Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-10-01
POLICY OUTLINED.
Scope OF the Inquiry Into the Cone
duct of the Late War
with Spain.


/, Washington, Sept. 27.-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 strictly secret, no
newspaper representatives. or others
not connected with the board being
admitted.
The session was confined to a meet
ing of two hours duration in the fore
moon, after which an adjournment was
taken until ten o'clock Tuesday. The
proceedings were limited to the out
lining of a general policy and the foI-
mutation of letters of inquiry,
The letters which have been decided
upon are to be addressed to the Sec
retary of war, the quartelmaster gem
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
ticials 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
been selected as the one for the be-
ginning of the preparation and an
other in August for the close.
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 motives that
actuated the department in the choice
of camp sites, as there have been
charges to the effect that they were
located as a matter of favoritism to
railroad companies.
The commission also considered sew
eral letters of complaint from persons
processing to have information bear
ing upon tie subject of investigation,
and decided to address replies to the
writers 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 writers to be in possession of
real information to summon them be-
fore the commission when it is feasible
to do so. or otherwise to secure their
sftidavits. When, however, it becomes
evident that their associations are
mere idle complaints with no informa-
! tion back of them, the writers will not
receive further attention.
The commission also expects to ex-
tend its inquiry, before it closes it's
work. to the extent of summoning be-
fore it the commanding officers of the
various divisions and brigades, and
probably extending it to the colonies
of regiments from which complaints
have emanated. They will be ex-
pected to give full information as to
the pains they may have taken or
failed TO take concerning the location
of their troops and their general well
fare.
The commission decided to hold two
sessions daily, one in the forenoon
from 10 to 1890, and the other in the
afternoon from 2 to o'clock.