Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1902 — MILES WOULD QUIT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MILES WOULD QUIT.

THREATENS TO RESIGN IF ARMY BILL 18 PASSED. Military Head of the Nation Tells Senate Committee He Could Now Name the Men Who Would Be Ad-vanced-May Be Removed. Lieut. Gen. Miles, testifying before the Senate committee on military affairs the other day, declared that if the army reorganization bill submitted by of War Root should become a wocild be forced to resign his position and retire. Further than that, Gen. Miles stated that he “could name the men Mho would be selected to fill the new plactfs” should the bill become n law. The declarations of Gen. Miles are expected to widen the breach between hfm and the War Department, and friends of the President declare he will resent the statement that certain persons in the army are already assured of high positions should the bill become a law. The testimony of Gen. Miles was given privately before the committee, and he submitted a typewritten outline of his attitude toward the bill. The testimony created a sensation in the capital. Secretary of War Root, when shown Gen. Miles’ testimony, declined to say whether any action would be taken by the President or by the department. Secretary Root exhibited little feeling. Ht remarked quietly that he was sorry

Lieut. Gen. Miles opposed this bill. He pointed out that, under the section of which Gen. Miles complained, the lieutenant general would have greatly enlarged powers in army management, instead of being restricted in his functions, as he supposed. Gen. Miles’ testimony created a good Impression on the committee and his earnestness had evidently considerable influence. It is possible the statement made by Gen. Miles that he could name the officers who are likely to be selected for the new places under the bill will arouse the ire of Mr. Roosevelt. The statement was made without the knowledge that it would be repeated, but it became known to Secretary Root and the President and led to a good deal of comment in the War Department. Gen. Miles, in opposing the idea of a general staff, controlled by civilians, claimed part of the credit for the victory of the American army at Santiago, declaring he ordered Shafter to move from Tampa to Santiago, and it was because of his orders that Shafter*., army arrived so soon. He told the incident to show that, had he been compelled to wait for a staff meeting, Shafter would have been delayed in leaving Tampa. Lieut. Gen. Miles had been summoned expressly to give his opinion upon the Root bill, which provides for the consolidation of the quartermaster general’s and commissary general’s departments into one supply bureau, and which also creates a general staff. Gen. Miles submitted to the committee a typewritten statement in which he declared that the Root bill was subversive of the military establishment, and he bad no hesitation in declaring that the measure would render it impossible for him to continue to hold the office of lieutenant general in command with due respect to the dignity of his position. Gen. Miles read his typewritten statement to the committee, which accepted it as an official criticism. The stenographer present was directed by Senator Quarles to omit a good deal of the testimony whieft followed the reading of the statement. This was because Gen. Miles wished to have the statements he made regarded as confidential. He did not hesitate to describe the bill as one calculated to increase the Confusion of the military administration, knd at one time be stated that the effect of the bill would be to enable the authorities to reward their favorites. He made the assertion that he could name the officere who were likely to be appointed by the President to the new office of major general and that of brigadier general among the places created by the pending measure. Gen. Miles was 02 yeara old last August. The President has authority to retire him now arbitrarily under the law, and, a Washington correspondent says, It la strongly intimated that this will be done, and done in a way to make it nnpleaeant for Gen. Miles. A suggestion has already been made to the President that he should retire the lieutenant general under the law and rebuke him aeverely for his action in the Schley case, for the publicity given to his plan to relieve the situation in the Philippines, and for his testimony before the Senate committee.