The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-08

Washington, May by direction of
'ings, Acting Secretary of War Meikle-
| john today made public the report and
findings of the military court appointed
/ to investigate the charges made by
Major General Miles, commanding the
army, that the beef supplied to the
army during the war with Spain was
unfit for the use of the troops. The
most important features of the report
are:
The finding that the generals claims
/ that the refrigerated beef was treated
with chemicals were not established.
That his allegations concerning the
canned roast beef were sustained as to
/ it's unsuitability for food as used on the
transports and as long-continued field
ration.
CenSure of General Miles for "error'
in failing to promptly notify the secre-
/ tary of war when he first formed the
opinion that the food was unfit.
Censure of the commissary general
J (then General Eagan) for the too eX-
tensive purchase of the canned beef as
an untried ration.
Censure of Colonel Maus of General
Miles staff.
The finding that the packers were not
at fault and that the meats supplied
to the army were of the same quality
as those supplied to the trade gener
ally.
The recommendation that no further
proceedings will be taken in the prem
ises.
The conclusion of the court adverse
to further proceedings, based upon the
charges, is as follows:
No Further Proceedings.
1T has been developed in the course
of the inquiry, as recited in this report,
that in some instances some individuals
failed to perform the full measure of
duty or to observe the proprieties which
dignified military laws command, but
the court is of the opinion that the
mere statement of official facts devel-
oped meets the end of discipline and
that the interests of the service viii be
best subserved if further proceedings
be not taken"
There is more or less criticism of
General Miles in various parts of the
report Probably the most direct in
stance is the one which states that be-
yond the criticism of officers found else
where is the report:
THE court finds that against none of
the officers commanding S)rps, divl-
sions. brigades and regiments and their
be brought.
The court also finds that the major
general commanding the army had no
sufficient justification for alleging that
the refrigerated beef was embalmed or
was unfit for issue to troops. 1t also
finds that he committed an error in
that having belief or knowledge, as
claimed. that the food was unfit, that
it caused sickness and distress; that
eo,,,a of SrInDlip1 IIOdpr the nre-
tense of experiment. that other beef
was embalmed. ne did not Immediately
send such knowledge or belief to the
secretary of war, to the end that a
proper remedy might be promptly ap-
Piled
The censure of Colonel Maus, inspect
or general on General Miles staff. is
based upon his failure to call attention
to charges concerning the beef at
Chickamauga contained in a report of
inspection made by DR.. (or Major) DAILY
on the 26th of October last. in which
he stated his belief that the beef was
chemically treated.
1.-The silence of Colonel Maus." says
the court ION so important matter as
the chemicalized beef reported by Ma
jor DAILY and personally known to him
self, is most remarkable"
General Miles Is Censured.
The remark is also made that General
Miles failure to draw special attention
TO this report is unexplained"
Commenting upon General Miles teS-
timony that he had first formed the
opinion last August that the refriger-
ated beef had been processed, the re-
port remarks:
Whatever the date he formed a be-
lief. or reasonable suspicion, that the
health of the troops was being i'm
paired by the use of such food. 1t was
his bounden duty. in the opinion of the
court, instantly to take the most et-
fectiye measures within his control TO
ascertain the actual facts and to cor
rect the wrong, if any should be found.
1t would have been practicable to OBJ
tain samples of the beef then being sup
piled to the army by contractors and
to have submitted these samples TO
chemical examination. which would
have resulted in the detection of the
presence or absence of baricic or sali-
cylic acids. or any other chemical agent
that may have been used as preserv-
ative agent Yet no such precaution as
that suggested was taken by the major
general commanding at that time, or at
any subsequent time, so far as has been
learned by the court"
The court finds that the allegations
of the major general commanding. to
supplied to the troops was treated with
chemical preservatives, have not been
established. The court also finds that
so much of the allegations of the ma
ior general commanding in respect to
the canned roast beef, as relates to its
for food, as actually used
on the transports, and as to its ex-
tensive or long continued use as
field ration, are sustained. In the opin-
ion of the court, none of the other al
legations in relation to the canned
fresh beef are sustained. The evidence
shows that Colonel John F. Weston,
assistant commissary general OF sub
sistence. recommended the adoption of
the canned roast beef as a component
of the field ration, and to this extent
he is responsible.
Eagan Gets His Share.
The report places the quantity OF
canned roast beef purchased for the
war by the commissary department at
G. .357.1I4 pounds, including 350,000
pounds which was brought from Liv-
erpool and other English points This
amount is characterized as excessive, /
and the commissary general General
Eagan) is severely criticised in several
parts of the documents on this score.
One of the severest rebukes is as fol-
lows:
"Corsidering the little use that has