The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-05-14
GEN. MILES AND THE ANTS.

Somehow Gen. Miles official report
of conditions in the Philippines has
not created AS profound an impression
on the American people as the talka-
tive army commander evidently be-
lieved it would In the first place the
report was to great extent re-
hearsal of what had been said efore
and then much of what purported to
be new was largely matter of hear
say. 1t was generally understood that
when the commanding general of the
army went to the Philippines he was
to make tour of inspection and re-
port on the condition of the army
there, as belongs to the duties of his
office. But there is strong suspi-
cion that underlying it all there was,
and perhaps is at present, a deep po-
litical significance, and that all the
time General Miles was in league
with the leading anti-imperialists of
the country, and through them with
the Filipino insurrectionists them
selves. One of the reasons for this
suspicion is found in letter written
by Jose Xavier, a native Filipino, to
Alexandra Sauleago, chief of the Kati-
punan Society, which fell into the
hands Of General Davis when that
rebel was captured. This letter, writ
ten considerably in advance of Gen
eral Miles visit, disclosed to the in
surgents in advance the alleged pur-
pose of his coming. 1t stated in sub
stance that General Miles was to visit
the Philippines, ostensibly on an off
cial tour of inspection of the army,
but secretly as the representative Of
the Democrats in Congress, who de-
sired to give official character to the
stories of outrage by army officers and
men. The Democrats, according to
this letter, were considering General
Miles as a candidate for President on
an anti-imperialistic platform, and
they desired that he should have all
possible information as to army out
RACES to put into his report. Miles
was not only to report all the army
outrages to the people of the United
States, but he was to take up the
cause of the Filipinos and try to Sc
cure their independence by May Of
tins year.
In response to a request from the
war department General Miles has
said that he knows nothing about the
Jose Xavier letter, but there are GER
tain coincidents connected with the
matter which are peculiar at least. 1t
is regarded as rather singular that
Miles did put the story of outrages in
his report as Xavier said he would.
Wherever Miles went there were a
few natives who had collected in
formation, most of it two years old,
which had been thoroughly investigat-
ed by the United States Military au-
thorities, but it was all embodied in
Gen. Miles report to the secretary of
war, and became a matter of official
record.
The question now before the Off
Gals at Washington is "Who gave
Xavier the advance information that
Miles was going to investigate COM
plants against the army"
Another peculiar feature of the case
is that the anti-imperialists knew of
tla oon+ou+s of Caporal M;laS, ra,Dort
as soon as did Secretary Root, and
they wrote to him telling him about
it and demanding that it be made pub
lie. Further than this it is recalled
in Washington that there has been a
bond Of sympathy between Miles and
those who have attacked the army,
which led to many leaks from the
war department when the Philippines
committee of the Senate had this sub
ject under investigation a year ago.
Senator Culberson of Texas made pub
lie on the Senate floor information
that was traced so near to General
Miles Office that Senator Beveridge
asked if it came from Miles, and after
much deliberation Culberson said he
received it from no one connected
with the war department. But the
leaks continued, and war department
officers were satisfied that secret off
cial information was conveyed to the
Democrats.
One Washington correspondent, who
believes that General Miles has beel
made catspaw Of, says: 1.-The anti
imperiallsts may still hope to persuade
the Democrats to aocept General Mile
as presidential candidate, but TIL,
general impression here is that Mile
was duped into putting this stuff il
his report by the fiattering mention o
his possible future as the result o
such an exposure from one who hell
his rank in the army" There is