Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-12-13
HAD SPIES IN CUBA
PRESIDENT KNEW WHAT WAS Co
ING ON DURING THE WAR.
ARRANGED FOR IN ADVANCE
GENERAL GREELY BEFORE WAR
INVESTIGATING COMMISSION.
General Esan, Commissary General of
the Army, Tells of the Work of
His Department During the
War Makes Several
RecOmmen endatiOns.
ARRANGED FOR IN ADVANCE

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Generai A. w.
Greedy, chief of the signal service. testi-
fled before the war investigating commits
sion that his plans had been laid well ahead
and that when appropriations became
available there was no delay in launching
the work. He knew what would be required
and acted accordingly. He said the aux
Hilary force of the corps was mustered in,
organized and sent to the front in thirty
days after its formation was authorized.
Every order from the commanding general
to create lines of communication had been
obeyed promptly. He had made practice
of having the necessary material always on
hand at supply points and there had -iot
been q single complaint over the manner
in which the corps had responded TO all
calls upon it. General Greedy was then
asked: Were you hindered or delayed at
any time in the administration of your
department by any one in authority over
you?"
We'll, of course, in time of war when
large supplies are needed. in many cases it
is necessary to convince the secretary OF
war that certain things are necessary to
be done. There was at first some delay and
before the war l was cautioned to be cir
cumspect in purchases and expenditures.
This never did any real harm. and when
the emergency arose l was given every
thing l needed. and l was we'll supported
by the department.
When asked if he had any suggestions
to offer the commission, General Greedy
said: II believe that there should be some
officer in the American army whose duty
it should be to see that the American SOL
dier is fed. l believe the problem of feed
ing. clothing and paying the army is
business one, and any three competent
business men could get together and devise
q system as much in advance OF our pres
ent one as that is in advance of $50 years
ago.
Referring TO the health of his men, Gem
eral Greedy said:
Il may mention that out of 1900 men in
ease. There were two killed and two officers
had their horses shot under them"
Did You have any doctors in your
No. sir" quite positively. There was a
general laugh at this and Governor Beaver
said @ Geod thing dad6 Dr. rs1 SOnner & is not
! made a point of impressing upon my Of
ficers, that their men in the field were
and would have to be looked after as such
regarding their food. sinks and bedding. 1
tried to see that my officers carried out
speaks for ITSELF
In conclusion, General McCook asked:
viii you state how Cervera was located
in Santiago?'
Through Colonel Allen, of my CORPS.
news from Havana in the afternoon and
the president had 1t at midnight"
How did you manage to communicate
between Santiago and Havana and how did
you get the news out of Havana"
We had our confidential agents in Cuba
where they would do the most good and
thew had their W rne Of mi.
eating with each other. We arranged that
before the war. They were. men upon
worth knowing happened in Cuba the pres
AN the same said General McCook. "I
don't see how you did it,
censorship. said the greatest latitude Of
criticism upon the government had been
ly violent and unreasonable attacks. The
managers of the commercial telegraph
lines had aided him greatly in this matter.
general, testified that upon assuming
charge of his department he found an
abundance of food on hand and with the
continued up to date. As to complaints, he
said about 20 per cent of the officers
thought unfavorably of the canned roast
beef. He received no actual complaints. He
had the matter investigated and found the
meat perfectly good. He had some in his
mission. The department furnishes an
abundance Of potatoes, onions and toma-
toes to cook with it. If they did not reach
transportation department. Cases of neg
lect in the transportation and loading of
supplies had come to his notice in several
instances. and had been presented per-
sonally to the quartermaster general. Cen
eral Egan believed the army never would
be properly fed till the commissary depart
ment had charge Of the transportation as
well as the purchase of rations. He said
he believed the commissary department
should ;is d furnish not only food but the cook
ed this.
General Egan said there We're very few
contractors who did not cheerfully make
good any deficiency in the quality of ma
terial delivered.
officers took proper care in seeing that the
beans and everything else, in fact were
Well cooked? Does not the value of the
food food work I1s. down to the value of the cook,
General neutrality-suspicious. So. be-
IeVe the cooking was almost uniformly bad.
If they cost 500 minute. I have recon-
mended that very thing in my bill before
congress. and 1 devoutly believe it ought
to be done"
General Egan explained at some length
the Interpretation he had put upon Gen
eral order 116: for the Communication of ra-
tionS for sick soldiers at the rate Of 50
cents per day. concerning which there has
been much complaint. that 1t applied only
10 tne SICK IN hospitals and that men sick
In quarters had to eat the bacon and
hardtack ration. General Egan assured the
commission that the communication was
available for sick in quarters as well as
in hospitals and showed his telegram to
the chief commissary officers to this ef-
feet. He said the trouble in getting the
order executed lay with the doctors.
He had refused to let them hold the |
saving out Of the communication for the |
hospital fund: They objected to drawing
the Communication money, because they were |
made to account for what they did not
Use. He said. however, that this system Of
communication was the best and most eco
nomical he had been able to devise.
Referring to a tropic ration. General
Egan said: "T have recommended to the |
department the addition of little more
sugar and little dried fruit for the SOL
diers In the tropics. but otherwise the
the eating of meat in the tropics do not |
stop to consider that the reason the ma
tive of the tropics does not eat meat is |
not because he don't want it. but because |
he can't afford it. And when you look at
the native. you see ne is a product of his |
food; and there is nothing to him. The |
English tropic ration differs very little
from our own and with the changes + |