| Show rutn MILLS F 10 aluik begins with the preparations made for campaign washington nov lo 10 the report of major general miles commanding the united states army was made public today by direction of secretary alger the keynote of the report Is found in one of the opening sentences where it said ine military operations during the year have been extraordinary unusual and extensive a statement which la fully borne out by the long recital of important events which general miles shows have made the military history of the year the most remarkable since the end ot the civil war in point of interest the document divides naturally into four chapters for while brief allusion Is made to such matters as the military expeditions to alaska interest naturally centers in the portion which treats of the war with spain under this general head the report deals with the plans of campaign of the war preparations with the santiago campaign with general miles operations in puerto rico and lastly with the important changes in existing organization which are in general miles opinion necessary to make the army an effective weapon tor the defense of the country there Is an entire absence of any evidence in direct criticism though certain sentences in the report are italicized italicised sed in an apparent desire to justify previously expressed plans of details of the campaign and where it deals with events the document is largely made up of quotations of official dispatches OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT treating of the war general miles begins with a statement of the pa redness of the country showing bow the vast equipment left by the soldiers of the civil war has been dissipated or had become obsolete until transportation and camp equipage was insufficient for any important military operation he recounts the legislation of congress just prior to the war looking to the increase of the army and cities his own recommendation on april 9 that men be provided for coast defense ana reserve that the regular army be increased and recruited making a force of men which with native auxiliaries he considered sufficient such a force properly equipped he believed to be better than a largo force partly equipped in the letter containing this recommendation he said 1 I also recommend that at least 22 regiments of infantry alvo regiments of cavalry and the light artillery be mobilized and placed in one large camp where they can be carefully and thoroughly inspected fully equipped drilled disciplined and instructed in brigades and divisions and prepared tor war service he further asks for 50 volunteers to make up an army of soldiers for offensive operations in cuba the whole force to be fully equipped leaving the state troops to defend the coasts and tor a reserve april 15 he wrote secretary alger as follows 1 I have the honor to submit the following that in my judgment the available force of the regular army should be mobilized in the best and most available healthful position in the department of the gulf I 1 suggest chickamauga park on account of its altitude and advantages tor preparing a command tor the serious requirements quire ments of actual warfare he also dwelt upon the importance ot the most perfect equipment in all branches artillery engineering and medical with supplies tor six months and equipment for native cuban soldiers WAR PROBLEM PURELY NAVAL general miles says in his report that in the beginning the war problem was purely a naval one and he was convinced that should our navy prove superior the position of the army in cuba would be rendered untenable with a minimum loss of life and a treasure to the united states he says there wore two most earlous obstacles to be avoided one was placing an army on the island of cuba before our navy controlled the cuban waters and the other was putting an army on the island at a time when a large number of the men must die from the diseased that have prevailed in that country according to all statistics for the last years he pointed out in a letter to the secretary of war these dangers enclosing a communication from surgeon general sternberg and urged that the spanish be merely harassed and damaged during the rainy unhealthy sea aon while the navy was demonstrating its superiority and the volunteers were being equipped in that letter ho says 1 I also assert the belief I 1 have entertained from the first that we could secure the surrender of the spanish army in the island of cuba without any great sacrifice of life in this letter which Is attached dr guiteras Gul teras Is cited in support of tae recommendation ommen dation to delay the army movement in cuba and it is said that aside from disease the united states troops would have to cope with spanish troops the remnant of which troops had become acclimated and were equipped with guns there vas still time he said to put regular troops into healthy camps until they could be used in cuba with safety in order that the volunteers should be speedily made efficient on april ag general miles wrote to secretary of war alger that they would be encamped for 60 days in their respective states and disciplined and equipped and their officers instructed e 0 all im por tant he eald to health and clency |
