The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-29
" AS LIKED.
That Canned
Beet
BY THE SOLDIERS.
The Swift Co. Invited to APP
pear Before War Board.

Washington, Dec. 2S.-W. S. Hill, as
sistant secretary of the war investi-
eating commission, who served in Co.
1. District of Columbia volunteers as
first sergeant and acting commissary
quartermaster, was the only witness
before the commission today.
Col. DENLY, who presided, ques-
toned him as to the much-mooted
question of canned beef furnished the
volunteers.
Mr., Hill discountenanced the COM
plant made by the men. He said they
came from those who would complain
against anything. He said the health
of his company was excellent at Tampa,
and he credited it largely to the free
use of lemonade. The canned beef first
furnished the men, he said, was lean,
dry and hard, lacking in nutrition,
though later it was considerably i'm
proved He believed the canned beer
which he explained was canned just al
ter being boiled was perfectly fit to
eat, though once in a while he would
receive a can that was spoiled and
spoiled canned beef had been found at
Tampa before his company sailed for
Cuba. The men seemed to like the
canned beef, he said, but later became
surfeited with it. The refrigerated
fresh beef, he said, had no evidence
of chemical treatment and had a nat
ural appearance. The trouble with the
refrigerated beef, he thought, was that
the men overfed themselves and ate it
half cooked
At Siboney Mr.. Hill said the company
had to abandon most of its provisions.
When it reached the firing line July H.
there was only a little food left in their
haversacks, being practically without
provisions from the morning of July II
| to supper of July IL. The deficiency of
food supplies, he commended, was solely
Tue to lack Of transportation from Sib-
oney up the 10 miles to the front. CUES
toned as to Camp Wikoff at Montauk
the witness said he never had seen such
superabundance of everything, ever
down to skullcaps, dressing gowns, pins
and needles. Tobacco, which was left
| there, seemed to be thrown all over the
ground, and there was a great waste Of
stuff
| Did you see enough of that refrig-
Grated beef" asked Dr. Conner "tc
have any opinion on the length of time
such beef would keep in Cuba by sim
ply protecting it with a tarpulin from
the direct rays of the SUM-"
mo, sir" was the reply, Il could moi
! tell you. We had no way of protecting
| it in such manner. All we had to dc
was to get it into the pots as soon as
possible to keep it from spelling before
it got hot'
rs it your opinion" witness was
asked, that the beef so protected
would keep 70 hours?"
In its raw state?"
Yes, mean just as it comes from
the ship"
No, sir was the reply, II don't be-
lieve it possible"
This referred to portion of Genera
| Miles testimony denouncing the beef.
Summing up, the witness said he hat
no complaints of any sort to make, anC
the worst feature of the food was III,
moistness of the crackers.
| The war commission has notified tn,
Swift Beef Company of Chicago. wht
had large contracts for furnishing bee
to the army during the war that it viii
be glad to give a hearing to any repre-
sentative the company may send OF
January next This grows out of tn,
testimony of General Miles regardins
the refrigerated and canned beef fur
nlshed his expeditions, and the tele
graphic protest his statements called
out from the company. The commits
sion regards the hearing to be given tn,
concern as important in view of tn,
issue that has been raised by Genera
Miles testimony, and one special poin
OF inquiry will be of report Of a chem
ical treatment of the product.
II is very probable that the commit
tee will recall both Commissarv Cen.
1 eral Egan and General Shafter ane
possibly General Miles.