The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-27
SESSION STRICTLY SECRET.
COMMISSION OF inquiry OUTLINE
INVEsTIG ALTON PROCEDURE.

Letters to Be Addressed to the Heads
of Departments Asking for Desired
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Depart
merts From a Date in April TO "a
Date in August TO BE Reviewed by
the COmmisslon-InfOrm ton to BE
Asked for to Pertain TO Orsaniza-
ton of Camps, Purchase of Sup
plies and Transportation Com
tracts.
Washington, Sept. 26.-The commission
selected by the President to investigate
the conduct of the war department held
its first formal session to-day with all the
members present.
The meeting was in the room of the forth
flea lions and ordnance board of the army
but it was found TO be too small for the
purposes of the commission and it was
announced that subsequent meetings would
be held in apartments secured in the Leh-
man building on New York avenue.
To-day's meeting was strictly secret, no
newspaper representatives or others not
connected with the board being admitted
The session was confined 10 meeting OF
TWO hours duration III the forenoon, after
which an adjournment was taken until 10
O'Clock tomorrow The proceedings We're
limiled 10 the outlining of a general pol
icy and the formation of letters of inquiry
which win be made public tomorrow. The
letters which have been decided upon are
to be addressed to the Secretary of War,
the quartermaster general, the commits
eary general, the surgeon general and the
chief of the ordinance department of the
army. They will consist in the main of in
quries intended to bring out all the facts
that can be given relative to the organi-
cation of the volunteer army.
These officials will be asked to give spe-
cific information as to cover each of the
departments in question concerning the
condition of the army, both at the begin
ming and the close of the war. For this
purpose a date in April has been selected
as the one for the beginning of the prep
aration and another in August for the
close.
The questions are so formulated as to
call out answers covering the organiza-
ton of camps, the purchase of supplies
and the making of contracts with trans
portation companies, and also to show the
methods adopted for furnishing supplies
to the various commands and for pro-
tecting the health of the soldiers. There
will be an especial effort to develop the
motives that actuated the department in
the choice of camp sites, as there have
been charges to the effect that they were
located as a matter of fayoritism to rail-
road companies.
The commission also considered several
letters of complaint from persons profess
ing to have information bearing upon the
subject of investigation, and decided to
address replies to the writer's of each of
them, requesting them to put their
charges in specific shape and informing
them of the scope of the inquiry. 1t is
10
these letters show the writer's to be in
possession of real information to summon
them before the commission when it is
feasible to do so, or, when it is not to Sc
cure their affidavits. Where. however, 1t
becomes evident that their communica-
tions are mere idle complaints, with no
information back of them, the writer's will
not receive further attention.
The commission also expects to extend
ats inquiry before ii closes its work to the
extent of summoning before it The COM
manding officers of the various divisions
and brigades, and probably extending it
20 the colonies of regiments, from which
complaints have emanated They will be
expected to give fun information as to
the pains they may have taken or failed
to take concerning the location of their
troops and their general welfare. The
commission decided to hold two sessions
daily, one in the forenoon, from 10 to 1880
o'clock, and the other in the afternoon.
from 2 to o'clock.
DR. P. S. Connor sat with the commits
sion to-day for the first time. He arrived
from his home in Cincinnati early in the
day and called upon the President for a
brief interview before joining his fellow
members in the war department. DR.. Con-
nor found it impossible to remain with the
commission for the present, and received
leave of absence for two or three days
IN order TO return to Cincinnati to put his
affairs in shape to be absent so long as
the work of the commission may require
In Dr. Conner the commission secures
the services of a man who is not only en-
inent in his profession but who is also
familiar with the conduct of the medical
department of the army in which he serV-
ed for four years. He was born at West
Chester, Pa, Aug. %, 1889; went to Gin
cinnati in 1874 and graduated from Dart
mouth College in 1859. The doctors servi-
ces in the army extended from 1862 to 1866
when he was assistant surgeon and brevet
major. He resigned his position on Aug
/, 1885, and since then has been in practice
in Cincinnati. He is now, and has been
for many years. professor of surgery in
the Medical College of Ohio and in Dart
mouth Medical College.