The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-05-08
OE!: WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGToN, D. c., May 4th.

MR. EDIToR:-Tn spite Of the fact that
the report of General Nelson A. Miles was
made public during the earlier part of the
week, the comment on its disclosures
seems to have grown in direct proportion
to the number Of days which have inter-
vened since the War Department saw fit
to allow its publication. Your correspon-
dent called at the Department to see the
original document, but was refused per
mission, with the assertion that the coun-
try was already familiar with all its de-
tails through its dissemination in the
| press He found however. that after
weeks of suppression, the War Depart
ment has given out only parts Of the re-
port " hen it is recalled that General
Miles was ordered by Secretary Root and
President Roosevelt to proceed to the
Philippines and report in writing on con-
ditions as he found them, the present
action Of Root is indefensible and accord
ing to the tenets of honesty held by
number Of prominent men who have been
questioned on the subject, contemplate.
What else can be thought of a Secretary
who orders the highest army officer to
perform inspection duty and then sup
presses the report as "confidential?' After
that, unable to further ignole the requests
for publication which came from sources
he dared not refuse, he gives out CARRIED
version, prefaced by the statement that
Miles judgments were worthless, pract-
cally giving the lie direct to an eye wit
ness Of conditions which grew out Of a
| regime equalled only by the cruelties in
Cuba which the Spanish War was waged
| to redress. Added to this he has instrrc'td
subordinate officers to attack The veracity
of the ranking general, and General
Chaffee, who could not be called on by
the Secretary to add his word to the array
Of dispositions issued coDtemporaneously
with the Miles report in refutation thereof,
sees fit in al interview to declare the find
ings Of his superior officer as of 'no i'm
p ,rtance.' Naturally he was prodded b,
the "nnw r behind The throne" but these
attempts 10 discredit General Miles, il
order to bolster a malodorous regime,
renders the administration open to the
serious charge # fostering a spirit of
anarchy in the American army at the same
time that the republican party is posing
as the defendsr-of the military service of
the country agafHst attacks upon it's disci-
pline and integrity.
Another thing not pointed out by the
daily press, but which has come under the
observation of your correspondent is this:
The replies of the bureau chiefs, of Ord
nance, En- gineers, Commissary, etc, in
spired by Root, are actually embodied in
Miles report and given out as part of it
by the Department, with this significant
exception: General Hughes, in whose de-
partment occurred the worst atrocities as
proved by court martial, was called upon
to reply to that portion of the report
which bore upon his actions. 1t is notable
that Hughes contribution is withheld, the
excuse vouchsafed to your correspondent
being that it was mot gentlemanly." Here
We have the spectacle of the commander
Of the army SO bitterly assai!ed, according
to instructions, by q subordinate who is
confessedly not an ''officer and gentle
man" that his words are unfit to print.
To those who are willing to see the force
of these facts it is patent that Mr.. Root is |
''hoist with his own petard."
In spite Of attempts to gloss things over
the postoffice and other scandals twill
not down" Machen is still being shielded
and all inquiries at the Postotfice Depart
mert are met with the assertion that moth
ing further will be done until the Presi /
deut is made acquainted with the finding s
of the vestigation as far as it has gone.
On asking how the President was to be
Informed your correspondent learned that
Secretary of War Root will be mixed in
this matter as he seems to have been in
other unsavory affairs which reflect but
little credit upon his incumbency. Ho
was in close consultation with Postmaster
General Payne last Wednesday and left
directly for St. Louis where it il tx ,,ected |
that the postoffice affair will be the chief
topic of conference between Mr.. Roose-
welt and his right hand man. 1t can be
undeIst God that a conference would have
as prime object the hushing of republi
can mismanagcmcnt at the capital, at
least during the time that Mr.. Roosevelt |
is calling the Vests attention to himself
and his party. They realize that there is
some virtue in consistency, at least.
Four executive departments and two
national governments are worried over
the dispositions of some $4,000 taken from
Charles F. Medley when he was arrested
in connection with the alleged postal |
irregularities in Cuba The amount, &c.,
234 IS to be exact, now rests in the safe |
of Postmaster General Payne How it |
got there is long story, but it can be
briefly stated for your readers in this way:
Neeley was arrested by the Chief CT Police
of Rochester, n. Y, aud held there await
ing the arrival Of postofficc inspectors
who were to take Medley to the scene of
his trial Medley holds the receipt of the
Rochester chief for the money taken from
him at the time Of the arrest. The post
office inspector receipted to the Rochester
man and General Wood receipted to the
inspector when the money was taken to
Cuba to be used as evidence. 1t then
went to Secretary Root on Il rec 5ipt and