New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-13
EAGAN CALLS MILES A LIAR.
THE "EMBALMED BEEF" CHARGES vIo-
LENTLY DENIED.
A BITTER. PERSONAL ATTACK BY THE COMMls
eARY-oENERAL on THE COMMANDING
GENERAL OF THE ARMY.


GENERAL OF THE ARMY.
Washington Jan T. - Con.mssary General
Charles p. Eagan reappeared to-day before the
War Department Investigating Commission to an
swer the charges OF General Nelson A. Miles con-
corning the commssary supplies furnished 20 the
Army in the recent war General Easahs state
ment caused great sensation. and was Regarded
by old Army officers ono OF the most remarkable
attacks made In the history of the service
General Eagan's statement to the Commission was
. bitter personal attack on General Miles so en-
tirely unqualified both as 10 scope and language
that the Commission. on hearing It's conclusion.
ordered brief executive session. after which the
doors we're reopened. the witness was recalled and
business resumed In the usual way.
he subject IN controversy was General Miles's
already famous "cmbalmed beer testimony and
the letters and documents supporting II. General
Miles had charged that the canned and refrigerated
meats sent 10 the Army In Cuba and Porto Rico
were unfit for use that they were preserved by the
use Of chemicals, and that they had been bought
and sent to the Army under pretcnce Of an expert
nent" This statement had angered General
Eagan, and caused him to request 10 be recalled
TO reply 10 General Miles's charges. That his
statements concerning the Commanding General
we're not the result of sudden ouburst OF passion
was clearly shown by the fact that General Eagan
read his remarks from carefully prepared type
written copy
Not the least remarkable phase OF General
Eagan's statement was the language In which IT
was couched. There scarcely phrase that
would not have been characterized as sensational
In an ordinary official utterance.
GENERAL EAGAN'S TESTIMONY.
General Eagan had prepared typewriter state
ment covering his side of the case. and al
lowed TO read it, He referred the fact that Cen
>rsl Miles had refused 10 be sworn and that he
was the only one OF five hundred witnesses who had
90 refused. General Eagan said he himself pre-
ferred to be sworn
General Eagan began by calling attention to Cen
erai Miies's appointment OF Major John d. Black
civilian. as his chief OF STAFF. and said that this
was largely responsible for the trouble that fol-
lowed He said that Major Black had received
5000 before starting for Porto Rico and that ne
had apparently not known enough to provide him.
self with a checkbook and had not left his sigma
ture with the Secretary Of the Treasury nor made
any other preparation for availing himself of the
funds at his command. There were experienced
dsbursng officers In the island who had In the ag-
gregate over 100000 in their possession and yet
General Miles had complained that there were no
paymasters on the island. that the soldiers had
no money with which TO buy food for themselves
General Miles had then called on the Department
10 nut $50 600 more In the hands OF Major Black
and this General Eagan declined 10 DO. putting
$4,000 to Major Blacks credit in New-York
General Eagan charged General Miles directly
with disarrangng and hampering the administra-
ton of the War Department by calling of ofii-
GERS from duty where their presence was aoso-
lutely necessary. This was the case IN taxing
Colonel John Weston away from Cuba TO serve
with the Porto Rcan expedition and In putting
Major A. l.. Smith. very efficient officer assigned
as depot commissary In Porto Rico. at work on
some transport duty" when his services were de-
manded on shore. General Eagan SAID the COM
manding General went clearly outside his power IN
doing this and ntimated that General Miles was
moved 10 do so by the ignorance and inencency OF
-. Mai
10 he the chief commissary oficer on General
Miles's staff.
General Eagan referred to General Miless testi-
mony that he had photographed the Department
from Porto Rico for complete and proper rations
and said that II the Commissary- Generals office
had received any such message he should have con-
edered il the request of very ignorant and Ill
informed person.
CONTINUING General Eagan, referring TO General
Miles's expressed preference for native beef. OF
which he said there plenty asserted there were
no cattle whatever in the neighborhood Of Santiago
The native beef General Miles referred 10 Genera
Eagan characterized as "stags. runts. buls ana
overworked cattle" The use of such animals the
Department would allow. General Easan
quoting General Mes's allegation that In mis- 1udg-
ment there was serious defect In the reirg-
Grated and canned beef. said General Miles would
not say this was anything more than his judgment
Whoever. said General Eagan' "cais IL EN-
balnned beef Is har." Citing the reports submit
charges. General Eagan submitted whether or not
his course Of securing these reports would not be
construed seeking adverse reports.
LIES WILFULLY MALICIoUsLY."
General Miles" he continued. was asked by
your committee how timed fresh beef became a
part Of the Army ration His answer Is: You
had better ask the Secretary Of War the Com
missary- General. l think they can tell you
know il was sent TO the Army as food and the
rretence Is that II sent az an experiment
General Miles. In saying that this food was sent TO
the Army as a pretence for experiment says that
which implies corruption. which ninety mine out OF
every hundred people will understand TO mean cor
ruption. because 1t was "a pretence Of experiment
ne says. not giving credit to me for furnishing
Il as an experiment. but that furnished II under
the 'rretence OF an experiment This Is a serious
charge, and should not be made by any man
lightly nor without ample evidence TO support 1t.
Taking the statement in the sense that was prob
ably intended, the sense that will be accepted by
the country at large the sense that ALREADY the
press almost wholly Of the United States has ac-
cepted-ndecd. some Of that press because OF IL
called for my dismissal from the Army and my
court-martial-I answer that 1t was not furnished
under the pretence Of experiment, nor even as an
experiment. and IL and when General Miles charges
that II was furnished as a pretcnce OF experiment
he lies In his throat he lies I'm his heart. he lies In
every hair OF his head and every pore OF his body;
he lies wilfuy. deliberately Intentionally ana
raliciousy II his statement is true that this
was furnished under 'pretence OF an experiment
then should be drummed out of the Army and in
generated in State prison. II his statement Is
false. as / assert II TO be. then he should be
drummed out OF the service and incarcerated in
prison with other libeers His statement is
scandalous libel rejecting upon the honor OF every
Officer In the Department who has contracted for
or purchased this meat and especially and paricu-
larly on the Commsssry -General-myself
In denouncing General Miles liar when he
makes this statement. l wish TO make II as en-
phatic and as coarse the statement itself
wish 10 force the lie back into his throat. covered
with the contents Of a camp latrine / wish to
brand Il as a falsehood OF whole cloth. without
particle OF truth 10 sustain 1t and unless ne can
1900. h,s statement he should be denounced by