The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-09-29
WAR INQUIRY BEGUN
FIRST MEETING OF THE INVESTS.
eating COMMITTEE HELD.

! Investigation Cou.tnittee Present at
| the First Meeting in the Capital. Two
Hours Listening to His Instructions
| Washington, Sept. 26.-President Nc.
| kinley's commission to investigate the
conduct of the war, held its fSst meet
| ing in the quarters of the board of
ordnance and fortifications in the war
| department Saturday.
| There were eIsht members of the
| commission present. They were Ma
| jor Grenville NJ. Dodge of New York,
olonel ]. A. Sexton of Illinois, Captain
| E. P. Howell of Georgia, Major Cen
| eral ]. M. Wilson, chief of engineers of
| the United States army, Charles Den
| by of Indiana, former minister to China
| former Governor Urban A. Woodbury.
| of Vermont, former Governor James A.
Beaver of Pennsylvania, and Major
General Alexander McD. McCook, u. S.
A., retired.
In addition to these men, DR.. Phin-
cas- d. Connor of Cincinnati, Ohio, has
accepted an appointment as the medi-
cal member of the commission, the
| membership of which has thus been
filed. DR.. Connor's appointment was
| recommended by DR.. Keen of Phlladel-
phia, when he declined.
Before their first meeting at the war
department the eight commissioners
and Major Mills of the inspector gen.
erals department, who has been Or
| dered to duty as recorder to the COM
mission, visited the White House and
called on President Mckinley.
They We're with the president nearly
two hours and received from him in
structions outlining the scope of the
Investigations he desired them to
make.
When they left the White House they
had instructions to make an investi-
cation of a much more far reaching
character than might seem to hay:
been indicated by the wording of the
presidents kilograms to the men who
were first asked to serve.
AS was indicated by this telegram,
the quartermaster's. commissary and
medical departments, being the ones
most severely criticised, are to be ir-
vestigated most thoroughly, but the
commission is not to be confined to
these, but is to 60 into the general
conduct of the war.
The commission remained in session,
at the war department until half past
one o'clock perfecting an organization.
General Grenville NJ. Dodge was eiec-
ted president of the commission: Ma
jor S. C. Mills. L. S. A., recorder, and
Mr. Richard Weghtman of Washing
ton, secretary. Three army officers
Will be chosen as sergeant at arms.
The scope of the work and the meth
cd of procedure were not decided upon.
The commission will meet st ten o'clock
this morning to lay out its plan Ut
work. 1t is expected that DR.. Connor
will be present.
After the adjournment of the meet
ing General Dodge said that the meet
ings would be secret for the present,
and II had not been decided whether
persons would be examined in public,
The commission will be b-diyided in
to three committees, so that the inves-
tgation can be conducted on three diff
ferent lines simultaneously.
Washington, Sept. 26.-That Presi-
dent Mckinley is determined that the
investigation of the war departments
conduct of the war shall be thorough
Is evidenced by the expression of his
wishes Saturday before the commits
sion. In his talk to the commission the
president made 1T very clear that the
investigation was not to be confined to
the bureaus of the war department and
to subordinate officials, but was to take
in the war department and the secre-
tary of war himself.
He told the commissioners that he
was receiving a large number of let
ters from different parts of the country
saying that no investigation was need
ed, but that Secretary Alger should be
dismissed.
He gave them to understand that he
could not for an instant consider the
dismissal of the secretary of war before
thorough investigation had been
made, and the secretary had been CIV
en- every opportunity to be heard.
This was interpreted j.: some of the
members of the commission to indicate
that their investigation Is MT to stop
short or the secretary of war, and that
the political fate of Secretary Alger
will depend upon their action.