New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-25
LEE SUMS UP FOR MILES.
HE CONTENDS THAT THE GENERALS
CHARGES HAVE BEEN AMPLY PROVED
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE BEEF COURT
ANALYZED-LAsT OPEN SESSION HELD

TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE BEEF COURT
ANALYzED-LAsT OPEN SESSION HELD
PREPARING THE REPORT
Washington. April 24-Major Lee. who has
represented General Miles before the Beef Court
OF Inquiry. made his closing address to the
Court this afternoon. He presented long argyll
ment which reviewed the causes that led to the
beef investigation. analysed the mass OF testi-
mony adduced. and closed by asserting that the
charges with regard 10 the quality OF the beef
had been abundantly sustained Prefacing his
argument. Major Lee said:
l may be permitted to remark that have not APP
As the counsel OF the Major-ceneral Commanding
BY soe tf he naafy
for the OF s cGT
or imputations against the Major General com
sensations OF his officers and soldiers to improper
food az TO investigate their merits. then the roe u
eDce BETWEEN the eoart and the
commanding shows quite clearly the extent ItI 10
the purpose being to present and elicit evidence
pertinent to the inquiry His allegations are moth,
TO his officiai knowledge by the officers and men OF
the Army who participated in active service curing
the recent war.
Major Lee said that the Major-General COM
manding the Army was obliged by his position
to institute searching inquiry into the aliega-
lions concerning the food supplied TO the
troops He then referred TO that superb little
army which embarked from Tampa last June
for the invasion Of Cuba, and won imperishabe
renown," adding that in less than nine weeks
the remaining part Of 1t returned to the
United States "a pitiable wreck in body ana
mind" No one, ne said. charged that any one
rfic RI ofr vya m
1.-The overwhelming evidence Of. we believe, not
less than 90 per cent of the officers and fully
% per cent of the men shows beyond reasonable
doubt that the so-called canned roast beef, as
a meat ration. was all that It should not have
been and nothing that II should have been, Tor
the American soldier. who was for humanitys
sake perilling his life in a torrid CLINE In the
interest Of an oppressed people. We neither al
lege nor charge that there was any intent or
design on the part of any officer OF the Army TO
furnish bad or unfit ration; but the evidence
the unimpcachable evidence-of regiment ana
company commanders representing pracucaiiy
every soldier there shows that an irreparaoie
mistake had been made, that some one had
blundered and that the soldier became the
sufferer"
RESPONSIBILITY PUT HIGHER THAN
EAGAN.
He contended that the canned roast beef had
been adopted as ration without adequate or
proper test the sole test being a single case
sent to Tampa and cooked with vegetables and
condiments. This experiment" he said, was
at the instance of distinguished officer az the
Subsistence Department. The error was an
honest OF judgment, caused. perhaps In
some measure by the pressure of his duties;
but the adoption OF this canned roast beef as
material component OF the meat ration in place
OF fresh beef was a responsibility belonging to
higher authority"
Major Lee declared that some of the inspec-
lions were so perfunctory that canned meats
were accepted on the reputation Of the packing
firms. Since when" he asked. have gigantic
corporations and trusts become exempt from
that close scrutiny that would be applied to
dealer OF moderate means?"
He then took up the question Of refrigerated
beef. and said:
beef was undertaken another experiment
and novel in the extreme OF attempting to supply
Grated et beef The methods which had in all prev-
been fully tested and of approved eff
cheney discarded for this hitherto untried ex-
pertinent. Various proposals were asked for. and
among them one STIMULATING that the refrigerated
beef should keep seventy-two hours after Issue
delivery TO the Army AS represented by cor
respondence and testified to by witnesses, this
experienced men as impossible Of satisfactory full
flment; pressrvatiye process In addition to
anda discussing the subject with General Eagan.
the Nommissary- General Of Subsistence. four wit
strong-ail testified in effect that the Commssary-
General stated that the refrigerated people had
special process for preserving meat, and that one
process was being tested at Tampa. Fla.
Major Lee quoted testimony to the effect that
General Eagan had said Armour & Co. and
Swift & Co had knowledge of a preserving
process. and continued:
All this transpired before the opening OF the bids
June 3. and shows clearly that preservatlve
process was then under favorable consideration
Armour & Co.'S bid. as shown by their attorney
letter of June Is (withdrawn from the files about
June 49, involved the ownership and use OF the
process test they based their claim or appear
for the award Of the contract-though not tne
lowest bidder In Endorsement on that letter
by the Commssary General to the Honorable Sec
rotary OF War. justifying the award to the loves,
the only tests that have been made, etc.-this APP
parently with direct reference to Swift Co BID
as shown by the context and subsequent award 10
Swift Co.
USE OF PREsERVATIvEs.
Major Lee dwet at length on the question as
to whether personalities had been used on the
beef and quoted from the testimony bearing
on that point particularly that OF DR.. W. II.
all doubt by competent and trustworthy testi-
mony that the beef furnished to the troops In
Florida had been subjected to some process TO
insure it's keeping the specified contract time.
He then said:
II must be clear that a secret chemical process
rAl4e Cfrtal1g MO he nd