Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-09-29
TIE COMMISSION FORMED
The Persons Authorized to Investi'
gate the Conduct of the War
Department.
MEMBERS MEET At THE WHITE HOUSE.
President Mckinley Gives His Views as to
the Scope or the Commissions Work-A
Letter of Secretary AIger's Read Asking
for a Commiss ion-The Ninth M ember
Chosen.

Washington, Sept. 25.-The commits
sion to investigate the conduct of the
war department during the recent con-
fict with Spain held its initial meet
ing in the Office of President Mckinley
at the white house Saturday. There
were eight members present and If
was announced that the services Of a
ninth man were counted upon, though
his name was not made public. The
eight present were: Maj. Gen. Gran.
vile M. Dodge, of Iowa; Col. j. A.
Sexton, of Illinois; Capt. Ell. p. Howell.
of Georgia; Maj. Gen. j. Fl. Wilson,
chief of engineers of the United States
army: Hon. Charles DENLY, of Indiana,
late minister to China; ex-Gov. Urban
A. Woodbury., of Vermont; ex-Gov.
James A. Beaver, of Pennsylvania,
and Maj. Gen. II. Med. McCook, of the
army (retired.)
The appearance of Gov. Beaver as
member of the commission was a sur.
prise, as>his selection was not known
until he appeared at the white house
at the beginning of the session. The
commission spent ~ hours with
the president and then proceeded to
the room assigned it at the war de-
partment for the purpose of organic
ing and beginning work.
The proceedings with the president
consisted in the main of 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 organi-
cation of the commission had been UNI
dertaken at the request of Secretary
Alger 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 pro-
ceeding to verbal discussion. In this
statement he said that complaints had
been directed especially at the surgeon
generals, the quartermaster generals
and the commissary generals depart
ments of the army and he suggested
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
organization should, if it appeared
necessary, be made the subject of in
quiry, saying that he wished the com
mittee to go to the bottom of the SUBJ
ject in all cases and proceed with it's
work without fear or favor.
''1f," he said, in the in
formal discussion that occurred,
"the commission should have difficulty
in securing the attendance of wit
nesses or in obtaining access to pa
pers thought to be essential to the
prosecution of its 1abors I hope the
matter will be brought to my atten-
ton, when 1 will do all in my power
to overcome the difficulty. want the
commission to have a clear field and
I will do all that iS .,,osSih1a 70 NIX,
to do to see that it has"
The suggestion was also made to the
commission that the first effort should
be to secure general in formation in re.
gard to the organization of the army,
and the time in which the work was
performed. The president offered the
name of Maj. Mills of the army for
the position of secretary of the COM
mission.
Secretary Alger's request as made in
the letter read by the president was
for complete inquiry into the con-
duct of the war, especially on the lines
of the charges published in the news
papers. He said these charges had as
sumed such magnitude, that he did
not feel satisfied to have the depart
ment rest under them and that he de-
sired an investigation by men eminent
in military and civil life.
The Ninth Member Chosen.
Cincinnati. Sept. 25.-Dr Phineas S.
Conner, of this city, a distinguished
physician and surgeon, who served as
an assistant surgeon in the United
States army during the civil war, has
accepted the invitation of the presi-
dent to become member of the com-
mission to investigate the conduct of