The times., 1899-04-19

lence had 1t been taken ashore from the
ship. So 1t had to be thrown overheard.
What else could be done with it? Nothing
alive could eat 1t.
II have overwhelming evidence that the
| embalmed beef was treated with chemi-
| Gals in order to preserve 1t. have afii-
davits from the men who saw the beef
undergoing the process.
The Secretary of War on February Q
issued the following order:
I'm accordance with the instructions of
the President of February 3. 1899. Court
OF Enquiry TO consist Of the following
named officers, is hereby appointed to meet
in this city ON February Is. 1899:
Detail of the Court: Mai. Gen. James
F. Wade, United States Volunteers; Brig.
Gen. George B. Davis. United States
Volunteers; Col. George L. Gillespie. Corps
of Engineers. United States Army: Lieut..
Col. George B. Davis, deputy judge advo-
cate general. recorder.
THE Court is hereby directed to inves-
tigate certain allegations of the Major
General Commanding the Army in respect
TO the unfitness for issue of certain articles
of food furnished by the Subsistence De-
partment to the troops in the field during
the recent operations in Cuba and Porto
Rico. In addition to its findings OF fact,
the Court Will submit an opinion upon the
merits of the case, together with such re-
concentrations as to further proceedings
as may seem to be warranted by the facts
developed in the course of the enquiry
Findings of the Court.
The report of the Court will say that
although General Miles maintained that
he had overwhelming evidence that the
army beef was embaimed, and although
he was given ample scope TO prove the ac-
curacy OF this assertion, he has failed to
show that a single pound of army fresh
beef was chemically preserved.
The allegation that the beef was treat
ed with chemicals rests on the testimony
of two men, DIR. William H. DAILY, OF Pitts
burg, major and chief surgeon on the staff
of the Major General Commanding. and DR..
Daniel A. Currie, of Englewood, N j., late
| lieutenant colonel of the Second New Jar-
sey Volunteers. The report will hold that
| DR.. Daly's testimony is uncorroborated and
weak, and that DR.. Curries' testimony has
been disproved on certain important points,
There is one piece of hearsay evidence
that the beef was processed. This was
| given by DR.. Charles H. Castle, of Cincin-
natl. who was assistant surgeon of the
| First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry The report
| viii likely find that the testimony of this
witness even if accurate. does not tend to
prove the Decentralization of the beef.
DIR. Days Testimony.
DR.. Daily testified that he was commits
stoned major and chief surgeon May 2S,
1898. He served at Tampa in June and
| July.
He testified that he suspected then that
| the fresh beef issued at Tampa, Jackson
vile, and Miami was ''processed" He
served in Porto Rico in August, and saw
the same kind of meat he had observed at
! the camps named. On September / left
Ponce for Newport News on the transport
Panama Two days out, he took some
beef broth, and bottled il. On his return
to his home at Pittsburg about the middle
OF September he analyzed this broth and
found in it boric and saiicylic acid He
made his report of the discovery about Oc-
tober 23
The Court will find that Dr. Daily being
medical officer of the army in charge of
the health of the troops, either did net
suspect the presence of deleterious chemi-
Gals in the beef at Tampa, Jacksonville
and Miami in May, June. and July. or that
ne was criminally negligent in not report-
ing the matter TO his superior officers II
the beef in Porto Rico was chemicalized
he should have Investigated it and report
ed on 1t. The Court will hold that as he
did not make an analysis of the meat until
the middle OF September. and then made
no report OF his discovery till the 23d of
| October. he acted in very uncficerlike
manner. He made no report en- the finding
OF acids In the meat till the scandal was
being discussed in the newspapers.
When the meat on the Panama began to
smell bad. Major Daily ordered a board
OF survey en- il and II was thrown over
board. not because 1t was ehemicaIized
but because II was decomposinr. DIR.
DAILY said nothing at the time to anybody
on shipboard. not even the quartermaster
OF the ship, who was his roommate. about
the use OF chemicals In meat. He said
nothing TO any other medical officer or
commissary officer at Tampa. Jacksonville.
Miami. or in Porto Rico, about the chem
icalization OF beef
The Court will discredit his testimony
on the ground that he made no report and
said nothing TO anybody about the use of
chemicals in soldiers food until after hos
tliities had been suspended. And yet. the
Court viii emphasize. he was a medical
oihcer. whose duty IL was to examine the
food which the soldiers ate.
There we're two classes of meat on the
Panama Two thousand pounds were
bought from a native butcher at Ponce.
ana 1000 pounds were taken off the Man
ltoba- This was furnished by Swift &
Co. The meat had undergone undue ex-
posure before being placed in the icebox
OF the Panama. II was in direct contact
with the ice, the Panama having no re-
frigerator on board. 1t spoiled in transit
and was thrown over. The officers of the
board OF survey with Dr. DAILY had no
suspicion of the presence of chemicals in
| the beef
The Court will say that there is nothing
10 substantiate DR.. Daly's statement that
! the powder which he submitted to the
Court came out of soup in which meat
/ on the Panama had been boiled
| The Testimony of DIR. Currie.
DR.. Currie testified that he was in com
mand of detail of about one hundred
men at work in constructing a rife range
near Jacksonville for the Seventh Army
] Corps. On one day this whole detail
| failed TO report for duty, all the men being
| sick. He attributed the sickness to the
meat. He analyzed d piece and found
borie acid. He took another piece to the
! city chemist at Jacksonville and that Off
Ger found salicylic acid. He did not tell
| anybody about the discovery of chemicals
| He said nothing TO the medical officers
OF the regiment. nothing to the regmental
| commissary, and nothing to the colonel OF
the regiment. To the latter officer, how
ever. he testified. that he told him after