The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-25
.ARMYBEEF INQUIRY.
Last Open Session of the Court Eeld--
 RepOrt Excluded.


 1 Washington, April 24.-The Wade
 court of inquiry appointed to investi- l gate the allegations made by Major General Miles in his testimony before l the war Investigating commission con- corning the meat furnished the army during the late war with Spain, held it's last open session to-day and is now en- gagged upon the preparation Of it's re- port. The court has been in session al- l most ten weeks, sessions having been
 held in Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas
 City to afford the members of the com
 mittee ali opportunity personally to in-
 spect the canning and preserving pro-
 cesses of the packing houses. Several hundred witnesses have been examined,
 most of whom have been officers and enlisted men in the regular and volun- teer service This morning the court decided not to accept a report made by Lieutenant Colonel Darlington of the inspector generals office. This report had been transmitted to General Miles through Inspector General Brecken- ridge. The report of Colonel Darlington covers about eighty typewriter pages and gees exhaustively into the reports made by officers and men without draw ing any general conclusion. The board in explanation of it's refusal to accept this report in evidence gave out the fol- lowing statement:
 '"The report of the investigation con- ducted by Lieutenant Colonel Garling- ton, inspector general, under the orders of the major general commanding, con- tains the result of an inquiry carried on for the most part at the same time and in the same places as that entrusted to this court by the president. During the progress of the investigation Colonel Darlington has submitted the names of witnesses, and from time to time has suggested subjects of inquiry, all of which have been fully considered by the court. The reports which were fur nished him by officers of the army have already been read and submitted as evil dence. In view of these facts, and as it does not appear that Colonel Gar lington had any other or better means of information than were accessible to the court at every stage of its inquiry, it is ordered that the report be not re- ceived in evidence
 At the afternoon session Major Lee, 1 who has been Major General Miles rep resentative before the board, summed up his side of the case. Recorder Davis read the reports from General Brecken- ridge and his subordinates, Major Meade and Lieutenant Colonel Garling- ton, as to the result of their individual ! work and observations General Breck- enrldge condemned the canned beef ra- tion, and, speaking generally, said that | while the army ration fulfilled all the | scientific requirements as to good val- | ues, it's component parts should be | changed to meet the new conditions of | service As the ration was fixed by law this was matter for congress to rem edy. He also suggested that articles required by sick and convalescent sol diers should be added. Major Meade's report was mainly devoted to the lack of certain camp equipment among cer- tain regiments, and that of Colonel Gar lington as to the result of his inspec- ton of the various camps of the coun- try.
 The court then decided that if any of the dispositions for which General Miles has called should be called prior to the of the report of the board, they should be admitted as evidence, subject to the boards limitations. Ma jor Lee then summed up the case, dis claiming at the outset that he was act ng as counsel for Major General Miles n technical sense, and adding that he lad been there simply to present and elicit evidence. He read his argument rom manuscript and was given careful attention by the three members of the ,ourt and the recorder, no one else being . present. except the representatives of the press. His argument consumed about ln hour and when he concluded with the tatement that the members of the board must decide whether the great raud and great crime which he be- ieved had been committed should be arried before the courts, Recorder Da- 'is arose and said simply: II submit he case to the board without argu- nent"