Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-09
ROOSEVELT AND MILES.

The singing rebuke that President
Roosevelt recently administered to Gen.
eral Miles and the manner in which it was
given have provoked much discussion and
the general finds many stout defenders.
The Army and Navy Journal. the lead
ing publication of its kind, makes a very
strong case against the propriety. and
even the legality of the presidents action
in this matter.
It declares that the more it is studied
the more evident IL becomes that the use
Of article of army regulations for the
purpose of humiliatipg an officer is an
obvious perversion 81 the intent and
meaning Of the article and serious IN
vasion of personal rights. The army reg
ulations are rules for the guidance of the
the army, they do not define offenses or
prescribe punishments; these are provid-
ed for in the articles of war. A disre-
gard Of the regulations Is, according to it's
nature violation Of some article of war,
but the nature of and degree of offense,
and the punishment to be prescribed for
IT, is to be determined not by the will
of any one man. but by the verdict of a
court martial. Military law differs from
civil law only I'm creating a class of Of
lenses unknown to the civil courts II
does not deprive the soldier of the in
alienable right belonging to the freeman
of trial by his peers. The officer in the
exercise Of his functions has a certain
measure Of what may be described as
police authority authorizing him to deal
promptly with those who offend against
discipline. but his powers even with re-
spect TO enlisted men. are strictly limited,
and IL he exceeds them he Is himself sub
GERS personal rights are still more care
fully guarded. The right to censuTe is
given to a commanding officer. but this is
for the purpose of avoiding the arrest OF
officers for light offenses.'
The Army and Navy Journal warns up
to its work as it proceeds and says:
I'VE have dwelt upon this matter of
General Miles not in any sense as his: per-
sonal champion, but because the summary
action in his case and the erroneous in
depreciation put upon article army reg
ulations has far reaching consequences.
II claps a plaster upon the mouth of
every officer, however iudcious and dis
crete he may be in speech. and leaves
the war department ar the mercy of the
misleading information concerning army
sentiment obtained from those whose
sole duty II is to please that thrift may
follow fawning.
The offense for which General Miles
was Inundated was, i'm substance. his re-
mark to a Cincinnati newspaper reporter
who asked what he thought of the Schley
case that he had no sympathy with any
effort to degrade gallant and worthy
officer
For this General Miles was called up
by President Roosevelt and rebuked in the
presence of several callers who happened
to be in the presidents office when that
officer called. Subsequently Gen. Miles re-
ceived an official condemnation couched In
even harsher terms.
It Is true that General Miles had admit
ted that he made the remarks attributed
to him. but this does not alter the fact
that President Roosevelt exceeded his
authority and violated the statutory army
regulations.
In the opinion OF many ofhcers ana CIVIL
ians he committed much more danger
ous offense than did General Miles.
The president should be the last mar
to ignore or exceed the provisions OF the
fa-