The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-03-30
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP
Miles and Eaenn-The pitiable exhi-

almost sufficient to create sympathy for
him even among his harshest critics. II is
quite plain that Eagans memory has been
embalmed along with the beef which he
contracted for to be shipped to the Ameri-
can soldiers in the field. Eagan was badly
ratified yesterday, and from all indications
he is likely to be more so before he gets
I through with the present investigation. He
showed that he was nervous when he went
on the stand and as his examination pro-
ceeded be lost his head completely. There
is law which says that no man shall be
compelled to fncriminate himself, but
Eagan had evidently lost sight OF 1t for
the time being He floundered around in q
maze of confused and involved statements.
and the upshot of it all was that he did
his cause great deal more harm than
good Army officers were more convinced
| last night than ever that Eagan would
have to appear before another court-mar-
tial in the near future and that the Presi-
] dent would not again interfere to save him
from dismissal from the military service a
fate which many of his old comrades ap-
pear to think he richly deserves.
Ever since the Miles Court of Enquiry
began its work the members OF the Alger
coterie in the War Department have laid
great stress apparently upon the fact that
General Miles did not report his discovery
that the soldiers under his command were
being supplied with rotten beet which was
seriously endangering their health, prompt
iy to the proper authorities in the. War
Department. Why, they exclaim, did
General Miles wait several weeks or until
he returned to the United States before
acquainting the War Department with the
alleged knowledge that the Army was being
furnished with improper food?" Accord
tn bn !,
Miles was almost as much at fault for
| keeping back his information concerning
! the character of the rations supplied to the
soldiers under his command as the origi-
nal contractors. st was General Miles
manifest duty" they explain, TO acquaint
the department Immediately of any facts
| that came to his knowledge lending to
show that the beef consigned to the SOL
dlers was injurious. He should not have
permitted his men to continue eating the
stuff after he knew, or thought he knew,
that it was killing them
Speaking upon this point, an army officer
who is friend of General Miles said last
night: THE Alger Eagan combination has
given up trying to deny General Miles
charge that rotten and diseased beef was
sent to the American soldiers in Cuba and
Porto Rico by way of an experiment
probably for the reason that every accusa-
ton brought by General Miles has been
corroborated dozen times over by the
very best possible testimony. All that
they can do is to try to implicate General
Miles by charging him with negligence in
reporting the facts, Alger and Eagan are
entitled to all the credit and glory that
they can extract out of that presentation
of the case.
But let us see Was General Miles
really guilty of negligence in the matter?
When the first reports were made to him
concerning the character of the beef ration
supplied TO the army he was conducting an
aggressive campaign for the conquest of
the Island of Porto Rico. He was directing
the operations of Major Generals Wilson,
Henry. and Brooke, and Brigadier General
Schwan. His mind was fully occupied with
more important matters. When man is
engaged in driving four-horse team in
an important race he does not stop to in
vestigate what kind of food has been placed
in the hamper under the seat. He natural
iy assumes that ii is all right, as matter
of course However, General Miles did all
that he could do under the circumstances
when he was informed that the beef fur
nlshed to him was not fit for human con-
sumption He Immediately wired the War
Department not to send him any more of
it. What more could the defenders of Ea-
gan and Alger ask, for goodness sake?
General Miles did not arrive hastily
at the conclusion that the Commissary De-
partment was Intentionally shipping rotten
and embalmed beef 10 the soldiers in the
field. He naturally took the course that
any other officer would have taken in his
position. As each complaint was received
he had note made of it, and in the mean
time he ordered thorough investigation
of the whole subject 90 as to get at the
exact truth. The fact that General Miles
| had been ignored and badly treated by Mr.
AIger had no bearing upon the case
whatever. 1t neither accelerated nor
! checked the course of his investigation
General Miles did not have complete re-
| ports from all his subordinate officers
until after he returned to the United States
from Porto Rico. Just as soon as he was
| in possession of sufficient evidence upon
which to base formal charges against the
| Commissary Department he lost no time
in presenting them, as will be seen by re-
ferring to his first testimony before the
Alger Relief Commission
General Miles has been right all the
way through He has not violated the
Army regulations in the slightest par
ticular. But on the other hand Alger and
Eagan and company stand convicted before
the country of what is worse than a crime.
/ The Court of Enquiry will make its re-
port soon. 1t can do no less than eXonerate
General Miles and condemn Alger, Eagan.
and ali their unsavory associates. The
question now is, what does Mr. Mckinley
| propose 10 do about il? Can he afford any
longer to protect mat gang from the pun
ishment which they richly deserve?
1T will soon be up TO Mr.. Mckinley. and
he will not be able to either dodge or
evade his responsibility
Judge George Grny.-The appoint
ment by the President yesterday of former
Senator George Gray. of Delaware, 10 be
United States Circuit Judge of the Third
Judicial district. was not unexpected. 1t
had been. in fact. foreshadowed for some
time. The appointment was generally COM
mended. Mr.. Gray accepted an appoint
ment one the Paris Peace Commission
er5 last autumn somewhat reluctantly and
only upon the personal solicitation of the
prnsidant IL Wa nerhnns due 10 his