Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-27
THE ARMY
Commission Meets and Formulates Its Plans
Of Procedure,
INTENDS TO COVER THE ENTIRE FIELD
Letters of Inquiry Addressed to the
Heads of Departments-Those Who
Have Complaints Notified
to Present Them.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26-The commission
selected by the president to investigate the
conduct of the War department held its hrst
formal session today with all the members
present. The meeting was in the room of
the Fertilization and Ordnance board of the
army, but II was found to be too small FOR
the purpose of the board and IL was an
nounced that future meetings would be held
in apartments secured In the Lemon building
on New York avenue. Today's meeting was
strictly secret, no newspaper reporters or
others not connected with the board being
admitted.
Todays session was confined to meeting
Of two hours duration in the forenoon, after
which an adjournment was taken until 10
o'clock tomorrow. The proceedings were
limited to the outlining Of a general policy
and the formulation of letters Of inquiry,
which will be made public tomorrow. The
letters which have been decided upon are
to be addressed to the secretary Of war, the
quartermaster general, the commissary gen.
eral the surgeon general and the chief of
the ordnance 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 organization of the volunteer
army. These officials will be asked to give
specific information, so as to cover each Of
the departments if 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 beginning and date in August
for the close. The questions are so formu-
lated as to call out answers covering the
organization of camps the purchases of sup
plies and the making of contracts with trans
portation companies, and also TO, show the
methods adopted for furnishing supplies to
the various commands and for protecting
the health of the soldiers.
Hear No Idle Complaints.
There will be an especial effort to de-
ve1op the motives that actuated the depart
ment in the choice of camp sites as there
have been charges to the effect that they
were located as matter of favortism to
railway companies. The commission also
considered several letters of complaint
from persons protesting to have information
bearing upon the subject of investigation
and decided to address replies to the writer's
of each of them requesting them to put
their charges in specific shape and inform
ing them of the scope of the inquiry. 1t is
intended that if the replies received to these
letters show the writer's to be in posses
sion of real information to summon them
before the commission, when 1t Is feasible
to do so, or otherwise to secure their affi-
davitS When, however, 1t becomes evil
dent that the accusations are mere idle
complaints, with no information back oi
them, the writer's will not receive further
attention, ft-. .... .t-a0
The commission also expects TO extend its
inquiry before 1t closes its work to the ex-
tent of summoning before it the COM
manding officers of the various divisions
and brigades and probably extending it tc
the colonels of regiments from which COM
plants have, emanated. They will be ex.
| pected to give full information-as to the
pains they may have taken or failed to. takt
concerning the location OF, their troops and
| their general welfare. The commission de.
I cided to hold two sessions daily, one in tn,
| forenoon from 10, to 1880 and the other il
| the afternoon from to o'clock.
Dr. Phneas S. Conner sat with the ccm
mission today for the first time. He ar,
rived from his home early in the day ant
called on the president for a brief interview
before joining his fellow members lin tn,
War department, The president expressed
| his appreciation of the Doctors acceptance
| of the position and outlined briefly hi
wishes in the matter of the investigation
| DR.. Conner found 1t impossible to remail
with the commission for the present AM
secured leave Of absence for two or thre
days in order to return to Cincinnati to pu
his affairs in shape to be absent so long n
the work may require. In DIR. Conner tn
commission secures the services of ma
who is not only eminent in his profession
but who is also familiar with the conduc
of the medical department of the army, 1
which he served for four years. He wa
born at Westchester, Pa on the 23d of Au
gust, 1889 and went to Cincinnati in 1874
He is u graduate of Dartmouth college |
1859 The doctors service in the army ex
tended from 1862 to 1856 and he was assist
ant surgeon and brevet major He resigne
his position on the 1st of August, 1866 an
since then has been in practice in Cincin
natl. He is now and has been for man
years professor of surgery in the college
Ohio, and in Dartmouth Medical college,