The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-31
Gen. Miles and "Embalmed Beef"

On the 9TH OF last November Maior-Gen.
MILES made his annual report to the Sccre-
tary of War, and with it submitted the re-
ports of the general officers in charge Of
the military operations during the war,
commanders of corps and departments,
and their subordinate officers, numbering in
all 262 reports and filling 676 octave pages.
Gen. MILES details the various plans OF cam
paign proposed by him, which, fortunately,
were rejected by the President, and de-
scribes with much particularly his own
campaign in Porto Rico, pursued against
trifling opposition, the whole number of
casualties from July % to Aug. 10 having
been three killed and forty wounded.
Throughout the t~hirty-eight octavOpag
OF his W report specifically, Gen. MILES
makes no complaint. NJ criticism and no
suggestion whatever as to the supply de-
partment Of tho army. Indirectly he con-
veys only praise, for he describes move
ments and operations which were uniformly
successful, and could not nave been SUCCESS
ful If the task OF the Subsistence Depart
ment had not been performed efficiently and
with promptncss, II the food supplied had
not been good and sufficient. He makes no
reference of any kind, direct or indirect, to
any defect or inferiority of tho meat sup
plies, has not a word to say about Gem
balmed beef" or canned beef. He makes no
mention OF any detection by him or by any
officer under him of any such fault or OF
any fault of any kind or Of any complaint
or any, yet he describes with minutcncss
the occurrences and all the proceedings ut
the very time when, according to his tcs-
timony before the Presidents commission,
he had discovered the "embalmed beef"
outrage. Tho reports OF officers serving in
Porto Rico at that time fill many pages,
but none OF them makes tho slightest ref
erence to the beef ration, much less any
complaint OF it.
Nor is there any reference to the subject
In the reports OF the Generals or other Off
GERS serving in Cuba. the Philippines, or
at home camps, though they are numer-
Gus and minute, except that in the reports
OF the 1nspcctor-Gencral and his subordi-
mates the subject is very briefly and casu-
ally touched upon in three Instances. Tho
three and only criticisms OF tho beef ra-
ton we find In his huge volume fill, all
told, a few lines merely. Lieut. Col.
GARLINGTON of the Inspcctor-Gcneral's de-
partment, Oct. /, speaking of the travel ra-
ton OF troops transported to Cuba, inciden-
tally says that the canned roast beef fur
nished wasunpalatable n unsightly," and
then dismisses the subject. Inspector-Gcn-
eral BRECKINRIDGE crit!cises "the travel
ration, as now constituted, asnot altogether
suited to use by soldiers travelling on the
sea, or even for long journeys on land" and
he adds The roast beef furnished is I'M
slightly and soon unpalatablc, and it some
times becomes repulsive in the tropics 10
the average man. 1t would be well to con-
suit the naval food list In the preparation
of "A travel ration for use Onthe TRANSPORTS"
The canned roast beef, however, Is a part OF
the navy ration. In opposition to that re-
port is his reference elsewhere of "canncd
roast beef probably brawn-a most well
come addition to the aimed corned beef
and beans to which the men were pre-
viously confined"
Communication of The commissary supplies
is frequent on the part OF both limo officers
and officers OF the Inspector-Gcneral's Do
partnlent. Here are a few examples:
THE food supply for the soIlierr at ChicEarnaugA
Park was not only abundant, but Of unusually good
quality.
The "trip to Porto Rico was a most successful one.
The subsistence was all that could he asked for. The
army supplies were abundantly sufficient and OF
good quality IHspe :tor- general CARLTON Of First
Army CorpE.
About a week later fresh beef was issued. This
beef was on the contract Of the Swift Packing Com.
pany Of Kansas City. and was Of superior quality"
-THos. NJ. WouDRrFt, .Hdor and Inspector. General.
the Cominissary Department. 50 far as my in.
spections developed. and / have to date inspected |
twenty seven regiments. has done well."-H. j. |
sLocUA. MAJOR and IHJpeetOr-G General. Third Division, |
fIrit Army Corps.
There has been little complaint OF rations since !