The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1898-10-08
WASHINGTON COUNTY FLORIDA SATURDAY OCTOBER 1898
INQUIRY BOARD ORGANIZES.
THE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATORS
CONFER WITH PRESIDENT.
THEIR WORK IS MAPPED OUT.
Major General Dodge Mado President of
the Commission and Major Miles So
Iected ~ Military Recorder.

The commission to investigate the
conduct OF the war department during
the recent conflict with Spain held its
initial sitting in the Office of President
Mckinley Of the white house Saturday.
There were eight members present.
DIR. Phineas 8. Conner, OF Cincinnati,
was the absentee. The eight who
were present we're: Major General
Granville M. Dodge, Of Iowa; Colonel
j. A. Sexton, of Illinois, Captain E.
P. Howell, of Georgia; Major General
J. NJ. Wilson, chief of engineers OF the
United States army; Hon. Charles
DENLY, OF Indiana, late minister to
China ex- Governor Urbana Woodbury.,
Of Vermont; Ex-Governor James A.
Beaver, Of Pennsylvania, and Major
General A. Mod. MoCook, Of the
army, retired.
The commission spent an hour and
half with the president, and then
proceeded to the room assigned it at
the war department for the purpose Of
organizing and beginning work.
The proceedings with the president
consisted in the main Of general ex-
change of views as to the scope Of the
commissions Investigations, in which
the president participated quite freely.
The president had put his own views
in writing and read them before pro-
ceeding to verbal discussion. In
this statement he said that complaints
had been directed especially at the
surgeon generals. the quartermaster
generals and the commissary gener-
ais departments OF the army, and he
suggested that the conduct Of these
departments should receive especial
consideration at the hands OF the CON-
mission. He wished the commission
TO 60 to the bottom of the subject in
all cases md proceed with it's work
without fear or favor.
"If," he said in the formal discus
sion that occurred, "the commission
should have difficulty in securing the
attendance Of witnesses or obtaining
access to papers thought to be essen
tial to the prosecution OF its labors, I
hope the matter will be brought to my
attention, when I will do all in my
power to overcome the difficulty. 1
want the commission to have clear
field, and 1 will do ell that is possible
for me to do to see that 1t has"
The suggestion was also made to the
commission that tho first effort should
be to secure general information in re-
gard to the organization of the army
and the time in which the work was
performed. The president suggested
the name of Major Miles, Of the army,
for the position Of recorder Of the COM
mission.
Secretary Alger's request as made in
the letter read by the president was
for q complete inquiry into the con-
duct Of the war, especially on the
lines OF the charges published in the
newspapers. He said these charges
had assumed such magnitude that he
did not feel satisfied to have the de-
partment rest under them, and that he
desired an investigation by men emil
nent in military and civil life.
DR.. Phineas s. Conner, Of Cincin-
natl. announced Is the ninth member
Of the commission, was selected be-
cause OF his eminence as physician.
The president had been anxious from
the beginning to secure the services OF
q medical man, because the medical
department Of the army Is much in
volved in the charges that have been
made.
After the close OF tho conference at
the white house, the president ex-
pressed his satisfaction with the per-
sonnet Of the commission, adding that
he believed their investigation would
be thorough and their report fair and
impartial.
The commission organized by elect.
ing Granville NJ. Dodge chairman and
Richard Weightman, Of Washington,
secretary; Major Miles, Of the in
spector generals Office, to be military
recorder.
The commission adjourned about
1920 o'clock to meet again Monday.
The session was devoted to method OF
procedure, nothing definite being
reached.