The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-02-04

ARMY BEEF
General Miles Will Have 0ppor'
tunity to Prove His Charges.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END

should the Charges OF General OF the
Army Fall Unsupported by Evidence
He May himself BE Obliged to An
swer to a Court Martial.
washington, Feb. 4.-The purpose Of
the president to terminate the unsatis-
factory state Of affairs that has eN-
isted for some time as the result OF
the numerous charges and counter
charges and interviews respecting the
character Of the army beef by insti-
tuting a formal inquiry into these
matters and endeavoring to place the
responsibility where II belongs, was
made known yesterday. This inquiry
will not be undertaken before the com
mission TO investigate the conduct of
the war has made it's report to the
president.
The scope Of this new inquiry has
not been defined, but II certainly will
embrace the allegations made by Cen
eral Miles as to the character Of the
army supplies and will involve that
officer to the extent that he must make
these charges good and to that degree
will be on trial himself in a preliminary
manner. Should the charges be found
well established a heavy responsibility
would be placed upon the packers and
persons concerned I'm the meat inspec-
tions and perhaps others. Should they
fan unsupported General Miles may be
obliged to answer to a court martial
for rejecting upon the character Of
other officers.
There are two methods by which such
an investigation may be conducted, ac-
cording to established military usage
The first is by the appointment of what
Is known as an officers or inspection
board. In the former case It would be
necessary to name some officer who Is
to be the subject of investigation. In
| the latter the board is charged simply
| to inquire into a state of facts or al
| legged facts, without reference to any
| particular persons, and to place re-
! sponsibility, II possible, for anything
of which complaint is made. Their
| findings NAV serve as the basis for a
court martial quite as effectively as the
findings of a court Of inquiry, and has
some advantages in that it does not
| begin with the presumption Of court
| of inquiry.
| Where a court of Inquiry Is ordered
It is said there is conveyed a distinct
reflection upon the officer named. Be
| cause Of this. when the navy depart
ment requested the war deL artment To
! order a court of inquiry to investigate
| the circumstances attending the kill
ing Of a number of Spanish prisoners
on board the Harvard the latter instead
ordered an inspection board, consider
ing that the ordering of the court OF in
quiry might be looked upon as a pre-
decision against our troops. Suci
officers boards are frequently ordered
to fix responsibility for the loss or dam
age OF stores, and several Of then
have been appointed during the war L
look into the loss of r. eats, notably Fl
the case Of that shipped TO Porto Rice
and returned to Montauk Point Like
court of inquiry. these boards re-
turn statements of facts developed BY
them upon which the superior authori
ties can act.
1t is not possible at present to learI
in which direction the president leans
J but he has been in conference on tn
subject with the secretary OF war an,
] the attorney general. and the matte
has been discussed in the cabinet t,
some extent. As before stated, how
ever no action is TO be taken on eithe
: plan until the report of the war in
vestigating commission is submitted
, Up to the close of the day Genera
Miles positively declined to discuss II
any manner the events of the daY S,
: far as they relate to himself. or to dis
} cuss any statements contained in an,
, of the interviews attributed to him. /
may be said of these interviews tina
t while it is conceivable they might fig
r ure, they would not do so of necessity
for the matters to be first looked int
E are those connected with the characte
OF the army beef
A Sure Cure for Coughs and Colds.