The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-22
He Tells Some Harsh Truths as to
the Lack Of Supplies.
MEDICINES ALWAYS SCARCE.
Their Was Never n Sufficient Supply
Commissary Stores Were Sufii cient
Ship Accommodations Were
Very Poor-Storcs Wasted.

cipdl ngureS before the war lnFcstlsd-
ton Commission to-day. General Miles
responded to the summons of the com
mission only after several days consid-
Grafton. lie was accompanied by his
own stenographer Ills examination was
comparatively brief and not sensational.
Are you willing to be sworn he wes
asked.
81 think was the reply, "that ] can
say that l have to say without beng
sworn"
General Miles gave his evidence in a
clear. unhcsitating way. and went into
details regarding both the Santiago and
the Porto Ncan expeditions.
SHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS
He opened by describing the railroad
confusion in getting the war munitions
~ Tampa, and pointed out the lack Of
government st0re-house facilities there.
lie said when tho transports We're loaded
30 was found impossible 20 put more than
1900 men aboard. and they were equip
ped as well as possible under the cir
cumstances.
"It was most Fortunate he said. chat
the transports had good weather II they
had encountered severe STORM the loss
of life. or the suffering. 20 least. must
have been fearful As IL was with fair
the mules and supplies. could get on deck
which would have been impossible other
wise
Tie c0mmiss8ry stores taken. DE said.
We're sufficient. bat the medical supplies
We're inadequate. ne had lett the load
ing. except for general directions. TO the
corps commander. General &haftcr. HfI
found just before sailing that there Were
Cd number Of pontoon boats being taken
which would be utterly useless Tor the
purpose and he himself had secured two
bdrges from the owners there and had
taken other steps. but the supply of such
boats taken was very inadequate.
SHOULD HAVE HAD TUGS.
"The expedition" he continued should
have been furnished with launches. nap
tha or steam. or tugs, for towing Darses
from The ships 10 the shore lie relied
largely on the engineer officers and the
engineer department for these IN the
second expedition to Porto Rico these
were furnished but they arrived too late
10 render much assistance.
At Santiago the supply of tsntage ana
food was very limited
"Wore the medical supplies at that time
sufficient for the need Of The commando
he WAS asked.
ln reply he read dispatch from Cen
ferrcd TO "a chronic scarcity OF medi-
c.nes." and that four men had just died
from lack Of medicines. There was at
no time said General Miles. sufficient
medicines FOR the troops. He remem-
bered seeing one train for the sick On
drcnchng rain, with no covering over the
wagons.
General Beaver. From what you
learned and observed willie there. 10 YOU
think there was al any time sufficient
medical supply
General Miles. "Of medical men and
m1tcrials2'
General Beaver. Eyes"
General Miles: no. SIR"
POORLY SHELTERED.
Tho witness stated shat the ship ac-
commodatiols We're only Of a temporary
character. He said that the shelter
tents i!d not shelter
Questioned as 10 the character Of the
facilities for transporting the wounded,
be said that they were taken IN wagons.
General Beaver: do you know Of any
of the wounded who were lying exposed
to tho weather."
General Miles: Some were exposed I'm
being sent down 10 the hospitals. l saw
one train OF wounded men driving along
in the drench.ng rain with nothing 10
shelter them"
HIS EFFORTS.
He had taken measures personally 10
correct matters and on July 18th had
telegraphed for weii-equiDpod corps
OF pier and bridge builders. ETC.. and hal
ordered places burned
General Miles said that the Transport
tat0n facilities were used 90 carry sup
plies to some 1900 or 5000 refugees
from Santiago am about 5000 Cuban
troops.
This" he stated On answer 20 q Ques-
ton. "was not expected. because ! had
cautioned General Shafter 10 keep his
men out OF the Spanish buildings OF
every character and to keep the men
away from the natives. Had he not done
as he oil the army would have been
much betteT supplied"
His army in Porto Rico. he said, had
been supplied in "a way with quarter
masters and commissary stores but not
i'm the best w1r At Porto Rico he had
asked that fixed rau0ns be sent but in
stead they were sent down In bulk. with
out invoices or bills of lading and i'm
many instances stores were spilled i'm the
hold and thrown away. This caused great
embarrassment and loss Of stores and
deprived troops.
EMBALMED BEEF.
lie asserted that the scarcity of food
largely caused the distress Of the troops
lie had advised against the shipping Of
beef 10 Porto Rico both because there
was abundance OF il on the island as well
rs because OF his belief that il was de-
fective. He characterized the refrigera-
tor beef. Of which there were 327 tons
sent. as "embalmed beef" and said the
canned fresh beef of which l9s 600 pounds
had been shipped there. was condemned
by officers whose commands used it.
"Who fixed the beer as an army "a
tion?"
You viii have 10 ask some one here in
washington. You had better ask the
Secretary Of War or the Commissary
General II was sent as food. III they
hadn't taken that they would have had
TO go hungry. II they had sent pay
masters down there. as / asked. we could
have bought food but they did not do
that,r
WAS AN EXPERIMENT.
Genera Miles suggested that the food
was sent 20 his large army under pre-
tense Of an experiment.
General Miles called attention 10 the
fact that good. fresh beef could be bought
I'm Porto Rico for six cents pound.
American money. and he suggested that
IL might be interesting 10 compare this
with the cost % refrigerator beef to-
gether with the expense Of uansporta-
ton.
lie sail he did not know but what the
chemicals used in treating the beer was
responsible for the great sickness In the
American army. Reports which ne had
received concerning it were TO the erect
that this beef had an odor like an en-
balmed dead body
Captain Howell: Were these reports
ever hrorrht 10 the attention OF the
IL nrlto