The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-09-27
Hold A SECRET MEETING, Elm
All Members of the Commission
to Investigate War Depart
ment Are Present.
A GENERAL POLICY is OUTLINED.
Letters of Inquiry Formulated and
Sent to Secretary OF War, Quarter
master General, Commissary Gem
eral, Surgeon General and Chief OF
the'OrdnanceD Department of Army.


Washington, Sept 26-The commits
sion selected by the president to in
vestigate the conduct of the war de-
partment held it's first formal session
Monday with all the members pres
ent. The meeting was in the room of
the fortification and ordnance board
of the army, but it was found to be
too small for the purposes of the
board, and it was announced that fu-
ture meetings would be held in apart
ments secured in the Lemon building
on New York avenue.
The meeting was strictly secret, no
newspaper representatives or others
not connected with the board being
admitted.
The session was confined to meet
ing of two hours duration in the fore
noon, after which an adjournment was
taken until ten o'clock Tuesday. The
proceedings were limited to the out
lining of general policy and the for
mutation of letters of inquiry, which
will be made public Tuesday.
N The Letters.
The letters which have been decided
upon are to be addressed to the sec
retary of war, the quartermaster gen
eral, the commissary general, the sur.
geon general and the chief of the ord
nance department of the army. They
will consist in the main of inquiries
intended to bring out all the facts that
can be given relative to the organiza-
tion of the volunteer army. These of.
ficials will be asked to give specific in.
formation, so as to cover each of the
departments in question, concerning
the condition of the army both at the
beginning and the close of the war
For this purpose date in April has
s been selected as the one for the be.
ginning of the preparation and an.
other in August for the close.
Nature of the Questions
The questions are so formulated as
to call out answers covering the or
ganization of camps, the purchase of
supplies and the making of contracts
with transportation companies, and
also to show the methods adopted for
furnishing supplies to the various COM
mands and for protecting the health
of the soldiers. There will be an espe-
cial effort to develop the m 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
railroad companies.
The commission also considered sew
eral letters of complaint from persons
protesting to have information bear
ing upon the subject of investigation,
and decided to address replies to the
writer's Of each of these requesting
them to put their charges in specific
shape and informing them of the scope
of the inquiry. 1t is intended if
the replies received to those letters
show the writer's to be inpossession of
real information to summon them be-
fore the commission when it is feasible
to do so, or otherwise to secure their
affidayits. When, however, it becomes
evident that their associations are
mere idle complaints with no informa-
tion back of them, the writer's will not
receive further attention.
Scope of the Inquiry.
The commission also expects to ex-
tend its inquiry, before it closes its
work. to the extent of summoning be-
fore it the commanding officers of the
various divisions and brigades, and
proba bly, extending it to the colonels
of regiments from which complaints
have emanated. They will be ex-
pected to give full informant ton as to
the pains they may have taken or
failed to take concerning the location
of their troops and their general well
fare.
To Hold Two Daily Sessions.
The commission decided to hold two
sessions daily, one in the forenoon
from 10 to 1880, and the other in the
afternoon from to o'clock.
DR.. Phineas S. Conner sat with the
commission Monday for the first time
He arrived from his home in Cincin.
natl early in the day, and called upon
the president for a brief interview be.
fore Joining his fellow members in
the war department. The presiden,
expressed his appreciation of the doc.
tors acceptance of the position. and
outlined briefly his wishes in the ma t
ter of the investigation. DIR. Conner
found it impossible to remain. with
the commission for the present, and Sc
cured leave of absence for two OF
three days in order to return to Gin
cinnati to put his affairs in shape t.
be absent SO long as the work of the
commission may require.
~ : 7 1gr--sr 70
Mr.. o. NJ. Criswell visited in Omais
last week. while there he was M, by
his brother from Davenport and they