The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-26

try, No Matter What It May Be.
Washington, Sept. 25.-The commits
sion appointed by. President Mckinley
70 investigate the administration of the
war department IN relation to its con-
duct of the Hispano-American war will
begin it's labors formally tomorrow.
The commission effected an organiZa-
ton yesterday by electing General
Grenville NJ. Dodge. president; Mr..
Richard Weightman, secretary, and
Major Stephen c. Mills of the regular
army, recorder.
The president is understood to be
thoroughly pleased with the personnel
of the commission. It was his EFFORT
( to secure as members of the commits
sion men of the highest character and
standing, in whose opinions and Judg-
ment the country would have all con-
fidence He desired, also, to have
represented on the board all phases OF
public and political feeling, every sec
ton of the country and all classes or
] business, professional, commercial and
military The men whom he has ap-
pointed are possessed of wide and
varied experience, many of them .haV-
! ing served with distinguished honor
to themselves either in the Union or
! Confederate armies. The president
{ feels assured that the verdict OF the
commission. whatever that may be, In
the inquiry it is about to conduct, Will
I be accepted and approved by all right
minded and right thinking American
citizens.
That it is the presidents desire that
the inquiry should be rigid and search
ing was indicated by his statement TO
the commission when it assembled at
the White House for conference with
him yesterday. No limit is placed by
the president upon the scope of the IN
Vestigation. 1t is to include every de-
partment of the. army and the presi-
dent assures the commission in ad-
vance that he will afford it every
facility in his power for the prosecu-
ton of the most searching inquiry into
every part of the administration OF the
war. In addressing the commission the
president said among other things:
Gentlemen: Before suggesting the
matters which shall come before you
for investigation, 1 desire to express
my appreciation to each of you Tor
your Willingness to accept the patriotic
service to which you have been invited
You are to perform one of the highest
public duties that can fall to a citizen;
and your unselfishness in undertaking
it makes me profoundly grateful.
There has been in many quarters
severe criticism of. the conduct of the
war with Spain. Charges of criminal
neglect of the soldiers in camp and
field and hospital and in transports
have been so persistent that, whether
true or false, they have made deep
impression upon the country. 1t IS my
earnest desire that you shall thoroughly
investigate these charges and make
the fullest exposition of the admins
tration of the war department in all
of it's branches, with the view to
establishing the truth or falsity OF these
accusations. 1 put upon you no limit
to the scope of your investigation. Or
all departments connected with the
army, 1 invite the closest scrutiny ana
examination and shall afford every
facility for the most searching inquiry.
The records of the war department
and the assistance of it's officers shall
be subject to your call.
L cannot impress upon you too
strongly my wish that your investlga-
ton shall be so thorough and complete
that your report when made VIII TX
the responsibility for any failure or
fault by reason of neglect, lncompe-
tency, or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. upon the
officers and bureaus responsible there
fore-if it be found that the evils COM
planned of have existed
1.-THE people of the country are en-
titled TO know whether or not the citi-
zens who so promptly responded to the
call of duty have been neglected or
nisused or maltreated by the govern
ment to which they so willingly gave
their services. If there have been
wrongs committed, the wrong-doers
must not escape conviction and punish
ment.''
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
The following are biographical
sketches of all members of the commits
sion except of Dr. Conner, Cincinnati,
who has not arrived in Washington:
Major General Grenville NJ. Dodge.
president of the commission, was born
April u. 1881; graduated at Norwich
WtD university as a civil engineer. He
entered service in April, 1861, as cap
tain; was made colonel Fourth Iowa
infantry on June 10, 1861; brigadier
general March 10, 1862; major general
May 10, 1863. He commanded Sixteenth
corps in Atlanta campaign, 1854. In
November 1864, commanded army and
department of Missouri. In 1865 he
was assigned to the command of the
Indian campaign. He left the army in
1885, built the Union Pacific railroad
and Texas & Pacific. He was a men,
DER congress lIOul 1OWd. lu6n
he has been connected with the railway
systems of the United States; presi-
dent of several railroads; succeeded
General w. T. Sherman as commander
army of Tennessee; now commander of
military order of Loyal Legion, state of
New York.
GENERAL MCOOK.
Major General Alexander Med. Nc
Cook, u S. A. (retired), is a member
of the fighting McCook family of
Ohio. He was born April %, 1881, and
appointed to the military academy in
1S47, graduating in 1852, and was as
signed to the Third infantry When
the civil war came he was on duty at
the military academy. He was ap-
pointed colonel of the First Ohio vol
unteers, April Is, 1861; promoted to bril-
gadier general of volunteers Sept. 3,
1861, and major general United States
volunteers July II, 1862 He was in
command of brigade during the OPP
erations in Kentucky in 1861, of di-
vision in the Tennessee and Mississippi
of FebruaryJune 1852, and