New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-13
THE ARMY INVESTIGATION
TESTIMONY GIVEN BY GENERALS GREE
LY AND EAGAN
CONDUCT OF THE SIGNAL SERVICE AND THE CON-
MIssARY DEPARTMENT IN THE WAR
IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTED

IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTED
Washington. Dec 2-General A. W. Greedy chief
OF the Signal Service. testified before the War De-
rartment Investigating Commission to-day that his
plans had been laid well ahead and tina, when an
propriatons became available there was no DELAY in
beginning the work He knew what would be re-
qured and acted accordingly. He said the auxiliary
force OF the corps was mustered in organized and
to the front in thirty days after Its formation
was authorized. Every order from the Commanding
General to create lines OF communication had been
obeyed promptly He had made practice of hav-
ine the necessary material always hand at sup
Yly points. and there had not been a single COM
plant 81 the manner in which the corps had re-
svonied 10 all calls Il.
General Greedy was then asked: Were Won him
6ered delayed any time in the administration
o. your department by any one in authority over
YOU"
We'll. OF course. in time OF war. when large sup
piles needed In many cases Il IS necessary 10
convince the Secretary 0: War that certain things
are necessary 10 be done There was at first some
delay. and before the war I cautioned TO be
c.rcumspect in purchases and expenses. This never
CID real harm. and when the emergency arose
I given everything l needed. and was well
supported by the Department"
When asked II he had any suggestion to offer.
General Greedy said:
Il believe there should be officer in the
American Army whose duty II should be to see
that the American soldier 10 fed believe the
problem OF feeding. clothing and paying the Army
IS a business one. and any three competent bust
gees men could get together and devise a system
IS much In advance OF our present one as that Is
In advance OF $50 years ago"
FEW LOSSES IN THE SIGNAL CORPS.
Referring 10 the health Of his men. General
Greely said
II may mention that out OF 1900 men in the
corps. ! only had five succumb to disease. There
were two killed and two officers had their horses
sho, under them"
.'Did YOU have any doctors in your corps7'
NO sir
There was general laugh this and ex-Gov-
.r,or Beaver said: Good thing DR.. Conner is not
here"
II will say" added General Greedy. that made
a roin: Of impressing upon my officers that their
men IN the field bound 10 be as irresponsible
GO children and would have TO be looked after as
such REGARDING their food. sinks and bedding l
,red 70 see that my officers carried out this super
vision everywhere. and must they did 50 faith
f,llv The result speaks for itself
l., conclusion General McCook asked: "Wi you
.o,a how Cervera was located In Santiago
Through Colonel Allen. Of my corps said Gen
.ral Creely who received the news from Havana
n the afternoon and the President had 1t at MD
night" .
How dd you manage TO communicate between
Santiago and Havana. and how did you get the
news out Of Havana? - l., ,,,, .horo
they would do the most good ana ,heg nhd o ;he,
own methods OF communicating VIII eaen otn ne,
We a'n3m 9y u Una" coId DEPEND and when anything
Scrth knowing happened ~ Cuba the President
xxi the same said General McCook. u don't
GeIeTal Greedy speaking of the press censorsfip.
SAID the latitude Of criticism on the D Dy
Darticuiariy violent ana unreasonable attacks flI:
The managers OF the commercial teiegraP" "'eS
ha aided him greatly in this matter
SUBSISTENCE OF THE ARMY.
co,rr,sssrv.General Charles P Eagan testified
,ha, on assuming charge Of his department ne
found an abundance Of food on hand and WIN the
troops at various points in the field This con-
tnued UP TO date. As 10 complaints. he said ABOUT
70 per cent OF the officers thought unfavoraoy
Of the canned roast beef. lie received no actual
complaints. He had the matter investgateo aH a.,
hs once and offered to show It to the Commits:
sion The Department furnisnea % a noos With Il, II
they did reach the soldiers. that was me iauI'
lect in the transportation and loading OF supplies
bad come to MS notice IN severai Tases ae mao
h n1oner,y ED ri, he CommissaTy Department
Iurchase Of ratons He said he believed the Com
hu, the cooking and eating utensils and transpor;
them TO the troops. All his experience confirmed
General agan said that there were few con.
tractors who did not cheerfully make good any
dehcietcy in the quality OF material deliyered
colonel Denhy-Do YOU think that the officers
s t%@r else in fact We're Vel cooked Does
not the value Of the food work down to the value
General Eagan-I nque stionably | believe the
cooking was almost uniformly Rad. 7 believe good
cooks ought 20 be employed. II they cost flW a
minute have recommended that very thing in my
bin before Consress. and deVoutY believe II ought
70 he done.
General Fogan explained al some length the In.
terDrefatiOn he had put upon General order lib
10Y The communication Of ratiOns for sick soldiers
p, the rate Of 60 cents day. concerning when
thera had been much complaint that II applied only
20 the sick in hospita s. and tnat men men, Sex 81, IN
quarters had 10 eat the bacon ana hardtack ration
lie assured the Commission that the computation
was available for sick I'm quarters "a well as IN
hospitals and showed his telegram 70 the chiet
,r0,' = IN rerting the order executed lay with the
doctors He had refused 10 let them hoId the
saving ont Of cOmmutation for the noslllaI lund'
They objected 70 draw the Communication money pe,
Cause they were made to account for what they dd
not use He said. however. that this system OF
commutation was the best ana most eco'ohic''
lie had been abe 70 devise. -,
Referring 10 a trOpic ration. General Eaean sad;
~ have recommended 70 the Department the addi-
ton ~ little more sugar ana niue urled lfut
yo- tho soldiers In the tropics but otherwise the
Tim g good Those who talk against the eating
q meat in the tropics do not stop 10 c0hscer mat
me reason The native Of the tropics does not eat
mat is no. because he doesn't want H. but be-
cause Le cannot afford Il. And, when you look al
~ Native WOW he Is product OF ms 1000. ana
,hore is nothing 20 him. The Engiish t,oplc ra'ioh
0~c,e yerv little from own. and with the
changes | have mentioned, our ARMY rauoH Which
{, ne o-olnct Of one hundred years experience. is
- . fos. food the American soldier could have.
0rHr.Ys SENT TO THE COMMISSION
buffalo Dec l2-Congressman-elect w H. Ryan
r. The XXXIId New-York District. telegraphed to-
Of he Department n