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

New York was preached. General Bates
at thai time reported that about one-fifth
of the men at Moftauk Point were in con
diton To march to New York, General
Miles said this seemed to him remarkable.
as there was no yellow fever at that point,
and he thought the men certainly ought
to be over their malaria. He therefore or
dered an inquiry into the beef about which
there had been SO much complaint.
'.pld you report this matter ut thc
time to the ccmmissury generals
ofnce:'' asked Colonel Davis.
Generat MSJes leaned forward.
drmwira his broyvs to 81 furrow. md
replied foreefuily; "I not re-
uuire'l. Cir. to report to the commits
sury general"
rcsnry of war;" asked General
Davis.
Generul Miles in reply went nj
same length into an explanation of
the routine of army beatauartcr'',
showing why he preferred 10 con-
! ciade his inquiry 50 that he might
have sonietiiiar tnnefb7c to present
TO the secretary.
Colonel Davis put II number of
questions ms To why the command
ing general had delayed definite Rc-
ton I'M the beef matter and General
Miles responded that he .,,if delayed
because lac did not want TO report
until he hnd secured the hest aw-
thortty. which was infornnation from
| the most reliable sources. Finally
lac issued li5a order to officers to
report upon the beef furnished. He
did not report directly to the s~cre-
| fary ~ war because unsicr ~ rule of
! $500 the orders should go from the
| ndjutnnt gcncrni to the secretary
| Colonel Davis read the testimony of the
commanding general in which he referred
| TO IL as "emhaimed beef and said il had
| been sent Ms u ''pretense OF experiment
| Gen. Milps was asked II he knew when the
| war began that canned roast beef WAS an
army ration. This question brought out q
| partial explanation Of his using the phrase
| ''preLense OF experiment
| He said he did not Know that canned
roast beef was n part of the army ration
though in 1888 an order had been Issued
/, Including canned corned and fresh beet
He did not understand that the canned
| beef now in question was meant. When
his attention was finally attracted to the
canned roast beef recently issued. he as
sumed, no declared. that sit was being
issued MS an experiment" since Il was not
understood by him that canned roast beef
was part of the regular ration. Con-
timing this explanation in answer 10 Il
question OF Colonel Davis, General Miles
said he thought his use OF "pretense of cx-
pertinent was unfortunate, and he dis
claimed any intention to lmpute fraud on
any one.
CAS- far as Indicating fraud he said.
Il wish 90 state that no such inference
WAS intended II was perhaps, an unfor-
/ tuDate expression and had my attention
boon called TO II might have amended Il
TO aay-well. on the theory OF an expert
n.ent. AS u matter OF fact 1t was very
! easily one"
with that disclaimer remarked Colo
mel Davis, 9of course. we VIII pass to the
refrigerated beet
| Then replying 10 question General
Miles said he first heard complaints against
the beef AZ Ponce, The first direct state
ment that II had been treated chemically
came, no believed. from Dr. DAILY VINO
1 presented IL late in September. and app
peared subsequently before the war com
mission. He said he did not recollcct
1 whether pr- Days report was volunteered
or whether he had been ordered to inves-
! tigate tho report ON meat II was general
talk among the officers ut Ponce, General
! Miles continued, that the refrigerated beef
must have been subjected 10 some chem
zeal treatment to mako IL keep for seven
| ty-two hours. Or Daily, however was the
| first official to report,
| General Miles then read long sum-
mary Of 100 letters received by him al
army headquarters giving the various
terms In which the army meat was char
| acterlzed. These included 'embslmed.
"decomposed." injected ''polsoned -
| "spoiled" and the like. In addition he
showed a summary OF reports on rcfrigsr-
ator beef condemned and thrown overheard
| from transports.
G. q. yeamans, from the Yosemite. re-
ported the condemnation OF 5000 pounds;
Lieutenant Colonel O'Neill OF the steamer
Chester, 1000; Colonel James Hamilton
Lewis, 1000 pounds. He said that he
should fix September 81 tthe date OF Daiy's
repaM), as about the earliest at which
the question OF chemically treated meat
had been brought to his notice SO as TO
command his full attention
Colonel Gillespie took a hand In tho
inquiry when General Miles finished de-
scribIng the nauseating qualities OF the |
canned and refrigerated beef
Did you, general ever eat OF this |
beef COLONEL Gillespie asked
II presume dc, about the time we We're