The herald., 1898-09-30
COMPLAINTS COMING
FOR CONSIDERATION OF WAR
INVESTIGATORS
PACIFIC COAST MATTERS
To Be Given Thorough Airing by the
Commission-Genera Asked for
Information
Press Specia, Wire.

tAsspN4dltQ -SptCidA w ilc.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29.-The war in
vestigating commission confined itself
largely today to the examination and
classification of complaints which have
been made TO the President. a large num-
Der of such complaints have been received
at the White House. They come generally
In the form of letters and are for the most
part from relatives of enlisted men. Those
examined at this session deal in the main
with Camp Wikoff and Camp Thomas, but
some of the letters also make charges con-
cerning other camps. They relate espe-
cially to the food served to soldiers ard TO
hospital accommodations and none of them
were of a very striking character.
One lady whose son is stationed a Homo
lulu wrote that he was encamped on
centipede hill: said his food was insult
ficient to meet his demands. She asked
the President to see that he had better
care.
! Circular letters We're sent to the writer's
of all the complaints. asking them to make
their charges specific and to state whether
they spoke from personal knowledge or
only from report.
One of the letters read today was from
DR.. Sims of Chattanooga. It was written
| to a friend In Ohio in response to en- in
quiry for the facts in regard 20 Camp
Thomas and was forwarded by TIE per-
son that had received 1t. to the President
| DIR. Sims said in this letter that there
was no justification for the charge that
the site OF the camp was not desirable 1t
was, he said, admirable. The doctor said
that in the beginning of the camps career
the hospital facilities were limited. but
that these had been increased until they
were able to meet the demands upon them
The commission expects To begin to take
testimony next week. General Wheeler Is
expected to be among the first witnesses
called.
The examination of complaints to the
president was continued at the afternoon
session.
decision vas reached at this session TO
include in the work an inquiry into the
conduct of the war department In the Pa
ciAc as well as In the Atlantic region and
to this end letters were written to General
Merriam, in command of the department
of the Pacific; to General Otis In COM
mand of the Philippines. and to General
Merritt, who occupied this latter position
until recently. The letters to General
Merritt Is as follows:
I'VE have the honor to request you IN
furnish us. as early as possible, with such
information as you have as to the adequacy
or inadequacy of the quartermaster and
commissary and medical supplies and
medical staff for troops under your com
mand while In this country, while en-
route. and while you were in command al
Manila. and whether or not such supplise
were promptly and sufficiently issued tc
all troops.
"Also as to the proper or improper prepa-
ration of the transports for the transpor
taton of your troops to that station. We
will also be pleased to be Informed az "a
the ratons issued to the troops"
The letters to General Merriam and Otis
are copies of the letter to General Merritt
except that Merriam is asked to supply In.
formation concerning the expedition tc
Hawaii.
The commission expects to begin TO take
testimony next week. General Wheeler ,s
expected to be among the first witnesses
called.