The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-12

john today made public the report and
findings of the military court appoint
ed to investigate the charges made by
Major General Miles, commanding the
army, that the beef supplied to the
army during the war with Spain was
unfit for the use Of the troops.
The court finds that General Miles
allegations that the refrigerated Deel
was treated with chemicals were not
established; that his allegations con-
corning the canned fresh or canned
roast beef were sustained as to its un-
suitability for food as used on the
transports and as a long continued field
ration.
General Miles is censured for error"
in failing to promptly notify the secre-
tary of war when he first formed the
4eral Eagan, formerly commissary gen.
eral, is censured for too extensive
purchases Of the canned beef as an
untried ration. Colonel Maus, of Cen
eral Miles staff, is also censured.
The court finds that the packers were
not at fault; hat the meats supplied
to the army were of the same quality
as those Supplleu 10 the lTdue SeueE-
ally, and recommends that no further
proceedings be taken in the premises.
There is more or less criticism of
General Miles in various parts of the
report.
THE court finds that the major gen
eral commanding the army had no suf-
ficient justification for alleging that
the refrigerated beef was embalmed or
was unfit for issue to troops. 1t also
finds that no committed an error in
that, having belief or knowledge as
claimed, that the food was unfit, that
it caused ickness and distress, that
some of it was supplied under the
'pretense of experiment. that other
beef was embalmed, he did not imme-
diately report such knowledge or be-
lief to the secretary of wal to the end
that a proper remedy might be prompt
ly applied"
Commenting upon General Miles tes-
timony that he had first formed the
opinion last August hat the refriger-
ated beef had been processed, the court
remarks:
Whatever the date upon which he
formed a belief, or a reasonable suspi-
\ cion, that the health of the troops was
1being impaired by the use of delete
rious food, it was his bounden duty, in
the opinion of the court, instantly to
take the most effective measures within
his control to ascertain the actual fact
and to correct the wrong, if any should
be found"
RECKLESS PURCHASE BY EAGAN.
Considering the little use that had
been made of his beef in the regular
army, the probability that the olu
teers were entirely ignorant of it, that
it's use as a part of the field ration had
never been sanctioned by the president
Or secretary of war the oO11rt on hut
characterize the action of the commits
Sary general of subsistence as unWar-
ranted and reckleSS-in that he order
ed the purchase of such enormous
quantities of a food that was practical
ly untried and unknown, and the
court so finds.
1.-The court also finds that there is no
ground for any imputation whatever of
n other actuating motive on the part
of the commissary general than the
earnest desire to procure the best pos
sible food for the troops. The court
~pronounces this act of the commits
Sary general of subsistence a colossal
error for which there is no %palliation."
The court finds that there was neg
lect in Cuba and, to a less degree, in
Porto Rico in delivering the refriger-
ated beef. The court says the re-
port, does not wish to state the case
more strongly than to say that the
finding appears to be warranted that
TOO much time was consumed in dis
tribut1ng this perishable article. The
fault, If any there was, rested with the
brigade and higher commanding Off
GERS and their commissaries and quar-
( termasters, but the testimony is not so
Ndefin1te or specific as to warrant the
naming by the court of any particular
o1cers."
Fl PACKERS EXONERATED.
An instruction Of President Mckinley
to the court was that eff the packers
of the country are guilty, it must be
known. Replying to this direction, the
court says:
THE court finds hat at the out
break Of hostilities, in April, 1898, he
packers of canned beef were engaged
in the manufacture of an article of
standard quality, we'll known to the
trade and the subsistence department.
under the name of canned roast beef.
The methods Of packing then in use
were the same as those habitually m
ployed in the preparation of the meat
as an article of commerce., and the
court does not find that they under
went any change during the progress
of the war.
1.-The large purchases for the use of
the military forces during the months
OF May and June, 1898, were made not
at the solicitation of the packers or in
OF efforts put forth nv
them Tor that purpose, but by order
and upon the initiative of the commits
sary general of subsistence. such pur-
chaSeS being made in every case nv
officers of his department i'm the ,1sual
manner"
Replying specifically to other oues-
tons set out by the president. the court
a.
The canned beef was described as
fresh because it was not sailed b,1t
the meat was not old or stale. The re-
frigerated beef furnished the army was
not doctored or treated with any other
agency than cold air.
iaThe meat purchased for the army
wsyIs the meat of commerce.; both kinds
refrigerated and canned-were such
saEare we'll known in both h~emispheres
aYcommercial articles, Of which there
is n has been very large consump-
stion not only by the trade generally,