Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-12-24

sponded to the summons Of the commits.
sion only after several days considera-
ton. He was accompanied by his own
stenogra pher. His examination was
comparatively brief.
General Miles was fortified with a
large package Of papers and had his own
stenographer. He opened by describ-
ing the railroad confusion in getting
war munitions to Tampa pointed to the
lack of government storehouse facili-
ties there and said the cars It one time
were held back as far as Columbia, :. c.
He said when the transports We're
loaded it was found impossible to put
more than 5000 men aboard. and they
were equipped as well as possible under
the circumstances.
The commissary stores taken, he said.
were sufficient, but the medical supplies
were inadequate. He had left the load
ing, except for general directions, to the
corps commander. General Shafter. He
found, just before sailing, that there
were number of pontoon boats being
taken which would be useless for the
purpose and he himself had secured two
barges from the owners there and had
taken other steps, but the supply Of such
boats taken was very Inadequate.
He said before the first fleet sailed from
Tampa estimates had been definitely
matle of the number Of boats to be fur
nished the transports and the number
to be furnished by the navy to assist.
The most cordial assistance, he added,
had been promised on the part of the
navy. At Santiago the supply Of tentage
and food was very limited.
General Beaver-From what you
learned and observed while there do you
think there was at any time sufficient
| medical supply?
General Miles-No. sir.
| The witness stated that the hospital
accommodations were only Of a tenn
porary character. He said that the
shelter was bad. The shelter tents did
not shelter.
Questioned as to the character of the
facilities for transporting the wounded,
he said that they were taken in wagons
Some We're exposed in being sent down
to the hospitals. l saw one train of
wounded men driving along in the
drenching rain with nothing to shelter
them"
General Miles said the transportation
facilities were used to carry supplies to
some $4,000 to 10000 refugees from San
tiago and about 5000 Cuban troops.
This" he stated, in answer to a ques-
ton, was not expected. because l had
cautioned General Shafter to keep the
men away from the natives and out of
the Spanish buildings of every charac-
ter Had he not done as he did, the army
would have been much better supplied"
He had taken measures personally to
correct matters, and ON July 12 had tele-
graphed for a well-e equipped corps Of pier
and bridge builders, ETC., and had ordered
places burned.
His army in Porto Rico, he said, had
been supplied in a way with quartermas-
ters' and commissary stores, but not in
the best way. At Porto Rico he had
asked that fixed ratons be sent, but in
stead they were sent down in bulk, with
out invoices or bills of lading and in
many instances stores were spoiled in
the hold and thrown away. This caused
great embarrassment and loss of stores
and deprived troops of food and he as
serted, the scarcity of food largely caused
the distress of the troops. He had ad-
vsed against the shipping of beef to
! Porto Rico, both because there was
abundance Of it on the island as we'll as
his belief that it was defective.
"WhO fixed that beef as an army ra-
tlon?'
You'll have to ask some one here in
Washington. You had better ask the |
secretary of war or the commissary gem
al. 1t was sent as food. If they had |
vat tnisan that thav would have bod to |
go hungry. If they had sent paymasters
down there, as l asked. we could have
bought food but they did not do that"
General Miles suggested that the food
was sent to his large army under pre-
tense of an experiment.
General Miles called attention to the
fact that good fresh beef could be bought |
in Porto Rico for cents pound, Ameri-
can money, and he suggested 1t might be
interesting to compare the cost of the
refrigerated beef together with the ex-
penSe Oh lie Sdlu ne ala
not Know but what the chemicals used
in treating the beef was responsible for
the great sickness in the American army,
Reports which he had received concern
ing it were to the effect that this beef had
an odor like an embalmed dead body.
e
Captain Howell-Were these reports
ever brought to the attention Of the COM
missary general?
General Miles-Reports were frequent
ly sent in to him, but he seemed to insist
that the beef be used. He said he had |
never complained to the secretary Of
war as to the condition of the beef, but |
had asked that the supply be stopped.
London Dec. 22.-The Berlin corre-
spondent Of The Daily News says: If !
symptoms are not deceptive, new tariff !!
controversies are imminent between the |
United States and Germany. The pro-
tectionists here assert that Dr. Won |
Holleben. German ambassador to the |
United States, has been instructed to de- |
mand reduction in the duties on sugar,
wine and textiles. With regard to wine, |
Germany claims on the ground Of the |
most IaVoreo treaty arrangement the |
same reduction as Is granted to France. |
Havana, Dec. 22.-Efigies of General |
Weyler were hung yesterday, sur
rounded by jeering crowds, while small |
professions marched and counter
marched along the streets. shouting |
constantly. Business is virtually sus-
pended in consequence of the rejoicing |
over the evacuation. In some in
stances, bands of Cubans have visited |
Spanish shopkeepers and compelled |
them to shout viva Cuba Libre," and to |
wave Cuban flags.
Washington, Dec. 22.-The official re-
ports Of all commanding officers of the
navy during the war have been compiled |
and published by the navy department