The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-14
COLONEL WOOD TEsTIFIEs.
Says People Who Complain Are of No
Consequence.

Washington, Jan. 13-Brigadier GEN
eral Leonard a Wood was the star
witness before the war Investigating
commission today. His testimony bore
on general conditions il the island, and
he opened with the general statement
that never in the history of any cOun-
try had their been SO successful a cam
paign with 50 small loss Of life. He
praised the quality Of the much-talked-
of beef furnished the army, and said
that, except for some cans that were
tainted and consequently promptly
thrown away, the beef was Of a good
quality, and he himself had used the
meat, both in the war and his own
family. The success Of the Cuban
campaign, said General Wood, was sim
ply phenomenal. The campaign was
very rapid, and perhaps the extraordi-
nary success was due in large measure
to this fact. The Spaniards, he ex-
planned, We're whipped so quickly every
time that they were almost paralyzed
and daZed. AS to the beef he had never
noticed anything bad. and said the
great trouble was the ignorance and SUI
perstition of the men. The average
soldier, he asserted, does not regard
matured meat with any favor AS to
the refrigerated beef used during the
campaign, he explained that il was
gotten in tremendously hot weather.
The beef was unlcaded in good condi-
ton, was taken out CT the Refrigerator
at night. owing to the cold air then, and
was gotten ashore by daybreak. Mean
time there would be a shower, followed
by the sun coming out in intense force,
and by the time it reached the camp it
would be about o'clock in the after
noon. 1t ea.lan that night it would be
all right. The United States forces at
Santiago had unlimited ratioas, as the
Spaniards left the city full of food. The
popular idea that Santiago was devoid
of food and the Spaniards surrendered
because they were starving, he said,
was not true
plant made of conditions during the
campaign from anybody who amounted
to anything; certainly none from the
old soldiers.
Major George W. Ruthers, commits
sary of subsistence, testified as to the
conditions of the beef furnished the
army. He said the quality of the beef
was as good as could be expected.
Major James ". Arrowsmith, a depot
cCmmissary at Chickamauga, testified
that there was nothing bad in the beef
supplies, and that he had heard of no
intimation Of chemical treatment until
Colonel MauS CT General Miles staff
had asked him if he had ever noticed
any Indication OF it.
The commission held no afternoon
session. It is now expected that the
taking of testimony, except that of Sur
geon Daily, the author Of the most Wig
CrOus reports on chemical beaf treat
menE," submitted by General Miles to
the commission, viii be Concluded by
the middle Of next week. Mr.. DAILY IS i'll
and his testimony will be taken later.
No suggestion has been made yet that
General Miles will be called as a Sc
quence to the bitter attack made on
him yesterday though assurance was
given today that the commission will
hear him should he ask to be heard.
1t was stated today as very likely
that the commission viii have framed
and completed its report and concluded
its investigation in about a fortnight
from next Monday.