The age-herald., 1902-03-25
Objectionable Features of State-
 ment Not Made Public GEN. PETTUS RESPONSIBLE
Made Motion Which Gave Gen. MIlea Privilege of Striking Out What
 He Did Not Want to Go
 Before the Public. -L-

Washington, March 24-The statement of General Miles before the Senate cofn- mittee op military affairs, as it will ap~ pear in the official records, was made public tonight. The features which ca1s- 1 ed something of sensation when pub>i l lished the day the statement was made. do not appear and the following colloquy at the close of the hearing explains it:
 MT. Pettus, MT. Chairman. I think, there ought to be some mode of having these notes revised"
 The chairman: "The report of the pro-, ceedings should be submitted to Generaf Miles with permission to strike out such portions as ought not to be pubrshed.''
 Mir Proctor: That is it."
 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 beforo the committee, however, whoever he was, the stenographer's report of his reTaarka for correction of course"
 Should Be Allowed Privilege.
 MT. Pettus: '1 wanted to go fafthez
  doubt taken down correctly what the gem eral has said but there are some tfin4Sl that he said which he may desire to- strike out and I think he should be als lowed that privilege"
 The Chairman: He must be judged bv that.
 MT. Pettus: He should be allowed the liberty of striking out anything which ought not to be published, even if 1t ha stated correctly in the report.
 The stenographer's report was sufIEnib- ted to General Miles, and the official re- port indicates that he followed cioaefv the written statement he had prepared and read to the committee The main facts of the generals opposition to the l War Department staff bill were given at the time. Some of the features of ths statement, however, not reported at the time, are of interest. Concerning the fr-. spector generals department he said:
 Tn the bill under considegption it is proposed to abolish entirely the corps of inspectors, who have been most instru- mental In keeping the army up to it's high character and efficiency and in dis. covering defalcations. ineffcency and maladministration; and on the other hand in encouraging and reporting meritorf- ous conduct. efficiency and ability in all the different commands and departments | of the service"
 | Three Efficient Departments.
 Speaking of the general efficiency. of | pay, Quartermasteras and commissary | departments. he said:
 "The three departments mentioned | have rendered most efficient service in | the great civil war. the wars of the | frontier, the Spanish-AmeY1can war and in the Philippines and China. The maI- | administration in the commissary depart-i ment that occasioned so much suffering in 1898 was not the fault of the system but of those responsible for it's admtuis- tration. Since it was exposed and cor rected am not aware that single caso has been reported where soldier has not received his daily food and his pay when due from the commissary and pay departments, respectively. and thes04 have been promptly transported to him. through the efficient management of thet quartermaster's department"
 Further along General Miles said of thei bill:
 "It is standardization 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 fs revolutionary, casts to the winds the lessons of experience and abandons methods which successful ly carried us through the most mernora- ble war epochs of our history. The pro- posed plan Is but an effort to adopt and foster, in a Republican form of govern ment, such as ours a system peculiarly adapted to monarchies having immense standing armies. It would seem to Ger manize and Russianize the small army of the United States
 Supposed Army Ready. General Miles said that before the Span | ish war began he called on President Me- 1 Kinley and that when the President said l he supposed the army was ready be (Gen- l eral Miles) replied:
 ''The army as far as the personnel iB 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 capital"
 The President he added, consulted members of Congress and the $50,0O0,00o 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:
 "It seems to be throwing the door wide open for a future autocrat or a military despot It is not, in my judgement, in accordance with the principle and theory of Democratic government and for the best interests of the army. which has ex- isted more than hundred years and ful- filled all your requirements to adopt such a scheme"