The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-22

down there as 1 asked, We could have
bought food, but they did not do that"
Gen. Miles suggested that the food was
sent TO his large army under pretense of
an experiment.
Gen. Miles called attention to the fact
that good fresh beef could be bought in
Porto Rico for six cents a pound, Ameri-
might be interesting to compare this with
the cost of the refrigerator beef together
with the expense of transportation.
tie said he did not know but what the
/ chemicals used in treating the beef were
responsible for the great sickness in the
American army.
reports which he had received concern
ing 1t were to the effect that this beef had
an odor like an embalmed dead body.
Had to Use "EmbnImed Beef"
Capt Howell-Were these reports ever
brought to the attention of the commits
sary general?
Gen. Miles-Reports were frequently
sent in to him. but he seemed to insist
that the beef be used
Capt Howell-Was the matter ever
brought to the attention of the Secretary
of War?
Gen. Miles-I requested that no more of
1t be sent. If a supply was sent to the
men in this country, would prohibit their
use of 1t. am having an investigation
made now of the matter. I thought you
gentlemen would get on to it,
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.
Gen. Miles stated the first plans for
sending troops to Cuba were not his, as
his plan opposed sending troops there I'M
til Cervera's feet was located. The ques-
ton at the outset was a naval problem,
and the dispatch of troops, in his judg-
ment there, hinged on which fleet should
destroy the other. If the Spanish, he
thought had destroyed the United States
fleet the United States would have been
blocked for a number of years.
Miles Discusses the Plans.
IF we had had force in Cuba then,
we would have lost it, as it would have
been impossible to get il back here"
He was also opposed to sending a large
force to places like Havana or Matanzas,
because of The large percentage of yellow
fever deaths there.
He said the destruction of Cervera' s
fleet settled that problem He said he
wanted to operate with small force
against the Spanish forces by harassing
them during the sickly season, aiding the
Cubans and not endangering The lives of
his own forces. He also at first favored
taking Porto Rico to prevent the Spanish
from using that as a base of operations.
Gen. Miles gave details of the Porto Ri
can expedition, organization and obstacles.
Concluding with his opinion of camp
sites, he said the first he knew of the Sc
lection of Camp Alger, Va. the most OBJ
jectionable camp in his mind, was when
the regiments began reaching there. AS
to Chickamauga, he had recommended mo-
bilizing the regulars there, and a portion
of the volunteers after some of the reg
ulars left, but he never anticipated 5000
men would be sent there, and when find
ing it overcrowded, he had recommended
distribution of the forces among other To-
caities.
Gen Merritt told the commission that he
regarded the Philippine expedition as a
decided success, and would conduct it on
the same lines, if he had it to go over
again. He spoke in high terms of the
troops under him and said his army was
well equipped with medicines and food