The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-05-13
being made IN every case by officers Of his
department in the usual manner.


Replying specifically TO other questions
set out by the President the court SAYS:
That the refrigerated beef furnished the
army was mot doctored or treated with
any other agency than cold air.
That. barring some defects In methods of
inspecting the beef on its delivery to the
subsistence department. the deterioration Of
the meat In shipment was due to the fault
of no one.
Evidence of the Chemists.
Summing mp the results of the investi-
cations of the chemists employed by the
court the court says:
The contents OF all the cases, which con-
sisted OF boiled rather than roast beef, were
in every case. No trace Of preservative
acids was found in any of the cans.
There Is no testimony to the effect that
any of the canned fresh beef supplied to the
subsistence department since April %. 1898,
has been chemically treated or subjected to
the action of preservatives of any kind, save
as small quantities of common salt have
been added as seasoning to the product of
certain packers
Several pages of the report are devoted
10 the consideration of the allegation
made by Gen. Miles that the refrigerated
beef was treated with preservatives, but
the statement is made upon the threshold
of this question that but little testi-
mony was submitted by him in support of
this contention" The inference drawn
by the court from the absence Of such
testimony Is adverse to the existence OF
the practice alleged to prevail by the ma
jOr general commanding
The Powell Process.
Referring to this and to another Incl
dent. the court says:
The testimony shows that the beef treat ed
by the Powell process. which was declared
by DIR. Daily to contain boric and salicylic
acids was, In fact, treated by fumigation
and the materials employed contained
neither bOriC nor saiicyliC acid.
\ chapter Of the report is devoted to
the consideration of She cause of the sick
ness in the army in the Santiago cam
paign, but 'the court finds it impossible
to conclude that either the canned fresh
beef or refrigerated beef appeared to any
apprecia BILE extent as causes of intestinal
disease"
Speaking of the ration as a whole the
court says:
AS to the effects of the food supply, hav-
ing regard to both sufficiency and quality,
it seems to be clearly established that the
army ration rs supplied, without modlhca-
tion, to the troops serving in the West In
dies was by no means we'll adapted for use
in tropical climate.
The report closes with the following
statement:
The court, with deep sense Of the re-
sponShiitties devolving upon 1t, has labored
ZealOuSly to bring out the truth and believes
that 1t has fully covered all the matters re-
ferred to it for investigation. That the
number suggested by the major general
commanding. including all those who have
taken part in the operations or the war,
would only have resulted in additional teSti-
mony on the same lines as those pursued,
without throwing further light upon the
questions involved. Several wit Illnesses VINO
were duly subpoeuaed to appear before the
court did not obey the summons. Some OF
these were called ut the instance OF the
MAJ iOr general commanding. others az me
instance of the court. Having kho"leuse
of the fact that the statutes did not make
II POSSIBLE TO punish witnesses VINO refuse
to testify before Il Court-martial or court
of inquiry. the court took no steps TO com
pei their attendance.
The document is signed by 7. +. Wade,
major general United States volunteers,
president: George i. Davis. lieutenant
colonel, deputy judge-advocate general,
recorder.
The foregoing report having been sub
mitted with the proceedings to the Iresl-
dent, the following are the orders there
on:
Executive Mansion washington, n. c.,
Nav 6, 1S9a-The finds of the court OF IN
quiry approved. WILLIAM M'kINLEf.
The court OF inquiry. of which Mai. Gen.
James II. Wade. United States volunteers,
is president, is hereby dissolved. BY order
OF the acting secretary Of war.
II. c. CORBIN, Adjutant General.
Miles Makes No Comment.
Gen Miles when asked last night
whether he had any comment tomake upon
the beef report replied that he had read
it. But have nothing to say he add
ed. "either about the report, the method
of testimony or the conclusions reached y
Does that mean that so far as you are
concerned YOU viii let the matter rest
where the report leaves itF' asked the
reporter.