The Portland daily press., 1898-12-22
NILES and MERRITT.
Ranking Generals Before War In.
vestigation Commission,
NILES EXAMINATION BRIEF AND
NOT SENSATIONAL.

Complained some of the ssEmbalmed
Beef, Sent To Him AT Porto Rico--
gen. Merritt Told Commission That
He Regarded Philippines Expedition
AS Entire Success.
Washington, December 2l.-Gen. Mel
son A Miles, commanding the y. S.
army, and Gen. Wesley Merritt, COM
capture of Manila were the principal
figures before the war Investigating COM
mission today Gen. Miles responded to
the summons Of the commission only after
several days consideration. He was ac-
companied by his own stenographer. His
examination was comparatively brief and
not sensational He spoke with some
bitterness as to the fem balmed beef and
the canned beef furnished the army in
the field. This he characterized as an
experiment for which s.some one in
Washington was responsible. He said
that the landing facilities of the Santiago
expedition we're inadequate and that the
men were short of rations and medicines
anu might have been better protected
from exposure to fe yer contagion.
Gen. Merritt told the commission that
he regarded the Philippine expedition as
a decided success and would conduct 1T ON
the same lines if he had to do 1t over.
He spoke in high terms OF the troops
under him and said his army was we'll
supplied with medicines and food.
Washington, Deoember 2i.--Lieut. Col.
Miley, Gen. Skaters chief of staff, testi-
fed before the war investigation COM
mission today concerning the Santiago
campaign, largely following the lines of
Gen. Skaters testimony yesterday. Col.
Miley told the positions of the lines OF the
two armies before Santiago and said the
Spanish lines were SO conspicuous that
there was no necessity for any reconnais-
sance in force to determine them. He
Spanish sharpshooters between the Span
ish and American lines, but he was I'M
able to find single instance of Spanish
sharpshooters firing on our hospitals in
tbs rear of their firing on our TANKS.
He smoke of the two mile range of the
Spanish rifles and described the American
position on San Juan hill, and said 1t
would have been far more dangerous for
the men to have been a mile in the rear
than to remain where they were.
Gen. Miles took the stand next
fare you willing to be sworna'' he
was asked.
81 Think was the reply, shat can
say what l have to say without being
sworn.
Gen. Miles was fortified with a large
package of papers and had his own steno-
grapher. He gave his evidence in a clear,
unhesitating way and went into details
regarding both the Santiago and Porto
Rico expeditions.
He opened by describing the railroad
confusion in getting war munitions to
Tampa, pointed to the lack OF govern
ment storshouse facilities thers and said
the cars at one time We're held back as
far as Columbia, S. 9.
He said when the transports were
loaded it was found impossible to put
more than 1000 men aboard, and they
were equipped as we'll as possible under
the circumstances.
''It was most Fortunate he said.
"that the transports had good weather.
II they had encountered severe storm
the loss of life, or the suffering at
least, must have been fearful AS it was,
with fair weather, the men below
crowded in with the mules and supplies,
and could get on deck, which would have
been Impossible otherwise.
The commissary stores taken, be said,
were sufficient, but the medical supplies
were inadequate. he had left the load
ing, except for general directions to the
coTrs commander Gen. Shafter. He
found just before sailing that there were
number of ponuoon boats being taken
which would be utterly useless for the
purpose and he himself had secured two
barges from the owners there and had
taken other steps, but the supply of boats
taken was very Inadequate. 1.-The expe-
dition,' he continued, 'sshould have
been furnished with launches, naphtha
or steam. or tugs, for towing barges from
the ships to the shore. He relied largely
on the engineer officers and the engineer
department. for these. In the second ex-
petition to Porto Rico these were fur
nished, but they arrived too late to render
much assistance"
He said before the first fleet sailed from
Tampa estimates had been definitely
made 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.
We're the medical supplies at that time
sufficient for the needs of the command?
he WAS asked.
In reply he read dispatch from Gen.
Shafter on August. which referred to a
chronic scarcity of medicines and that
four men had just died from Lack of
medicines. There WAS at no time, said
Gen. Miles, sufficient for the troops. He
remem bered seeing one train fol- the sick,
in drenching rain, with no covering
over the wagons. He bad taken measures
personally TO correct matters, and on
August u had telegraphed for well
equipped corps of pier ard bridge build
ars etc and Lad ordered nIacas h1Irnad