The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-09-26
MACS HUABUGS.
The Army Investigating"
Board Holds It's Open
ing Seance.
MARIA TERESA RAISED
Spanish Prize to Be Taken to
N0rf0lk---Big Prize
Money.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 1SsS.--The COM
,,,fss,on selected by the President to in
yestigate the conduct of the War Depart
ment held its first formal session TO-DAY
with all the members present The meet
ing was in the room of the fortiflcatlon
and ordnance board of the army, but II
was found to be too small for the pur-
poses of the board, and it was announced
that further meetings would be neid IN
apartments secured in the Lemon build
ing on New York avenue Today's meet
ing was strictly secret, no newspaper rep
resentatives or others not connected with
the board being admitted.
Today,s session was confined to a meet
ing of two hours duration in the fore
noon after which an adjournment was
taken until 10 O'Clock tomorrow me
proceedings were limited to the outlining
of a general policy and the formulation OF
letters of inquiry which VIII pc mace pun
lie tomorrow
The letters which have been decided up
ON are to be addressed to the Secretary
of War, the Quartermaster General, tne
Com1nissary General. the Surgeon Cen
eral and the Chief of the Ordnance De-
partment Of the Army They will consist
in the main of inquiries intended TO prlng
out all the facts that can be given reia-
tive to the organization of the Volunteer
Army.
These officials will be asked to give
specific information as to cover each OF
the departments in question concerning
the condition of the army both a the be-
gining and the close OF the war. FOR TINS
purpose a date in April has been selected
as the one for the beginning Of the prepar-
alton and another in August for the close
sThe questions are SO formulated as to
call out answers covering the organlza-
tion of camps, the purchase OF supplies
and the making of contracts with trans
portaton 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 matter Of favoritism 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 or
them, requesting them to put their
charges in specific shape and informing
them of the scope of the inquiry. 1t IS
intended that if the replies received to
these letters show the writer's to be in
possession of real information to summon
them before the commission when 1t is
feasible to do so, or otherwise to secure
their affidavits.
When, however, it becomes evidence
heir accusations are mere idle COM
plants with no information back Of them,
the writer's will not receive further at
extend its inquiry before 1t closes its work
to the extent of su1nm0nlHg before IT the
commanding officers of the various divis-
ions and brigades and probably extend
ing it to the colonies of regiments from
which complaints have emenated. They
will be expected to give full information
as to the pains they may have taken or
failed to take concerning the location of
their troops and their general welfare.
Acting Secretary Allen has received a
cablegram from Captain Goodrich of the
Newark, the senior officer Of the station
at Guantanamo. confirming the press re-
ports of the raising of the Spanish flag
ship Maria Teresa last Saturday The
work of wrecking this ship was directly
in charge of Constructor Hobson. Now
that the Teresa has been raised, he has
been instructed to resume work on the
Colon and begin operations towards
wrecking the Mercedes, which lies within
the mouth of Santiago harbor close to the
Merrimac, in smooth water, and well sit
uated for successful wrecking.
The Teresa will be brought north prob
ably to Norfolk, as soon as she is in con-
dition to undertake the voyage. The
wreckers who have so successfully accom-
plished their work have earned a large
sum of money under the salvage laws,
the exact amount Of which probably will
be determined by an Admiralty Court 1t
is the present purpose of the department
TO place the Teresa in commission as a
United States naval vessel and, following
the English custom, her name is likely 10
remain unchanged to carry into the fu-
ture the glory of the American victory.