The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-21

war With Spain and In the MATTERS pur-
portine 10 have been furnished 10 the pup-
lie press by that. officer all oa' Fntcn y
transmitted herewith, marked enclosures
3 A, Btund respectively.
The president also directs special u ives yes
tikation be made to- determine Il the beef
furnished the army was wholesome ard OF
good quality and sufficient quantity ~
to inquire with care into the ALLEGATION
that Il wasstrcated with or chemicaiB
by the contractors or others. or In any
way made deleterious to the health of the
consumers. II there was bad meat issued
to tho troops the responsibility for II must
be fixed with view to further action
Very respectfully, II. @. Corbin.
Adiutant General
The court was then sworn, and Major
General Nelson A. Miles was presented
ms the first witness, He was sworn After
stating his rank aud office he was asked
about his statement before the war COM
mission. He said he made Que, aud upon
Colonel Davis submitting printed re-
port of that statement. General Miles OK
amined and approved II.
Then he was asked about sn alleged iu-
tervicw which appeared in the New York
Journal of December D.. whether Il re-
ported completely or In part what he
said. General Miles read Il and unsNered:
II do not recall anything in that Interview
that had not been given In BY testimony
or transmitted in my reports You will
observe IL contains number OF my de-
cliuaiions to name officers or my authority
and refusais to answer. II must. therefore,
be correct representation.
He then commented on the general
slight Inaccuracies of the newspaper inter-
views owing to the dependency OF writer's
upon their memories. Hardly day in six
months had passed that tnterviewcrs had
not applied and because of Kindness OF the
press to the army. and especially the en-
listed men. he had endeavored to give them
such information as he Thought wise and
safe, but never he said. With view 10
prejudicing anyone against any person or
department.. Finally, General Miles said
he did not think the Journal interview
represented correctly what was said be-
cause its contents should be taken In con-
necton with all that WAS said, his silence
upon some points and speech upon others.
Then being asked about an interview
from the New York Herald on February |,
he said IL have a letter from the gen-
tleman who. ! understand, wrote this, III
which he says he is willing 10 swear that
1 declined to he interviewed, and thet,
thinking something had been given out he
had proceeded to write what he knew were
The facts.
He then pointed out that the inter-
view was erroneous, In that where 1t re-
ported him to have said that he hnd
overwhelming evidence that the refrig-
Grated beef was treated with chemicof,
the fact was that his only evidence was
what was contained in the reports OF Of
ficers and statements OF men who claimed
that the beef had the odor OF an ems
balmed body that they had seen iuid
injected into beef. and other indications
OF chemical treatment. He declared Tbs
interview in erroneous presentation OF
what he could possibly have said.
Colonel Davis recurring To the state
ment OF General Miles before the war
commission asked him what his idea us
"a ha hoe zIlpplN thp when
war broke out
Replying General Miles said while h's
attention was occupied with weightier
matters of mobilization and equipment OF
troops he felt confident that the usage of
hundred years would be followed and
cattle herds would be shipped to tho army
in the tropical countries and killed there
just as they had been through the South
during the civil war, in Arizona. Texas
and In Mexico where 1t was so hot thut
Il soldier could not sit upon tho rocks.
He. understood Cuba and Porto Rico ware
excellent grass countries and cattle could
be shipped and kept In prime condition.
He reviewed his action in cabling The de-
partment to send no more refrigerated
beef To Porto Rico while he was there,
finding 1t possible to use beef on the hoof.
General Miles said that he understood
that our troops in Porto Rico were still
being supplied with form OF refriger-
ated beef, although the country was as
good grass country rs any in the world
and the cattle there was plenty and the
Spanish troops drew all their meat supply
from this source
Colonel Davis asked II General Mll,s
knew whether Porto Rico exported amy
cattle. Witness said IL did to the npmber
y! several thousands and that they We're
fine cattle Still, he understood chat oui
troops were not only receiving refriger-
ated beef at the coast, bat II was being
sent into the interior. The situation no~.
he said, was different from that Curing
the war. Now there We're ice machines
ON shore. Then there was not ice enough
for the hospitals.
Recurring to the eXpedlency OF feeding
troops hoof beef Ia Porto Rico General
Miles said he was much In favor of 1t.
He said native beet killed al night could
be very we'll fed the men next day.
do yt>u think continued Colonel Davis.
that the native beef would keep as we'll
AS the refrigerated beef in tho absence Of
cooling apparatus on shore9'
II am quite sure 1t would unless the
refrigerated beef was chemically treated
with preseryatiyes, II it was treated so
as TO keep for seventy-two hours after
coming out Of the coolers. of course 1t had
the advantage of native beef--so far AS
keeping goes. .
Asked how long he was In Porto Rico
before he advised the department against
sending more refrigerated beef General
Miles said that he had learned OF the large
supply of native cattle aoon after landing
and advised the war department the next
day after getting ashore.
Referring to the canned roast beef as
distinguished from the refrigerated beef.
Colonel Davis read a portion OF General
Miles war commission testimony denounc-
ing il In severe terms. General Miles said
the canned beef was Issued to volunteers
and regular troops alike on the transports
ard in Cuba till the arrival Of the refrig-
Grated beef II was fully tested by both
regulars and volunteers. The first com
plaints OF 1t, General Miles said he heard
ut Tampa, from some of the Rough Riders
from San Antonio. but he paid little an
tention to It at the time, not realizing THAI
there had been any change from the stand
ard ration He again heard OF Ii aboard
tho Ysle when the men declared they could
not eat It and he ordered the inspector to
inquire into Il. Again he beard OF 1t In
4 the trenches at Santiago, but he was still
largely occupied with the campaign and he
thought nothing more OF the complaints
than he would of hearing that some man
was kicking about his coffee or of his hard
tack What finally drew his attention Sc
riously to the matter was the reports OF
6 officers that the whole Fifth corps was