The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-25
TO INVESTIGATE
CONDUCT OF WAR
First Meeting of the
Commission.
GENERAL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS
M'KINLEY OUTLINES THE WORK
TO BE DONE.
Those Selected for the Task Instruct
ed to Probe All Scandals
Without Fear OF
Favor.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Sept 24.-The com
mission to investigate the conduct of
the War Department during the recent
conflict with Spain held Its initial meet
Ing in the office of President Mckinley
at the White House to-day. There were
eight members present. as follows:
Major General Granville M. Dodge of
Iowa, Colonel J. A. Sexton of Illinois,
Captain E. P. Howell of Georgia, Ma
jor General j. NJ. Wilson (chief of en-
gineers of the United States army,
Hon. Charles DENLY of Indiana date
Minister to China), Ex-Governor Urban
A. Woodbury. of Vermont, Ex-Governor
James A. Beaver of Pennsylvania and
Major General H. Med. McCook of the
army (retired).
The commission spent an hour and a
half with the President and then ad-
Journed TO the room assigned to it at
the War Department for the purpose of
organizing and beginning work.
The proceedings with the President
consisted in the main Of a general ex-
change of views as to the scope of the
commissions investigation, in which
the President participated quite freely.
He told the members that the organiza-
ton of the commission had been under
taken, at the request of Secretary AL
ger and read letter from the Secre-
tary in which he made the request. The
President had put his own views in
writing and read them before proceed
ing to the verbal discussion. In this
statement he said that complaints had
been directed especially to the surgeon
generals, the quartermaster generals
and the commisSary generals depart
TnPnfS of the he
that the conduct of these departments
should receive especial consideration at
the hands of the commission. To this
specific request he added that it was his
desire that the entire military organi-
Zation should, If necessary, be made
the subject of inquiry, saying that he
wished the commission to go to the bot
tom of the subject in all cases and to
proceed with it's work without fear or
favor.
IF, he said, in the informal discus
sion that occurred, the commission
should have difficulty in securing the
attendance of witnesses or in obtain
ing access to papers thought to be es-
sential to the prosecution of it's labors,
I hope the matter will be brought to my
attention, when I will do Hin mypower
to overcome the difficulty. 1 want
the commission to have a clear field,
and l will do all that is possible for me
to do TO see that it has"
Secretary Ayers request, as made in
the letter read by the President, was
for complete inquiry into the conduct
of the war, especially on the line of
the charges published in the newspa-
pers. He said that these charges had
assumed such magnitude that he did
not feel satisfied to have the depart
ment rest under them, and that he de-
sired an investigation by those eminent
in military and civil life.
After the close of the conference at
the White House the President express
ed his satisfaction with the personnel
of the commission, adding that he be-
lieved the investigation would be thor
ough, and the report fair and impartial.
The commission organized by electing
Granville NJ Dodge chairman and
Richard Weightman secretary Major
Mills of the inspector generals office
is to be military recorder. The COM
mission adjourned about 80 to meet at
10 o'clock on Monday.
The session was devoted to method of
procedure, nothing definite being reach
ed. 1t was said that probably the in
vestigation, so far as the examination
of witnesses was concerned, would be
open but that other proceedings would
be in executive session.
DR.. Phineas S. Conner of Cincinnati
was announced as the ninth member of
the commission. He was not present at
to-day's session, but no doubt was ex-
pressed that he would serve. He was
selected because of his eminence as a
physician, and the President has been
anxious from the beginning to secure
the services of a medical man because