The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-20
GETS DOWN
TO BUSINESS.
Court Of Inquiry Appointed to
Find Out
Whether or Not Gen. Miles
Told the Truth
ASSEMBLIES TODAY.
All Members Appear in Full
Dress Uniform.
They Call in a Body on the
President, Miles and Alger.
Gen. Miles is the First Witness
Placed on the Stand.

Washington, Feb. 2O.-The court Of
inquiry to inquire into the beef contro-
versy assembled at the Lemon building
shortly after 10 o'clock this morning,
preparatory to it's first formal session.
Brigadier General George w. Davis and
Colonel George L. Gillespie, members of
the court and Colonel George B. Davis,
recorder and judge advocate were first
to arrive. Major General James F.
Wade, president of the court came later
and at 1885 the court in full dress uni
form proceeded to the White House
where it paid it's respects to the presi-
dent and then to the war department,
where it called upon Secretary Alger
and Major General Miles. Meantime
representatives of the press, who were
assembled and outside were many 9TH
er correspondents and a number of ar
lists specially detailed to attend the in
Quiry.
During the morning several army Of
ficers who are in the city as witnesses
reported to Col. Davis, the recorder, but
remained only a few moments at the
rooms of the court.
The court returned at 1905 from it's
visit of courtesy and after two photog-
apherS had made pictures of the court,
Col. Davis announced readiness to pro-
ceed and read the orders convening the
court and it's instructions.
Following the reading of the order,
which has been published already, Col.
Davis read letter from Adjutant Gen
eral Corbin, in response to a letter from
Gen. Wade, president of the court, ex-
planning more specifically the lines
along which the court was expected to
investigate.
MILES ON THE STAND.
The court was then sworn and Maj.
Gen. Nelson A Miles was presented as
the first witness. He appeared in fa-
tigue uniform and was sworn.
After stating his rank and Office, he
was asked about his statement before
the war commission. He said he made
one and upon Col. Davis submitting a
printed report of that statement Gen.
Miles examined and approved it. Then
he was asked about an alleged interview
which appeared in the New York Jour
nal of December %, whether it repre-
sented completely or in part what he
said.
General Miles read it and said: ''I do
not recall anything in that interview
that had not been given in my testi-
mony, or transmitted in my reports.
You will observe it contains a number
of my declinations to name officers, or
my authorities and refuSalS to answer.
1t must therefore be incorrect in it's
representation
He then commented upon the general
slight inaccuracy of newspaper inter-
views owing to the dependency of writ
erS upon their memories. Hardly a, day
in six months had passed that an inter-
viewer had not applied and because of
the kindness of the press to the army
and especially the enlisted men, he had
endeavored to give them such infOrma-
tion as he thought wise and safe but
never he said, with a view to prejudic-
ing any one against any persons, or de-
partment Finally Gen. Miles said he
did not think the Journal interview rep
resented correctly what was said, be-
cause it's contents should be taken in
connection with all that was said, his
SOn10 points
upon others.
DENIES INTERVIEWS.
Then being asked about an interview
from the New York Herald of Feb
ruary 1, he said: 81 have a letter from
the gentleman, who understand wrote
this, in which he says he is willing to
swear that on that date I declined to
be interviewed, and that, thinking
something had been given out, he had
proceeded to write what he knew were
the facts.''
He then pointed out that the inter-
view was erroneous where it represent
ed him as saying that he had over
whelming evidence that the refr1ger-
ated beef was treated with chemicals.
The fact was that his only evidence was
what was contained in the reports of
officers and statements of men who
claimed that the beef had the odor of
an enbalmed body; that they had seen
fluid injected into the beef and other in
dicatiOnS of chemical treatment He
declared the interview an erroneous
presentation of what he could possibly
have said.
Col. Davis, recurring to the statement
of Gen. Miles before the war commits
sion, asked him what his idea as to
the beef supply of the army was when
the war broke out. Replying, Gen.
Miles said while his attention was oc-
cupied with weightier matters of mobil-
ization, he felt confident that the usage
of a hundred years would be followed
and cattle herds would be shipped to
the army in the tropics and killed there,
Just as they were during the civil war
in the south, in Arizona, Texas and in
Mexico, where it was so hot that
soldier could not sit upon the rocks.
He understood Cuba and Porto Rico
were excellent grass countries and cat
tie could be shipped and kept in prime
cabling the department to send no more
REFRIGERATED beef to Porto Rico, while
he was there, finding it possible to use
beef on the hoof.
FAVORS HOOF BEEF.
General Miles said that he understood
that our troops in Porto Rico were still
being supplied with form of refrigera-
tor beef although the country was as
good a grass country as any in the
world and the cattle there plenty and
Spanish troops drew all their meat sup
ply from this source.
Col. Davis asked if Gen. Miles knew
whether Porto Rico exported any cat
tle Witness said it did to the number
of several thousand and they were fine