The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-22

Washington, Dec. 12-GeneraI Nelson
a. Miles, commanding the United
States army, and General Wesley Mer-
ritt, commander of the American forces
at the capture of Manila, were the prin-
cipal figures before the war investiga-
tion commission today. General Miles
responded to the summons of the COM
mittee only after several days consid-
GRAFTON. He was accompanied by his
own stenographer. His examination
was comparatively brief and not SEN
sat1onal- He spoke with some bitter
ness as to the "embalmed beef and
the canned beef furnished the army in
the field This ne characterized as an
experiment for which some one in
Washington was responsible. He said
that the landing facilities of the San
tiaSo expedition We're inadequate and
that the men were short of rations and
medicines and might have been better
protected from exposure to fever con-
tagion.
General Merritt told the commission
that he regarded the Philippine expedi-
ton as a decided success and would
conduct it on the same lines if he had
it to do over. He spoke in high terms
of the troops under him, and said his
army was well supplied with medicines
and food.
When General Miles took the stand
he was asked:
Are you willing to be sworn?'' he
was asked.
Il think" was the reply, that I can
say what have 10 say without being
sworn
General Miles gave his evidence in a
clear, unhesitating way, and went into
details regarding both the Santiago and
Puerto Rico expeditions. He opened
by describing the railroad confusion in
getting the war munitions to Tampa.
pointed to the lack of government store
house facilities there and said the cars.
at one time were held back as far as
Columbia S. G. He said when the
troops were loaded it was found impos-
sible to put more than Is, 200 men
aboard and they We're equipped as we'll
as possible under the circumstances.
1t was most fortunate" he said, that
the transports had good weather. If
they had encountered a 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,
could get on deck, which would have
been impossible otherwise"
ARRANGEMENTS INADEQUATE.
The commissary stores taken, he said.
were sufficient, but the medical sup
plies were inadequate. He had left the
loading, except for general directions, to
the corps commander, General Shafter
He found just before sailing that there
were a number Of pOntOOn boats being
taken which would be utterly useless
for the purpose and he himself had Sc
cured two barges from the owners there
and had taken other steps, but the sup
TtIz Of +.1~a
adequate.
"The expedition" he continued,
should have been furnished with
launches, naphtha or steam, or tugs, for
towing barges from the ships to the
shore We relied largely upon the en-
gineer officers and the engineer depart
ment for these. In the second expe-
dition to Puerto Rico these were fur
nished, but they arrived too late to
render assistance"
He said before the first fleet sailed
from Tampa, estimates had been def
nitely made of the number of boats to
be furnished the transports and the
number to be furnished by the navy
to assist. The most cordial assistance.
ne added, had been promised on the
part of the navy. At Santiago, he said,
the supply of tentage and food was very
limited
Were the medical supplies at that
time sufficient for the needs of the
commando" was asked.
In reply he read q dispatch from
General Shafter on Aug. 4, which re-
ferred to a chronic scarcity of medi-
eines," and that four men had just
died from lack of medicines. There was
at no time. said General Miles, Suffi-
cient medicine for the troops.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
General Beaverton what YOU
learned and observed while there. do
you think there was at any time.
sufficient medical supply?
General Miles-Of medical men and
materials?
General Beaver-Yes.
General Ailes-NO, sir.
The witness stated that the hos
pital accommodations were only of a
temporary character. He said that the
shelter was bad. The shelter tents did
lOt shelter. Questioned as to the char
1cter of the facilities for Transporting
he wounded, he said that they were
aiken away in wagons.
General Beaver--Do you know If any
u the wounded were lying exposed to
lhe weather?
General Milestone were exposed in
being sent down to the hospitals. L saw
)ne train of wounded men driving along
the drenching rain, with nothing TO
shelter them.
He had taken steps personally to ccr-
ect matters, and on July II had tele-
sraphed for a well-equipped corps of
}ier and bridge-builders, etc, and had
irdersd places burned.
SHAFTER DISOBEYED ORDERS.
General Miles said the transportation
ABILITIES were used to carry Supplies
0 some $1,000 to 10000 refugees from
antiago, and about 5000 Cuban troops.
This was not expected he answer
d. in reply to a question, because /
ad cautioned General Shafter 20 keep
IS men out of the Spanish buildings
every character. and to keep the men
way from the natives Had ne not
one as ne did the army would have
cen much better supplied"
His army in Puerto Rico, ne said, had
}een supplied in a way with quarter
master and couunoisSarV stores. but net