Evening star., 1903-07-29
SEEKING A SOLUTION
MILES COMMAND COMMITTEES
HOLDS SPECIAL MEETING.
Inquiry Into Trouble Between Com
mand and Auxiliary-A Spirited
Debate EnSues.

A committee of five members OF the Gen.
Nelson A. Miles Command Spanish War
Veterans. held a meeting last evening in
the new Spanish War Veterans Hall. 719
9th street northwest when a committee
from the Mary Sherman Miles Auxiliary
appeared before the representatives OF the
command to throw some light. II possible.
upon the troubles which have recently
arisen between the command and the auxil-
iary. The committee from the Miles COM
mand was appointed a few days ago to in
vestigate the causes which led to the in
PRODUCTION into the command, by Capt. L.
c. Dyer, the presiding officer Of that body,
of certain set of resolutions, which, 1t Is
said, denounced the Mary Sherman Miles
Auxiliary, and asked that the relationship
between the two organizations be severed
The meeting last night was supposed to
be in secret. but 1t was warm evening.
and the lights were brightly burning on the
interior. while the windows, which opened
on an alley. were wide open. The spirit Of
the gathering was not one calculated to In
duce subdued tones in the discussions which
ensued. and the proceedings were not car
ried on In whispers by any means. In fact
any one on the outside of the hail. within
a reasonable distance, could easily distin-
guish the tones of the takers.
Capt. Keegin, adjutant of the Miles Com
mand, is understood to have been the chair
man of the committee and presided over the
proceedings The other members. so far as
could be ascertained, were Capt l. N.
Dolph. Mr.. Hawkins and Mr.. Jamison
At the beginning of the proceedings, 1T Is
inferred. Capt. Dyer had two attorneys to
represent him before the body, but only
one was allowed to remain. Shortly after
the members of the committee had taken
seats Mrs. Isabel Worrell Ball appeared. 1t
Is said. as attorney for the Miles auxiliary.
Capt. Dyer's Statement.
Capt. Dyer made statement to the COM
mittee, 1t is understood. In which he said
so far as he could learn no bond exists be-
tween the auxiliary and the command. be-
cause, he stated. the Miles auxiliary is
made up of ladies not flesh and blood rela-
tives of Spanish War Veterans. He stated
also that many had come over to the aux
iliary from the w. r. c. or G. A. r. or
ganizauons. and were trying to run the
auxiliary on the G. A. r. plans. Most OF
the women were in the auxiliary for office.
he said. He stated further that the only
thing the auxiliary had ever done for the
commani was to present the latter organ
ization stand of colors. The auxiliary In
its present condition. he said. Is a detri-
ment to the command.
After this statement the ladies from the
Mary Sherman Miles Auxiliary came into
the conference room. Objections were
raised to permitting Mrs. Ball to appear for
the ladies, but she remained In the hall
During the discussion which followed
Mrs. Ball demanded that the resolution
which. 1t was said. Capt. Dyer had intro
duced before the command be produced for
inspection The ladies, she said, wanted
to know what they We're being tried for.
One member of the committee stated that
the resolutions had been expunged from
the records of the command. Mrs Ball
uttered a vigorous protest against pursuing
star chamber methods In the proceed
ings Of the evening. She said the ladies'
wanted to know whether they were being
tried for horse stealing or for swiping
charter"
After deal of discussion. In which 1t was
difficult to distinguish Ineligible sentences,
Mrs. Ball again took the floor as attorney
for the ladies' and read two letters. one of
which appeared to have been written by
Captain Dyer to Mrs. Jacobs as acting
president of the Miles Auxiliary So far as
could be learned the letter set forth IN SUBJ
stance the charges against the auxiliary
made by Captain Dyer in his statement be-
fore the committee. He said in the letter
that he considered the usefulness Of the
auxiliary at an end. and that he would op-
pose the command having anything to do
with the auxiliary.
Mrs. Ball then read what appeared to be
statement to the committee from Mrs.
Hycke a member Of the auxiliary In which
a conversation with Captain Dyer was re-
ported According to the statement of this
lady. Captain Dyer accused the members Of
the auxiliary of engaging in dirty work."
and of electioneering against his wife for
the position of president of the auxiliary.
tain Dyer expressed the determination to
Mrs. Hycke that he would break up the
auxiliary and form new one.
Statement Ruled Out.
When the reading Of the letter and state
ment by Mrs Ball had been concluded the
chairman of the committee from the COM
mand said the letters and statements
should not be introduced as evidence. be-
ladies wish to court-martial him they would
be gooL evidence. 1t was the Miles Aux
iiiary which was under investigation. and 1t
was desirable to know why the ladies with
drew from the auxiliary.
The attorney for the ladies then arose and
said if the committee refused to accept ev1-
dence which shows the animus Of the cap
tain of Miles Command in this matter the
ladies might as well leave the ROOM
A lively wordy war was precipitated all
talking at once. 1t was learned, however,
that one member Of the committee the one
whose head was Sparsely covered with hair
favored giving the ladies show. He stated
emphatically that If the committee refused
to accept the letters as evidence OF the
causes that led to the withdrawal OF the
ladies from the auxiliary he would carry
them to the command as a minority report.
Another hubbub arose, and Mrs. Ball de-
manded to know why the members of the
Miles Auxiliary should be hauled before the
committee Since the resolution which had
been placed before the command could not
be produced for the perusal of the ladies,
they were In the dark. she said. They had
produced the best evidence they could
under the circumstances. She demanded
that either the letters be accepted as evil
dence. or else be returned to her at once
A recess was taken. and the noise of
many voices in vigorous discussion floated
out OF the open windows upon the night air.
When the conference was resumed the
committee asked the attorney for the ladies'
to leave the letters in their possession for
consideration. and the members of the com
m1ttee would decide later whether or not
the document could be taken as evidence
At the close Of the meeting 1t was stated
that many Of the ladies who had with
drawn have lately expressed a desire to re-
turn to the organization
England's New Naval School
From the London (hronicle