The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-13

tons: these had been supplied, but
thrown aside when the men went into
action; the condition of roads and lack
of transportation prevented prompt re-
issue. AT times the vegetable ration
was not of good quality, the potatoes
and onions being spoiled. Condemned
by a board of survey, such vegetables
were destroyed and an equivalent part
of the ration issued. Some trouble &C.
CURED because such vegetables and
other damaged foods were disposed of
by the company without the warrant
of a board Of survey. This was done
through ignorance. their officers not
Embalmed Beef.
4 "Refrigerated beef: This commission
was ordered the Gath day of last Sep
TENDER. UP to the 21st day Of Decem-
Der it's members had taken testimony
in II different towns and cities and
nine camps 1t had also received many
hundreds of letters, communications
and newspaper clippings from persons
living in all parts of the country. EX-
animation of numerous officers and en-
listed men had been made as to the
quality and condition of the meat issued
to the troops. The testimony, with
some exceptions, showed that the re-
frigerated beef issued was pure, sound
and wholesome.
ION the 21st day of December last,
Major General Nelson A. Miles, upon
the written request of the president of
this commission, appeared before 1T.
He refused to be sworn, as all other
witnesses had, except one who affirm
ed, stating that he would make his
statements without being sworn and
was responsible for what he said. He
proceeded, and for the first time in the
hiGta Of
cation was made that refrigerated beef
issued to the troops had been chemic-
ally treated.
''In the statement, revised by himself,
General Miles said:
'There was sent to Porto Rico 337
tons of what is known as so-called re-
ffigerated beef which you might call
'embalmed' beef -
"* He proceeded to read a
communication from DR.. w. G. DAILY,
major and chief surgeon, U. S. ", on
his staff, bearing date of September Il,
1893, wherein DIR. Daily stated that in
the several inspections I made in the
various camps and troop ships at Tam
pa, Jacksonville, Chickamauga and
Porto Rico, I found the fresh beef to
be apparently preserved with secret
chemicals, which destroy it's natural
flavor, and which I also believed to be
detrimental to the health of the troops
Although DR.. DAILY swears that he
informed General Miles about the LIST
of August, 1898. that he suspected that
the refrigerated beef was chemically
treated, it does not appear that the
general informed you or the war de-
partment that an officer of his staff
had made this discovery. nor does 1T
appear that he at any time ordered any
of the officers under his command to
probe to the bottom an allegation
which, if true, concerned the health OF
275000 soldiers in the United States
army. 1t appears from the report of
DIR. DAILY which he handed to General
Miles October q last, that he then spe-
officially stated that refrigerated beef
furnished to the troops was apparently
chemically treated
TT does not appear that when this
charge was made. October q, it having
been already made to him in August,
1898, that General Miles communicated
to you or the secretary of war or the
commissary general the belief or sus-
picion entertained by him that refriger-
ated meat, dangerous to health, was is
sued every day to the troops, in failure
to do which there was dereliction OF
duty. 1t is true that on September 20
he had directed that an order should be
issued asking for reports relative to
meats issued, but the order specifically
mentions canned fresh roast beef and
nothing else, and it was the reports re-
ceived in answer to this that were
printed in abstract by the general at
the time of his appearance before the
commission and since.
DAILY the Criminal.
"In his report DR.. Daily does not make
the all-important statement that he had
already chemically analysed any meat,
although he suggests that such an anal
ysis should be made. He does state
that in the several inspections made
by him at Tampa, Jacksonville. Chick
amauga and Porto Rico he found the
fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals He said that at
Ponce the beef he examined was aleo
of the same character, being apparent
ly preserved by injected chemicals
For months, as it appears, DR.. DAILY
concealed the commission of a crime az
fecting men under his charge, whom,
as an officer and a physician, he was
bound to protect"
The report then, after quoting from
the regulations of the agricultural de-
partment prescribing the manner in
which inspections are made (and no
packing house in the country Is allowed
to do business without governmental
inspection), after detailing the pro-
cesses pursued by our officials and
showing the practical impossibility of
goes on to say:
1.-THE commission has not confined it,
self to merely verbal or written proof
Immediately upon hearing the testlmo-
ny of Dr. Daily, on the Goth of January
kilograms We're sent to all issuing COM
missaries in Cuba, Porto Rico and at
the various home camps occupied by
troops, asking that samples of refriger-
ated beef be at once taken, placed in
glass jars, securely sealed and forward
ed to the commission. These samples
| were to be of one pound weight from
the outside and one pound weight from
the inside of a quarter. In response to
this request many samples have been
received and the latter sent to the
chemists of the agricultural and in
terror departments for careful chemical
examination.
1.-THE result of an analysis has been
reported to us in 90 cases. and as will
be seen by the reports appended. in no
specimen examined has either boracic
or salicylic acid or other deleterious
| chemical been found. In view of the
he