The record-union., 1899-04-25
The Beef Court Of Inquiry Holds Its
Last Open Session.
Now Engaged Upon the Preparation Of Its
Report TO the President.
Major Lee, General Miles Repre-
sentative Before the Board,
Sums UP for His Side of the
Case, Recorder Davis Submit
ting the Case Without Argu-
ment.

ment.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-The Wade
Court of Inquiry, appointed to investi-
agte the allegations made by Major
General Miles in his testimony before
the War Investigating Commission,
concerning the meat furnished the
army during the late war with Spain,
held it's last open session to-day, and
is now engaged upon the preparation of
its report.
This morning the court decided not
to accept a report made by Lieutenant
Colonel Darlington of the Inspector
Generals office. This report had been
transmitted to General Miles through
Inspector General Breckenridge. The
report of Colonel Darlington covers
about eighty typewriter pages, and
goes exhaustively into the reports made
by officers and men, without drawing
any general conclusions. The board, in
explanation of its refusal to accept this
report in evidence, gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
The report of the investigation con-
Quoted by Lieutenant Colonel CARING
ton, Inspector General. under the orders
of the Major General commanding, con-
tains the result of an inquiry carried on
for the most part at the same time and
in the same places as that entrusted to
the court by the President. During the
progress of the investigation Colonel
Darlington has submitted the names of
witnesses, and from time to time has
suggested subjects of inquiry, all of
which have been fully considered by the
court The reports which were furnished
him by officers of the army have been
already read and submitted in evidence.
In view of these facts, and as it does
not appear that Colonel Darlington had
any other or better means of informa-
ton than were accessible to the court
at every stage of itseinquiry, it is or
dered that the report be not received
in evidence"
At the afternoon session, Major Lee,
who has been Major General Miles rep
resentative before the board, summed
up for his side his case.
Recorder Davies read brief reports
from General Breckinridge, the In-
spector General, and also from two of
his subordinates, Major Philip Reade
and Lieutenant Colonel Darlington, as
to the result of their individual work
and observations. General Breckenridge
condemned the canned beef ration. and,
speaking generally, said that While the
army ration fulfilled all the scientific re-
quirements as to food values, its com
ponent parts should be changed to meet
the new conditions of service. AS the
ration was fixed by law, this was a
matter for Congress to remedy. He
also suggested that articles required by
sick and convalescent soldiers should
be added
Major Reade's report was mainly de-
voted to the lack of certain camp equip
ment among certain regiments, and
that of Colonel Darlington to the result
of his personal inspection of the vari-
Gus camps of the country.
The court then decided if any of the
dispositions for which General Miles has
called should be received prior to the
completion of the report of the board,
they should be admitted as evidence,
subject to the boards limitations
Major Lee then summed up the case.
He read his argument from carefully
prepared manuscript. and was given
careful attention by the three members
OF the court and the Recorder. no one
else being present except the represen-
tatives of the press. His statement con-
sumed about an hour, and when he
concluded with the statement that the
members of the board must decide
whether the great fraud and the great
crime which he believed had been COM
mitted should be carried before the
courts. Recorder Davis arose and said
simply:
II submit the case to the board with
out argument
MAJOR LEES CLOSING ARGU-
MENT.
WASHINGTON, April 24-The Wade
Board of Inquiry held it's last open ses-
sion this afternoon, and is now indus
triously engaged upon the preparation
of the report, which will probably be
completed this week. Over $500 type
written pages of testimony have been
taken.
The board spent the morning in exec
utive session and this afternoon Major
Lee summed UP the testimony on behalf
of Major General Miles. Recorder Da-
Wis contented himself with the submis-
sion of pertinent extracts from the
sworn testimony of officers before the
War Commission.
Major Lee placed before the board.
without reading it, the report of Major
Darlington of the Inspector General S
department, which was forwarded ID
the board by General Breckenridge
through Major General Miles
Major Lee, in summing up the case,
disclaimed any intention of rejecting
upon any one. He had appeared, he
said ION General Miles behalf to pre-
sent and elicit evidence
Miles allegations, he said, were
nothing more than the complaints of
officers and men in the late war 1t
was" he said, "the Generals duty to
present the facts concerning those who
had suffered from a new departure, an
untried experiment. The overwhelm-
ing evidence of over 90 per cert. of the
officers and S5 per cent of the men
showed beyond a reasonable doubt that
the so-called canned roast beef was
not all it should have been
He neither denied nor alleged that
this unfit ration was furnished by de-
sign; only that some one had blundered.
and that the soldier was the sufferer.
The Subsistence Department, without
adequate time, purchased this ration