The San Francisco call., 1898-12-17
GAVE SPECIAL
 ATTENTION n
 VOLUNTEERS Shafter's Chief Com- missary Testifies. AN ABSENCE OF RED TAPE HOW THE GRAVES OF FALLEN SOLDIERS WERE MARKED. Slight Difference of Opinion Between General Weston and Quarter
 master General Lud-
 ington.
AN ABSENCE OF RED TAPE
HOW THE GRAVES OF FALLEN
 SOLDIERS WERE MARKED.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-Brigadier- General Weston, chief commissary of the Shafter expedition testified to-day before the war Investigating commits sion that there was an absence of red tape methods in feeding the volunteers at Sfboney. He said he never heard a complaint of the condition of the com mlssary supplies at the front. Special efforts had been made in behalf of the volunteers, whose officers he recognized sometimes did not quite understand now to get what was due the men. Sur geons were given articles from hos pltalS on memorandum, and they were paid out Of the funds at Washington Colonel Roosevelt once came to San tago and wanted to be buy tomatoes and extra supplies for his men, and he refused 10 let him pay for them, as there was no need for it. Witness said he took $5000 with him when he went to Florida and still has "a lot of it left"
 Well. you are the only man then" interrupted Captain Howell, who ever went to Florida and brought any money back"
 Referring to difficulties caused by the subsistence department depending on the quartermaster's department for transportation he said it was a ridicu- a. matter he would not like to speak of without thinking it over," and he had thought a heap about it. too."
 So far as the food was concerned Gen eral Weston characterized the Santiago campaign as mere bagatelle. the hardships being trivial compared to his own experience in frontier Indian cam paigns, when he and his men were forced to use the wagon mules for food.
 The Rev. pr. Henry c. McCook of Philadelphia, chaplain of the Second Pennsylvania, and commissioner of the National Relief Association. said that on his return from Cuba he had called on President Mckinley. August 6, ard added: If there was anything l did know and he did not get it out or me, l am unaware of it. He has wonderful powers of cross-examina- tion.''
 The President at that time commits stoned him to find and permanently mark the graves of the soldiers. and he did so. He pictured the desolated conditions of the graves. but said the names were nearly all marked some wounded men had wandered off and died and their graves remained mn marked. In Santiago when he landed July 20, there was a dearth of every thing needed. The medical department opposed the work of his relief associa- ton, but changed their views later
 Quartermaster General Ludinpton testified as to the operations of his de- partment prior to and during the war
 In answer to Governor Beaver Cen eral Ludington said it might be well to provide against future emergencies by keeping on hand equipment for at least two years in advance. This couId be done with many classes of sunnJjes without danger of deterioration.
 General Ludington did not agree witb the suggestion of Commissary General Egan that the commssary department ought to furnish cooking and eating utensils. and their transportation. as well as provide for food
 Concerning the shipment of medical supplies, General Ludington said they were rushed forward as promptly ar more so, than any other supplies, and he knew of no instance where there had been delays of weeks in shipping medi- cines from New York to Camp Alger or from St Louis to Camp Thomas. This had been the testimony of numerous other witnesses. Dr. Connor cited one instance where 200 bed hospital outfIt had been lost between New York and Fernandina.
 Chief Engineer John w. Wilson. a member of the commission. then testi- fled in detail as to the preparation for coast defense. including torpedoes. for which he had been allotted from the national fund something less than $6, ,000, ,000.