Life — August 18, 1898 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

New Yors. _izablished every Thursday. $s. rear tn ad- Postage to forelin count ear oxtra, Single current coples, numbers within six months, 25 Previous to six months, 20 Contributions are sent at authors’ vi will be destroyed unless accompanied by postage. The illustrations in Lure are copyrighted, not Lo be reproduced without speciat agement with the publishers. Prompt notification should be sent by sub- seribers of any change of addr goes to press, peace seems inevi- table, So be it! The weather is far, far too hot comfortable fighting, and though exercises might be renewed to better advantage in the fall, it will be far more satis- factory not to have to fight any more, but to be able to turn our entire energies to pacifying the res- cued Cubans and taking care of the health of our troops, The fu- ture of the Philippincs, it seems, is not yet arranged for, so we may look fora government advertisement of Colored Orphans, rescued from a cruel step- mother and held for adoption by Uncle Sam. for V HILE it has long been very gen- erally suspected that General Alger was not an idval person to be Secretary of War in wartime, sentiments of patriotism, and the feeling that under existing cireum- stances the Administration ought to be supported as a whole, have tended to pro- tect him from violent criticism, Besides that, few persons have known precisely what he has done or left undone. Weal know that he has long been an ambitious politician, and prone to shape all action with a view to political results, We knew, too, when he was appointed, that his record as a volunteer officer in the civil war bad a flaw in it, and that his LIE efforts to have that flaw taken out had resulted in strained relations between him and some of the best officers of the regular army. For that reason, if for no other, he was an unsuitable person to be Secretary of War. But he wanted that place, and President McKinley, whose specialty is placating influential Republican politicians, surrendered it to him. When war with Spain came and found General Alger at the head of the War Department, there was much quiet lamentation and some open protest. But the President would not turn him out, and he did not retire. A greatmany things have been very badly done in the conduct of the war, but for what part of them Secretary Alger has been to blame, and what part has been due to our un- readiness for war and the inefficiency of our military machine, are matters with which only experts and bistorians are competent to deal, SL OF ‘tig that has been charged against the Secretary is that he chose General Shafter to command the ex- pedition against Santiago for no better rea- son than that he wasa man from Michigan, the Secretary's own State, and in the face of the fact that he was physically, at least, if not intellectually and professionally, unfit for such a command. General Shafter doubtless did his best, and in spite of his physical disabilities, and possibly of other defects, the gallantry of the soldiers and officers under him made his expedition succeed. He ought to have any credit that may belong to him, and if there is censure to go with it, it is an ungracious job to administer it, But, as for Secretary Alger, there is no reason why mere plain justice should not be good enough for him. If he has tried to manage our war as a politician, let him mect the consequences. HE prospect that in due time we shall be in a position to do full justice to the Secretary of War is materially helped by his recent dealings with Colo- nel Roosevelt. When General Shafter announced to his officers at Santiago on August 4th that Secretary Alger had ordered him to move his troops into the interior back of Santiago, Colonel Roose- velt addressed to him a letter, saying that if the troops were not sent home at once half of them would die. A com- munication to the same effect, signed by three Major-Gencrals, four Brigadier- Generals and Colonel Roosevelt, was addressed to General Shafter at the same time. Both letters, surprising to say, were immediately cabled to the news- paper: General Alger was much dis. He declared that the ‘tround robin ” of the Generals was unwarranted, but he immediately ordered the troops to be brought home with the least possible delay. By way of serving out Colonel Roosevelt he published a personal letter, dated July 23d, from that officer to him. self, in which the remark was made that the Rough Riders, partly because they were very well armed, were as good as regulars, and three times as good as any State troops. Publishing this letter, already twelve days old, was apparently an act of spite, designed to get Roosevelt into hot water with the volunteers, It may have that effect in some degree, but it will also secure to Secretary Alger much attention which he might otherwise have evaded. Whatever Colonel Roosevelt’s indiscre- tions in the use of pen and ink may have been, he has been working for the good of our troops and the advantage of the country, and he is much more likely to survive a rash comparison than General Alger is to be forgiven for an unwarranted breach of confidence. The Colonel is a rash man, but not a small one. It is doubtful if so much can be said for the Secretary, OG0866 HE fuller knowledge which we are getting of General Shafter, and bis manner of expressing himself and his turn of mind, makes it seem credible that his difference with General Garcia was one which a more tactful person, in better health and in a more benign state of mind, might possibly have avoided. Dealing with the Cubans is going to be a very delicate matter, calling for patience, gamption, firmness, and the rarest diplo- matic gifts, The country will be very critical in taking notice of the selection of men for that duty,