The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-25
GEN. MILES'S
 STATEMENT ExDurgated Copy Made
 Public. CRITICISES THE ROOT BILL its Passage Would Tend tC Germanize the Army. Intent and Purpose of the Measure Is to Remove Control of Mill tary from the Fight ing Force.


 mittee on Military Affairs, as 1t will ap- pear in the official records. was made public tonight. The features which caus- ed something of sensation when pub lished the day the statement was made do not appear and the following colloquy at the close of the hearing explains it.:
 MT. Pettus-Mr Chairman. think there ought to be some mode of having these notes revised.
 The Chairman-That will be done.
 MT. Pettus-The report of the proceed ings should be submitted to General Miles. with permission to strike out such portions as ought not to be published.
 Mir. Proctor--That is 1t.
 General Miles-I do not know that there is anything to be stricken out
 The Chairman--we have been in the habit of submitting to the witness be- fore the committee. whoever he was the stenographer's report Of his remarks for correction. of course
 MT. Pettus-I wanted to go further than that The stenographer has no doupt taken down correctly what the Generai has said, but there are some things that he aid which he may desire 10 strihe out, and I think he should he allowed that privilege. .,.-. of that.
 MT Pettus-He, should be allowed the uberty of striking out anything which ought not to be published. even II IL is stated correctly in the report. The stenographer's report was suo, mitted to General Miles and the omclai report indicates that he followed closely inc written statement he had prepared and read to the committee. The main facts of the Generals opposition to the War Department staff bill were gwen at the time, Some of the features or the statement, however. not reported at .ne ,,,oe are of interest. Concerning the Inspector Generals department he saia:
 "in the bill under consideration IL is oroposed to abolish entirely the corps or inspectors, who have been most instru- mental in keeping the army up 10 us high character and efficiency and Tn dis- covering defaications. inefficiency and maIadr1ninistration, and. on the other hand, in encouraging and reporting meri- torious conduct, efficiency and aDiity m all the different commands ana depart- ments of the service
 SneAKlnR pay, quartermaster's ana coihihissaiy ue partments, he said:
 '"rhe three departments mentioned nave rende,e1 most efficient service in the great Civil War the wars of the frontler' the Spanish American war and Tn the Philippines and China. The maladminis- tration in the Commissary Department that occasioned so much suHerihs III 1898 was not the fault of the system put 4&- fa A- ton. and since 1t was exposed and cor rected. am not aware that a single case has been reported where a soldier mas not received his daily food and his pay when due from the Commissary ana Fay Departments. respectively, and tnese have been promptly transported to him through the efficient management or the Quartermaster's Department. | Further along, General Miles said or the | bill: 'It is a standardization of the most | pronounced type, augments the power or | the staff. and in effect removes It TUT | ,her from touch with the fighting force or | the army The scheme Is revolutionary. | casts to the winds the lessons or experi- | ence and abandons methods which suc- cesgfulIy carried us through the most | memorable war epochs or our history | The proposed plan is but an Nenort to adopt ard foster in q republican form or | | culairly adapted to monarchies having | immense standing armies. It would seem | to Germanize and Russianize the small | army of tre United States"
 | General Miles said that before the span ish war began, he called on President MIG. | Kinley and that when the President saic | he supposed the army was reaoy hf | General Miles) replied: "The army, as far as the personnel Is concerned, |: ready for any fe-vlce. but there Is mncf to be done in the way of equipment anC l the defense of the coast. which ought tt
 be supplied at the other end of the C1pi tol"
 The President. he added consulted me m hers of Congress and the 000o.0O0 de | fense fund was voted.
 In addition to that portion of thu | statement heretofore published showing 1 how the President could by promotions make a captain chief Of staff with thu
 grade of Lieutenant General, Genera
 Miles said:
 | "It seems to me you are throwing the
 door wide open for d future 'autocrat oi | a military tiespot. It Is not, fin my judg' | ment, in accordance with the principles | 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 requirements
 to adopt such a scheme"