Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-08

/ WASHINGTON. May S.-By direction
of the president, who approved the find
mgs, Acting Secretary Of War Meikle-
I john made public the report and find
ings Of the military court appointed 10
investigate the charges made by Major
General Miles, commanding the army,
that the beef supplied to the army dur
ing the war with Spain was unit for
/ the use of the troops.
7 Tie conclusion of the court adverse
To further proceedings based uyon the
charges is as follows:
1T has been developed III ;he course
of the inquiry, as reclted III this report,
that III some instances certain lndlyld-
uills failed 10 perform the full measure
OF duty OF to observe the propr1eties
which dignity high military command,
but the court Is of the opinion that the
mere statement Ill the official report of
the facts developed meets the ends of
discipline. and that the interests of the
service will he best subserved if further
proceedings be not taken
There ls more or less criticism of
General Mile, in various parts of the re-
port. Probably the most direct instance
is the one which states that beyond the
criticism of officers found elsewhere is
tnc report:
The court finds that against none of
the officers commanding corps, dlvi-
SONS, prIgld.s and regiments and their
staff officers should a charge of guilt be
brought.
The court also finds that the major
general commanding the army had no
sufficient justification for alleging that
the refrigerated beef was embalmed or
was unit for issue to troops. 1t also
finds that he committed AN error i'll that
having belief or knowledge as claimed
that the food was unfit, that it caused
sickness and distress, that some of it
was supplied under the pretense of eX-
pertinent that other beef was en-
balmed. he did not Immediately rerort
such knowledge or belief to the secre-
tary of war to the end that a proper
remedy might be promptly applied"
The cenSure of Colonel MauS, III
spector general on General Miles staff
is based upon his failure to call atten-
ton TO charges concerning the beef at
Chickamauga contained i'll Il report of
inspection made by Dr. Tor Major) DAILY
on Oct. % last, i'll which he stated his
bt1lt1 tlIslt tilt DtCI was
treated.
The silence of Colonel Maus, says
the court, ION so important matter as
the chemicafized beef reported by Major
Daily and personally known to himself,
is most remarkable The remark is
also made that General Miles failure to
draw special attention to this report is
unexplained.
4 (,nnArt1 Ni1acf +ne-
timony that he had first formed the
opinion last August that the refrigerated
beef had been processed, the court re-
marks:
Nv hatevcr the date upon which he
formed belief. or reasonable suspi-
cion, that the health of the troops was
being impaired by the use of deletefious
food, it was his bounden duty. i'll the
opinion of the court, instantly to take
the most effective measures within his
control to ascertain the actual fact and
10 correct the wrong, if amy should be
found. 1t would have been practicable
to obtain samples of the beef then being
supplied to the army by contractors and
to have submitted these samples to
chemical examination which would
have resulted III the detection of the
presence or absence of bOric and salicy-
lie acids, or any other chemical agent
that may have been used as Il preserva-
tive agent. Yet no such precaution as
that suggested was taken by the major
general commanding at that time, or at
amy subsequent time so'far lis has been
learned by the court.
1.-The court finds that the allegations
Of the major general commanding to
the effect that the refrigerated beef
supplied to the troops was treated with
chemical preservatives have not been
established. The court also finds that
50 much of the allegations of the major
general commanding i'll respect to the
canned roast beef, aS relates To its un-
suitability for food, us actually used on
the TRANSPORTS, and aS to its extensive or
long continued use aS field ration are
sustained. In the opinion of the court
none of the other allegations i'll relation
to The canned fresh beef are sustained
The evidence shows that Colonel John
(. Weston, assistant commiSs;uy gen
eritl of subsistence, recommended the !
adoption of the canned roast beef as d
component of the field ration, and TO
this extent he is responsible -
>Ihc report places the quantity of /
Gained roast beef purchased for the
war by the commisSa1y department at
6.Si1.l14 pounds, including 1900 /.
pounds which was brought from Liver
pool and other English ports. This
amount is characterized as excessive,
and the commiss;try general General !
Eagan) is severely criticized i'll several |
parts of the document on this score
one of the severcst rebukeS is as fol- !
lows:
Considering the little use that had .
been made of this beef i'll the regular !
amy, the probability that the volunteers /
were entirely ignorant of il, that its use i
s;t part of the field ration hadnever been !
4.Inctloned 10y the president OF secretary
uf war, the court can but characterize
ths action of the conImiss;lry general of |
subsistence as unwuTanted and reck-
leSS-in that he ordered the purchase of |
such enormous quantities of Il food that |
was practically untried and unknown |
ana the court SO finds: The court also
finds that there is no ground for any
imputation whatever of any other actu- /
ating motive Oh the part of the commits
S;iry general than the earnest desire to .
procure the best possible food for tine .
troops. The court pronounces this act |
of the comniss;Ty general of subsist-
rnce 4 collusll error for which there is |
no palliatiou.
The court finds that there was neglect
IN Cuba and to IL less degree i'll Porto .
Rico i'll delivering the refrigerated beef /
The court, says the report, "does /
not wish to state the case more strongly |
than to say that the finding appears to
be warranted that too much time was
consumed i'll distributing this perishable
article. The fault, if any there was,
rested with the brigade and higher
commanding officers and their commits
SIrieS and nlartcrmasters hut thp testi-