Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-03-31
ARMY BEEF Investigations

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military court 81 inquiry yesterday
Governor Roosevelt, ex-colonel sof the
Rough Riders, testified that complaints
about the canned beef became general
on the transport on the way to Cuba.
He himself tried 1T but could not eat
III. In Cult n, he said. the complaints
continued, The meat was covered
with q slime when the cans were op-
:enei IL was stringy, and did not agree
with the men who.nte it. Vegetables
were lacking to cook with 1t. IT did
not seriously affect all the men, lie
tried to organize q train to bring sup
plies from Siboney. Receipts Of re-
frigerated beef did not begin to come
.tili after the men had been there about
d month, This meat was generally
good, though it undoubtedly gave the
men the liarrhoea. He had not
thought of the use OF any preservativc
in connection with it at the time. He
had known that the meat If kept n
few days on n hunting trip would have
ii like effect. The men were not
in good health. so it took less
to upset them. To a certain extent
he attrit nted the mems i'll health to
the food. Less than 30 per cent OF the
brigade was ct tor service when it left
Cuba. The canned beef, however, was
given them on the way home. Not
half Of the sick men could eat it. and
the we'll did not like it. AS to tenn
bnlmed beef the governor testified
there were two or three quarters
which had been specially treated for
the tropics on board the transport on
the way to Cuba. They did not last
and were thrown overheard.
Il WASHINGTON, March %. Before the
beef court of inquiry yesterday Z. G.,
Swift, Of the Swift Packing Company,
testified. lie helped prepare the con-
tract for supplying beef for Cuba dur
ing the war. He said during his inter.
view with Eagan the general mention
ed that he had received some sngges-
tions of process for preserving meat,
but did not go into detail. He said
General Eagan was mistaken when he
testified that the company had guar
antced that the beef should keep sew
entv:two hours after leaving the re-
frigerator. Charles Barry. salesman
for Swift & Co., gave testimony SINH
lar to that given by Nj. Swift.
4 WASHINGTON, March Captain
George B. Davis, commissary of sub
sistence on duty in the Office of the
comnissary general, and who assisted
in. preparing the Santiago beef con-
tract with Swift & Co., was the first
witness before the beef inquiry court
yesterday. He said that the contract
called for beef to keep seventy-two
hours in the refrigerators on shore
and twenty-four hours after taken ont
Sot the refrigerator. Edward Morris,
{of tie Chicago firm of Morris e. Co.,
testified that his firm was in the habit
of storing canned beef on Staten
Island, N. Y, for shipment to foreign
or domestic ports. In 1898 some of
this beef was returned to Chicago and
sold to a wholesale grocery house,
which sold it to the government.
Ninety per cent of it was sent to
Manila, Most Of its foreign sales
we're to the English. None of it sold
abroad had been condemned or sent
back for the American troops.
WASHINGTON, March 5O.-Beforc the
beef court inquiry yesterday, MAJOR
Black, Miles's chief commissary dur
ing the Porto Rican campaign, detail
ed q conversation he had with Com
lnissary General Eagan after return
ing. Eagan asked why refrigerated
beef was not issued ut Ponce. Being
told. that the commissaries did not
want4it because they had native beef,
tagan became excited and swore that
he would have made them take it.
Previous to this Admiral Edwin Stew
art, paymaster of the navy, testified
that canned roast beef was q portion
of the regular navy ration. Very lit
tie of it was ever condemned. Pay
master II. G. Colby. assistant chief of
supplies Of the navy department, tes-
tilted that canned roast beef kept well
at sea. some cases lasting from year to
year. 1t was not affected by the heat
Of the tropics. The sailors liked it in
soups and hash. Gen. Eagan again
appeared in the afternoon. He testi-
fed that while the contract provided
that beef was to keep twenty-four
hours after leaving the refrigerator,
there was an understanding that it
was to keep seventy-tw6 hours. This
was for the purpose of keeping com
miss:.ry officers on the alert. He said
that while Armour e. Co. had put in II
bid for .tprocessch" beef, 1t was not
accepted, and he did not buy any pre-
served beef. He excused canned beef,
saying that it was only intended rs u
makcshift, to be used when fresh
a 40 f. !
WASHINGTON, March 3l.-There
were two original witnesses before
the army beef inquiry court Yesterday,
and two former witnesses. were re-
called. Lieutenant George A. Camp
fer, who was commissary of subsist.
ence at Lakeland, Fla, and Major
Webb, who was on General
Lawt toms staff in Cuba, testified for
the first time. Colonel Woodruff, of
the commissary department., and MIR.
Morchouse. the Tampa agent for
Armour & Co.. who superintendent the
supply Of fresh beef to the troops at.
Lal; Gland, were those recalled. Major
,Webb's testimony dealt almost entire
Nv with the canned roast beef, which
lie denounced as useless rs an article
of food. Lieutenant CAMPER said
that representative Of the Arrnonrs,.
whom he took to be Mr.. Morehousc,
had told him that chemicals We're
used to preserve the beef. This
Mr.. Morehousc. when recalled, denied.
NO FIGHTING ON TUESDAY.
Gen. NTacArthur'sS Army Rested Willie