The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-06
THE EMBALMED BEEF ROW
Fear That Gen. Miles Story Has Dis
credited Our Meats Abroad.


Washington, Jan. 6-Gen Miles sem
balmed beer story may become very
serious matter. If proven true it will
deal blow to a very important export
trade. Whether proven or not, it is
likely to be taken up by other coun-
tries and to be used to discredit Ameri-
can meats. At the department of agri-
culture, where a great work is being
done. in the removal of foreign preju-
dices and determinations against Amer
acan 1000 products abroad, there is a.
feeling of deep regret that the personal
animosities of the war heroes should
have found expression in this direction,
especially as the allegation of "'em-
balmed beef" is believed to have no
foundation in fact. Secretary Wilson
said today:
Il have been familiar with the pro-
cesseS of the packing house for years.
When I was in the Iowa Agricultural
college we used to have all our expert
mental cattle slaughtered there, and I
am just as familiar with the handling
of their beef and pork as I am with my
own business, so that know that it is
simply out of the question for them to
use chemicals. If the refrigeration was
not complete at Porto Rico and Santi-
ago the beef, of course, was spoiled.
don't think that any meat taken from
cold chambers will keep fresh 70 hours
as represented in tropical climate, but,
OF course, that is a matter of opinion.
L have never made any experiments
along that line. But have never heard
of beef being embalned in this or any
other country. I never heard of chem
acals being used to preserve it, and il
it is shown that they were used in this
instance l shall be greatly astonished.
Il told Gen. Miles yesterday that re-
GREETED exceedingly that the general Of
the army should be the means of in
Hict1ng such damage upon one of the
greatest industries of the country and
causing such a scandal without first
A critical nd
then, If he had found that things were
wrong, he might have arranged for
their correction without advertising it
to all the world, and furnishing ammu-
milton to the enemies of our farmers
who are trying to keep their products
out of the foreign markets. The Chi
cago packing houses, the refrigerator
cars and the refrigerator ships have
made the cattle industry profitable in
this country. and we have been ship
ping $25, 900, 900 or $50, 900 600 worth of
dressed beef to England alone annual
1y for years without ever having heard
of this embalming business before. The
armies of Europe, in the tropics, in In
dia and Africa and Egypt have been
fed on American canned beef, and we
have never heard a complaint from that
source. They are glad to get it. 1t
has proven the best ration they could
furnish to their men, and it seems very
strange to me that it is not good enough
for our own troops.
prof. Stiles, the scientific agent of
the agricultural department in Europe,
is just now arranging for the prosecu-
ton of some Belgians who have taken
our beef that has been inspected out
of the original cans and substituted for
it a cheaper quality for sale in Ger
many, and we propose to make them
suffer for the damage they have done
to our trade, but how much more dam
age has been done by the general of the
army by his voluntary testimony before
the war inquiry!'