The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-17
NO RED-TAPE METHODS.
General Weston Says Supplies Were
Freely Furnished at SibOney.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-Brig. Gen. John
F. Weston chief commissary of the Shafter
expedition, testified to-day before the war
investigating commission that there was an
absence of red-tape methods in feeding the
volunteers at Siboney. He said he never
heard complaint of the condition of the
con.missary supplies at the front. Special
efforts had been made in behalf of the vol
unteers, whose officers he recognized some
times did not quite understand how to get
what was due to the men. Surgeons We're
given articles from hospital stores on mere
memorandum receipts and they were paid
for out of funds at Washington Colonel
Roosevelt once came to him at Santiago
and wanted to buy tomatoes and certain
extra supplies for mis- men, and ne refused
to let him pay for them, as there was no
need for it.. Witness said he took $500 with
him when he went to Florida and still had
"a lot OF it left
"Well You are the only man, then" in
terrupted Captain Howell, who ever went
to Florida and brought any money back.
The Rev DIR. Henry G. McCook, OF Phila-
delphia, chaplain of the Second Pennsyl-
vania and special commissioner of the Ma
tional Relief Association, said that on his
return from Cuba he had called on Presi-
dent Mckinley Aug 8. and added: If there
was anything dia not know and he did not
get it out OF me l am unaware of it. He
has wonderful powers Of cross-eXamina-
stoned him to find and permanently mark
the graves of our soldiers at Santiago He
pictured the desolated condition OF the
graves, but said the names were nearly all
marked Some wounded men had wandered
OFF and died and their graves remained I'M
marked.
Quartermaster General Ludington testified
as to the operations of his department prior
to and during the war. He received his
first allotment OF $500,000 from the $50,00O,00
emergency fund early in April and pushed
the manufacture of all equipments produced
in United States arsenalS to the utmost
The chief difficulty in preparing the army
equipment, he said, was in securing tent
duck and kersey, both of which were manu-
lions for tents were filled promptly as a
rule, and he recollected very few delays in
furnishing hospital tents. Manufacturers
as a rule did not apparently increase their
stocks any extent before the actual call
for material from the depaI tment. This ap-
piled to wagons and all other material re-
quired by the quarternasters department
Ludington said ii might be Well to provide
against future emergencies by keeping on
hand equipment for at least two years in
advance. This could be done with many
classes of supplies without danger of de-
terioration. General Ludington did not
agree with the suggestion of Commissary
General Lean that the commiSSary depart
ment ought TO furnish cooking and eating
utensils and their transportation, as well
as provide for food.
Chief Engineer John NJ Wilson, a member
of the commission, then swore himself in
as a witness and testified in detail as to the
preparations for coast defense, including
torpedoes, for which he had been allotted
from the national defense fund something
less than 81 l4A no