The age-herald., 1899-01-18
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This statement means in effect a charge of disonesty and corruption on the part of the men who furnished it. That is what have to say in regard to calling it em- balmed beef"
 General Eagan says General Miles gives what purports to be the statements of four teen officers expressing dissatisfaction with
 the canned fresh beef.
 General Miles, says he, "does not in- form the investigation commission how he
 obtained them nor he inform the com mission that these acverse reports on this article of food were furnished to the war department for it's information that 1t might
 take proper steps in the matter, if the statements made by the officers quoted by him were correct"
 General Eagan submits that such invita- tions to criticise are apt to procure ad- verse criticisms and would be taken as evil dence of desire for adverse reports. The eInspector-Generals Tn this connection it is proper to say that there is what is known as an inspector generals department in the army whose appropriate duty is when directed by proper authority to examine into the mat
 ter of this kind and make an intelligent,
 responsible report.
 "A report that can be met and refuted if
 it is false: a report that if untrue the au-
 thor can be held duly accountable for a re- port mat would De or value 10 the gov. . ment and guide it in future ppr,1aHee' "
 report or things in existe.-s that can pc examined and tcsteu.
 General Eagan repeats his former state
 ment of thankfulness that this land never
 gave, and never will give thank God the
 purse in addition to the sword to any gen
 eral, and whenever congress permits any
 general be he whomsoever he may to con-
 trol the purse as well as wield the sword, that day the mistake of this country will be made and that day designing men with mill
 tary command and the purse of the United States and the purse of their disposal, may
 set themselves up and do things that this
 country is and always has been afraid to
 do."
 The Alleged Experiment
 As to the presence of 'an experiment" charged by General Miles in connection
 with the timed beef, General Eagan says:
 General Miles in saying that this food was sent to the army as "a prctense for experiment. says that which implies cor ruption, which 99 out of every 100 people
 will understand to mean corruption because
 it was pretense of experiment. he says,
 not even giving credit to me for furnishing
 it as an experiment. This is a serious
 charge. and should not be made by any
 man lightly, nor without ample evidence to support it. Taking the statement in the
 sense that was probably intended, the sense that has been accepted by the press of the
 country-indeed if some of that press call for my dismissal from the army and court martial. answer that it not furnished under the pretense of experiment. nor even
 experiment. In denying this I content my
 self with saying such statements are untrue and unworthy of more emphatic denial
 His statement reflects upon the honor of every officer in the department who has contracted for or purchased this meat and especially and particularly on the commits sary- y-general-myself. .'
 In conclusion, General Eagan declares on oath that the secretary of war had nothing
 whatsoever to do with the furnishing of refrigerated or timed meats, nor has he 1 in manner whatsoever controlled or att tempted to control contracts the awards or purchases of these articles
 General Easan sums up his whole case in conclusion and finishes, hoping that his statement will offset the statements made by General Miles and will in some measure af least, do justice to those that have been wronged."
 No Announcement of Persnnnel
 Contrary to the general expectation no announcement of the personnel of the, Ea- , gan courtmartial was made at the war de- pertinent up to the close of business this
 afternoon.
 General Corbin at the last moment in re- ply to a question said that he had nothing whatever to make public touching the Eagan case Secretary A1ger was absent from the war department all of the after
 noon and just before the close yelephoned
 that he would not return to his office dur ing the day. He spent the morning at the white house and, leaving there just be- fore the cabinet convened, went 50 his house with Adjutant General Corbin and remained there It was supposed that he
 was perhaps arranging some of the details of the coyrt, but this was only guess. The secretary is going to New York as midnight so that unless he acts upon this slatter before his departure there may he (Continued on Sixth Page.) :.