of military
dictator.
The reference in the memorandum to the
letter of Gov. Taft to the Secretary Of War
dated February I, 1862, is to a letter trans
hitting. for the purpose of an investigation
by the military authorities, a report by the
civil governor Of the province OF Tayabas
containing in general terms and without
specifications or names, serious charges
against the military administration in that
province and against the conduct of the
army generally in its relations to the civil
government This report was on the 10Th
of February sent to General Chaffee with
the following direction:
There is so much contained In this re-
port rejecting not only upon officers or
the army, but the general conduct of af-
fairs and the administration of the military
branch of the government, that the Secre-
tary of War desires you to cause a careful
inquiry to be made concerning these state
ments, and If they be found true that the
measures be applied to correct these evils"
and also ito make a full report of the in
vestigation herein directed as soon as pos
sible."
There has not yet been time for the re-
port to be made, and the direction for the
investigation can only just now have reach
ed Manila. 1t is to be regretted that the
officer Of the highest rank in the army
should assume the truth Of charges re-
fecting upon the credit of the army In
advance Of the investigation which has
been ordered, and without giving General
Chaffee, upon whose particular command
heard. Governor Taft's letter shows that
the civil governor Of the philippines was
unwilling to accept the charges as true
without an investigation,
AS the lieutenant generals memorandum
Of March "a was not made until after the
introduction. of resolution in the House
of Representatives calling for all CORE
spondence and pr pers In, the matter OF his
application to 81 to the Philippines, the
putting into those PAPERS Of the specific
reference to the letter. transmitting the
charges plainly evincesEa design to prce
cure the publication of the charges, and OF
the lieutenant general s acceptance thereof
as true. in advance Of the Investigation OF
their truth, and of report thereon by Gen.
eral Chaffee. In the interest OF good dfsci-
pline and effective service such course Is
much to be regretted. Such charges ought
not to be published against our country
men whom we have sent to labor and fight
under our flag on the other side .of the
world before they can be heard in their own
defense. ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary of War.
White House, March n, 1902.
The memorandum Of the Secretary OF
War Is approved as q whole and as to
fore as to the wisdom Of denying General
Miles request, these papers would remove
such doubt.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.