The evening times., 1899-05-08
TIE BEEF COURTS FINDINGS.
Some Editorial 0piaioas COncernins
q the ReDOFf.

N9C "SVOEas
New York, May Accommodating on the
report of the Beef Court Of Enquiry. under
the caption "An Ocean of Whitewash." the
journal" says. editorially:
From beginning to end 1t is bold ef-
fort to whitewash the Commissary De-
partment. accuse Alger, and give the Chi
cago beef contractors a certificate Of char
acter. General Miles is sacrificed to the
political necessities of the Mckinley Ad-
ministration. Although he sold NO beef.
shared in NO contracts. and had nothing to
do with the Commissary Department. he is
censured by this remarkable Court Of En-
quiry. which pronounced the beef sound
and nutritious when 1t was purchased.
and charges all the decayed and poisonous
beef up to the climate OF Cuba.
'.All the whitewashing reports that the
friends of Mr.. Mckinley might frame from
now until doomsday could not hide the
stain on Alger or wipe out the crimes OF
the Commissary Department, In league
with the rascaliy beef contractors. against
our soldiers. The truth is that the peo-
pie have no interest in anything the Court
of Enquiry may say about the beef scan
dal. They have read the testimony In the
newspapers, and they have made up their
minds as to where the responsibility rests.
Not one person out Of thousand will
agree with the Court of Enquiry in its
condemnation of General Miles. The pub
lie has confidence in his integrity. and no
faith whatever in the sincerity or honesty
of his accusers.
This report, no doubt. will give great
personal satisfaction TO the President and
his Secretary OF war. II was planned to
do that very thing But 1t will make no
votes for Mr.. Mckinley and will not
change the verdict OF the public which Is
adverse to Alger. Eagan, and the Beef
Trust.
General Miles has nothing to regret.
He has done his duty fearlessly. He has
won a moral victory that cannot be tar
nished by the report of court organized
to save the Administration from the con-
sequences Of its blunders.'
The World" commenting on the same
subject. says:
"It is safe to say that the report of the
Wade Court upon army beef, which is pub
lisbed this morning. will satisfy no hon.
est mind. Its findings are utterly out OF
accord with the facts as brought out In
the already published testimony. 1t is in
spired from beginning to end by a mani
testify preconceived purpose to shield Alger.
who permitted the wrong; to excuse Eagan,
who perpetrated 1t. and to give an unde-
served certificate OF good behavior to the
greedy and INSCRIPTIONS meat packers
who sold innutritious and nauseating stuff
to the Government, knowing. as they must.
its unfitness for the soldiers use.
THE Court dismisses the embalmed bee
charge as not sustained though the tes-
timony in its support was convincing. II
admits. but minimizes, the unfftness Of
the wretched messes sold to the Govern
ment and issued to the troops as canned
roast beef" 1t gently chides Eagan for
- -.oI nI
sharply censures General Miles and his
subordinates for not reporting its char
acter earlier than they did. 1t affirma-
lively acquits the packers of all blame. and
declares that the meats supplied by them
for army uses were the same in quality
as those which they sell to the public-a
statement which everybody who has read
the evidence knows to be untrue. In
brief, the findings are fagrantly and scan
dalously contrary to the proved facts
The Herald satisfies itself with print
ing on its editorial page simple sum-
mary Of the Beef Courts findings. labeled
"Algerine Whitewash."
Baltimore. May S.-The SUM- com
menting on the report of the Beef Court
of Enquiry. says:
'The report will be regarded by most
people as a very neat piece OF whitewash-
ing. The Court finds that General Miles
Gals to preserve refrigerated beef are not
sustained; that the General was without
sufficient justification in making such
charges. and that he committed an error
in that, having belief or knowledge, as
claimed, that the food was unfit
he did not Immediately report such knowl
edge or belief to the Secretary of War
Colonel Maus. inspector general on Cen
eral Miles staff. is also censured for the
same reasons. and General Miles is further
criticised for not taking the most effective
measures within his control to ascertain
the facts as soon as he suspected that the
health of the troops was being impaired
by deleterious food. This censure is con-
veyed in gentle phrases. but il is designed
to put General Miles in the wrong, and
Will be as effective more severe con-
demnation if the General accepts it with
out protest.
The Court does admit one count in Cen
eral Miles Indictment. that the canned
roast beef was not suitable ration for
continued use, especially in the climate of
Cuba. But the Court offsets this concession
by giving a certificate of character to the
contractors and denying that the canned
roast beef was bad intrinsically. The beef
is referred TO as an article OF standard
quality before the war. and the Court ex-
presses the opinion that the methods of
preparing it did not undergo any change
during the war. The report, OF course
would not be complete without censure OF
former Commissary General Eagan. and he
is condemned for his 'unwarranted and
reckless action in buying millions OF
pounds of canned meat which. while good
enough in itself. was not suitable ration.
''The Court has applied its whitewash
with great discrimination. but those who
have read the evidence will not be able to
endorse all its conclusions. A large num-
Der of army officers are on record as de-
the army beef in terms which
justified different finding by the Court
1t now remains to be seen whether General
Miles will be willing to accept its censure
without protest"