The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-03-26

a.
any number of generals, constituting
general staff"
Then be added that in all probabil
the senior general of the army wou
not under the provision he quote,
have been in position to do anythin!
and he called attention to the claus
relieving him (he senior gcneraD {
command and making it possible fc
any other officer to be appointed. Fl
declared that under Section it woul
be competent one day to promote
captain to the position of brigade
and the next day make him chef G
staff, thus practically placing captain
at the head of the army. Warming ul
somewhat, he asserted that the bll
was calculated to accomplish no pur
pose except to allow The Secretary o
War and the adjutant general to pro
mote the interests of their persona
favorites.
Gen. Miles was questioned as TO the
reasons for locating the American army
OF occupation at Tampa and holding il
there so long with the resulting con
gestion. Replying to the first qucs.
tion, he sald that it was because of the
order TO occupy Havana. The delay
was due, he said, 10 the fact that the
American army was supplied with
only G4 rounds of ammunition, which
would not have been sufficient for
more than half an hour of fight
ing. Considering that Havana was
one of the best fortified cities in
the world, he said that to have
attacked it would have been foolhardy
in the extreme. He declined, however,
to criticlse the then Secretary Of War,
Gen. Alger, for the condition of affairs,
saying that probably anyone else in the
position would have done about what
he did. He laid the general blame for
this condition of unprepare hess at the
door of Congress.
In the course of his remarks Gen.
Miles told the committee in confidence
that with the bill law he could now
name the men who you'd hold the
place of honor provided under it, but
the committee did not ask for the
names.
The printed report of the testimony
of Secretary Root before the military
committee on this bill has been made
public. In his statement the Secretary
said that tie general staff of the army,
as it is proposed to organize 1t under
this bill would be simply an advisory
board, and that its principal duty
would be that of an advisory board.
AS to the place the commandment
chief would occupy with reference to
this board, the Secretary replied:
The plan of the bill is to have the |
chief of staff selected by the President |
as communicative chief, and to have it |
a detail, so that he will como in with |
,hc President aud go out with the
Senator Bate: "Do | understand |
hat there is Il limit to their powers so
hat they will not interfere with the
lieutenant general?"
The proposition is to have the
lieutenant general to decide"
AS to the work of this character dur
ng the war with Spain, Secretary Root
said:
"That work was done during the
spanish war practically by the gentle
nen in the adjutant generals Office.
Il we had not had all adiutant general
With the strength Of ten men, with a
wonderful physique and extraordinary
ability, the whole system
would have be N broken down absolu-
ely. You cannot depend on having
'uch men,"
want to say" he went on, that
believe that with the organization as
t was at the outbreak of the war with
spain and is now, the outbreak of any
var would irretrlevably ruin any man
Who was Secretary of War. l think
he organization is such that it is i'm
possible that successful results may be
Produced until they have been worked
'ut by most painful and expensive ex-
AT the cabinet meeting on Friday
he newspaper publications relating to
he statements made by Gen. Miles
before the Senate committee were
up, but consideration of them
vas postponed until all The facts in the
natter became known. Whatever in
entions the President had with respect
o the treatment to be accorded Gen
Niles, his future action will be some
What influenced by the fact that Gen.
Miles, statement before the Senate
committee has been represented to him
Is being privileged. The president
proposes to read the testimony given at
he hearing, and to consult with diff
erent members of the committee on
military affairs before finally announc.
ng what he proposes to do.
1t is significant that long after the
;abinent meeting adjourned Secretary
Root and the Attorney General were
,loseted with the President. The
President is known TO have stated that
ne was tired of the friction in the army,
md whether it is decided that Gen.
Niles statement was privileged or not,
ne will at no distant day take action
looking to his retirement.
In discussing the matter with his
callers, among whom were Senators
and Representatives, the President
took the position that the lieutenant
general of the army should entertain
toward his superiors the same respect
that he would expect and demand from
his subordinates.
The printed testimony of Gen. Miles |
has not yet been made public and it is |
that 1T VII be submitted to |
him for approval. 1t is we'll under
stood that great deal of what the
General said will not appear in the
record. Members of the committee say
The report published was correct in
substance in every particular. AT the