The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-30

delayed visit to the Philippines, which I
hope to do in the near future L shall de-
vote my attention to the condition and
requirements of the troops in that divi-
sion, the same as | have in respect to
other portions of the army,
Nelson A. Miles,
Lieutenant General Commanding l. S. A.
Miles Wanted to Go to China.
War Department, Washington, March
rs, 1902-Several weeks after the final dis
position of the within application by the
action of the president March 6, and after
the introduction of a resolution in con-
gress calling for the papers, the Heuten-
ant general attached to them a state
ment dated March "A, 1902, with the APP
parent purpose of showing that the action
taken was wrong. Without commenting
upon the propriety of a military officer
undertaking to review the action of the
president, l again submit the paper for
consideration as the president may think
advisable, with the following remarks:
First-The delegation from Cuba refer
red to in this paper consisted of public
officers, with defined powers, charged
with the performance of a specific duty
as official representatives of the people
of Cuba and appointed by the conStitu-
tional convention elected by that people
The presidents consent to receive the
committee was asked for by Gen. Wood.
through the secretary of war, and was
communicated to Gen. Wood by the Sec
rotary of war, who never heard Gen
Miles name mentioned in connection with
the transaction.
Second-On the 18th of July. 1900, Gen.
Miles applied to be sent to the Philippines
and to China in his official capacity At
that time Gen. Macarthur had reported
that not single additional regiment could
be spared from the Philippines without
putting our interests there in jeopardy
and had shown the reasons and the grav-
ity of the situation there in dispatches
which had passed through Gen. Miles Of
fee. In the face Of these dispatches Gen.
Miles accompanied his application by a
recommendation that Is, 600 troops be with
drawn from the Philippines and sent to
China. The withdrawal Of 1900 troops
from the Philippines would have made
necessary the practical abandonment of a
large part of the country and the re-
stOration of insurgent control therein.
He Desired Supreme Command.
At least two-thirds of the 1900 were
wholly unnecessary in China unless for
the purpose of enabling the United States
to furnish a greater number of troops
than any European power and upon that
score to claim the supreme command of
the allied forces. The application and rec
ommendation were in fact accompanied by
ma request from Gen. Miles that such su-
Fpreme command of the allied forces should
be obtained for him. Under these circum-
stances 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
spection tour to the Philippines for the
purpose of inspection only. He has never
been AUTHORIZED to go for any other pur-
pose.
The question whether the order which
the lieutenant geneNal asks, sending him
to the Philippines, would interfere with
| the present military and civil control must
be determined not by what the applica-
ton says about the order, but by the
terms CT the proposed order itself The
lieutenant general asks authority ITO
give such directions as L Chez may deem
advisable and judicious for the best dis
position of the United States military
forces That. of course, means to COM
mand Gen. Chaffee, and he asks author
| ity ALSO to take such measures as VIII
tend to restore, as far as possible, con-
| demonstrate that the purpose of our gov
eminent is prompted by the highest sense
Of justice"
Says Miles Seeks Dictatorship.
That means, if it means anything au-
| thority to 90 himself, or to require the
| civil officers Of the Philippines to do I'M
der his direction, the very duties which
were charged upon the Philippine commits
sion and the civil governor in the islands
by President Mckinley. and which they
are now engaged in doing. The authority
| asked is not to recommend, but to TAKE
measures. If the measures to be taken
are to be determined by Gen. 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 of civil government by which
we have been gradually and steadily SUI
perseding military control and have SUI
perseded it through the greater part Of the
| archipelago would again be subordinated
to military power, and the islands would
be subjected to the arbitrary control of
| military dictator.
The reference in the memorandum to
| fTha letter of Gov Taft tn the secret 1-xy
I of war, dated Feb. 7, 1902, IS to a letter
transmitting. for the purpose of an in
| vestigation by the military authorities,
a report by the civil governor Of the
province of Tayabas. containing in gem
eral terms and without specifications or