The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-30

Miles Was Misunderstood.
: ''The suggestion contained in my let
ter, that IN going to the Philippine is
lands 1 take certain natives OF Cuba
and Porto Rico and, on returning.
bring back certain of those Of the Phil
ippine Islands. was prompted by ms
belief thar the result would be salts
factory TO all concerned. Since thia
measure is not deemed advisable. I dc
not ask for its further considerat ton,
and making my delayed visit to the
Philippines, which I hope to do in the
near future, I shall devote my attention
to the condition and requirements of
/ the troops in that division. the same as
] 1 have in respect to the other portions
/ Of the army
(Signed) NELSON a. MILES,
Lieutenant General Commanding L.
s. A"
Below is Roots rejoinder:
War Department, Washington. March
/ 25, 1902.
Several weeks after the final dispo-
sition of the within application by the
action Of the president on the 9Th Of
March, and after the introduction of
a resolution in congress calling for the
papers. the leuteNant general attached
70 them statement dated March q.
IyOz, with the apparent purpose Of
showing that the action taken was
wrong. Without commenting upon the
propriety Of a military officer under
taking TO review the action Of the pres
ident, I again submit the paper for
such reconsideration as the president
may think advisable, with the follow
ing remarks:
Never Heard of Miles
'F'irst-The delegation referred IN in
this paper consisted Of public officers
! with defined powers, charged with the
| performance OF a specific duty as Of
neal representa- tives of the people of
CUBA and appointed by the cCnstitu-
uonal convention elected by that peo-
pie Inc presidents consent to receive
the committee was asked for by Cen
eral Wood through the secretary of
war and was communicated to General
wood BY the secretary of war. who
/ never heard General Miles name men
TONED in connection with the transac-
ton.
'2-On the 18th of July 1900. Cen
eral Miles applied to be sent to the
philippines and to China in his official
capacity. At that time General Mac
Arthur had reported that not a single
additional regiment could be spared
from the Philippines without putting
our interests there in jeopardy and had
shown the reasons and the gravity Of
the situation there in dispatches which
I had passed through General Miles Of
ice. In the face OF these dispatches
General Miles accompanied his appIi-
cation by a recommendation that 1000
be withdrawn from the Philippines ard
be sent to China The withdrawal Of
$4,000 troops from the Philippines
would have made necessary the prac-
. teal abandonment Of large part Of
the country and the restoration of in
surgent control therein. At least two,
thirds Of The 1900 we're wholly un-
necessary in China unless for the pur-
pose Of enabling the United States to
furnish a greater number of troops
than any European power and upon
that score 70 claim the supreme com
mand Of the allied forces.
Mckinley Declined Offer.
The application and recommenda-
ton were in fact accompanied by a re-
quest by General Miles that such su-
preme command Of the allied force
should be obtained for him. Under the
circumstances President Mckinley de-
clined to authorize the sending of Gen
eral Miles either to the Philippines or
to China, A year afterwards the sec
rotary Of war authorized the lieuten-
ant general 10 extend his inspection to
the Philippines for the purpose of in
spectiOn only. He has never been au-
thorized to go for any other purpose.
The question whether the order
which the lieutenant general asks
sending him to the Philippines would
interfere with the present military and
civil control must be determined not
by what the applicant says about the
order, but by the terms Of the proposed
order itself. The lieutenant general
asks authority to give such direct con-
ventions as I (he) may deem advisable
and judiciOUs for the best disposition
of the United States military forces
That, Of course, means TO command
General Chaffee, and he asks authority
also to take such measures as viii tend
TO restore as far as possible confidence
to the people Of those islands, and
demonstrate that the purpose of our
government is prompted by the high
est sense Of Justice
What Miles Wanted.
That means. if it means anything,
authority TO DO himself, or to require
the civil officers Of the Philippines TO
do under his direction, the very duties
which were charged upon the Philip
pine commission and the civil governor
in the islands by President Mckinley
and which they are now engaged in do
ing. The authority asked is not TO
recommend but 10 take measures. If
the measures TO be taken are TO be de-
termined by General Miles, then the
power of the commission to determine
them must end. There is no place for
any such authority under the present
government. by which ne have grad
uaIIy and. steadily superseded military
control and have superseded II
throughout the greater part OF the
archipelago. would again be subor-
dinated 10 military power, aud the PEG
PIE OF the island would be subjected
to the arbitrary control of a military
dictator.
.sThe reference in the memorandum
to the letter of Governor Taft TO the
secretary of war, dated Feb Z, 1902, is
10 d letter transmitting, fer the purpose
of an investigation by the military 2u-
thorities, a report by the civil governor
Of the province of Tayabas, containing
in general terms. and without speCifca-
tiOns or names. serious charges against
the military administration in that
province and against the conduct of the
army generally in its relations TO the
civil government
This report was, on the 18th of Feb
rUary. sent 70 General Chaffee. with the
following direction:
" There is SO much contained in this
report rejecting. not only upon officers
OF the army. but the general conduct of
affairs and the administration OF the
military branch of the government.
that The secretary of war desires Won