New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-13

n
degree his scsndalous libellous. malicious false
hood viz: That this beef or anything whatever
was furnished the Army under pretence OF eX-
pertinent"
MORE VIOLENT LANGUAGE
General Pagan referred TO the published inter-
views of General Miles and correspondence between
them as to their authenticity General Miles MAKING
nor. cornmitai reply. and the witness then saio
when a man refuses to deny a libel or 1aisehood
or n statement attributed TO him 1t IL Wen hho" !"
{ that he assumes the matter When he aVoios 'n'
question the suppostion is that he cannot deny H.
MY question Is not answered yet. He has not yet
denied the interview published In Tnc Ne"-ioA
Journal dated December q. 1888, and having re-
fused 10 distinctly deny It he should De heid 10 'ne
! strictest accountability for 1t. II he mace these
statements AZ set forth then. then Ne lied again.
and II he made the statement that pretence Is inc
precise term to be used ne said them referrins
10 the experiment. then he lied with as black
heart as the man who blew up the Maine pos
sesscd and he deserves to be characterized anu
, known 10 America and Europe. where his state
rents have gone as being the colossal prod'eious
liar Of the nineteenth century. submit 10 'n's
committee and to the whole country thst 'h's NC
count Of an interview with him in The New-fork
Journal going uncontradicted. undenied. ana wneh
the opportunity was given him. refusai 10 oeny
Il in terms places upon him the onus ana RESPONSE
bl,ty for the statements In that interview. which
q
ed falsehoods vile and slanderous: 70 slanderous
that II can only he called filth submit to this
Commission and TO the country at large whether II
is the characteristic Of an honorable man 10 permit
such statements as made In this alleged inter-
view with General Miles in The New-York Jour-
nal dated December g. 1898. TO go uncontranicten'
~ untrue and whether not 1t Is not the hrst
duty Of a gentleman. an honest man, an honoraoie
man. TO deny such base fasehoods as are TO be
found in the article refer to. II they were not
made by him.
This interview headed as follows:
miles makes grave charges against the Admins
tration Posons used In beef made the soldiers ILL.,
Tons OF bad meat sent to troops In Porto RICO
DENIES THAT HE WAS REPRIMANDED
Continuing, General Eagan said:
When was Commissary- General in May last
General Miles had already selected for his STAFF
as chief commissary OF the abest commissioners
of the Regular Army. Major II. b. Osgood Judge
of my surprise when one day General Iiimore' t"e
adjutant general for General Miles. told me II was
General Miless wish to have Major John d. bacK
recently appointed from civil life as volunteer
commissary, made his commssary on MS star" !
expressed my surprise that the senior ofhcer OF
the Army should so select n volunteer officer total
~ devoid of experience In the Subsistence Depart
ment and therefore incompetent for such an I'M
portant duty. Shortly after. and about June "
General Miles a very ordinary. commonplace
telegram to the Adjutant-General at Washington
inouring what subsistence stores the Subsistence
Department had at Tampa and somewhere eIse
some such similar inquiries 10 the Quartermaster-
General and the Chief Of Ordnance l made Tor
NAL written reply to this, and to my amazement
the next morning saw 1t published in the press
OF the country that General Miles had sent. or had
found IT necessary to send serious reprhand 10
the Quartermaste General. the Commissary-Genera
and the Chief OF Ordnance for conditions fhat lie
found there No such reprimand was ever received
and General Miles has no authority In MS commas
sion or his position under the law or regulations
TO send reprmands TO me. This unconuadic'eo
story of reprimand to the heads OF three OF
the most important departments Of the Army aided
as much as anything IN exciting the yellow journal
press the knaves of so-caed Journalism 10 Iai ass
vilify and libel the conscientious. apie ana haru-
working officers on duty In Washington since ask
ing that an investigation be made to learn VINO
gave out this garbled and alleged reprmand l
have instituted inquiries to find my requests WIN
the newspaper clipping inclosed Ine Ao'u'an'
Generals Department has reported the'r inaoi'y
to And it,
General Eagan. referring to newspaper attacks.
asserted that the Secretary OF War had nothng
whatever to do with the furnishing OF refrigerated
meats or timed meats. Nor had he attempted 10
coatro the contracts awards or purchases ana III
heated language he attacked three Ne"-iorh
newspapers and their editors and propretors' who'
he said should be indicted and tried for treason 10
fort and information TO the public enemy TOT the
sole purposes OF gain
"Were l a man Of wealth or means, ne deciareu'
81 would take this subject up myself wouio put
journalistic knaves purloners Of the secrets OF the
Government, behind the bars. where they belong
ATTACKS THE INsPECToR-GENERAL.
General Eagan made vigorous attack on inc
Inspector Generals department In connection with
this investigation. He asked why these inspections
were not made while the armies were In the heIo'
where were the officers of this department. lie
said the principal officers OF the department took
other posi,ions and let the inspections OF the
Army which were never needed so much as IN the
war. go, so far as they were concerned LOT per
sonal ACKNOWLEDGMENT, as we know they LOOK
volunteer rank with increased pay, and now AT this
late day We find this department suddenly ehdea'-
oring TO get ex parte Views OF people In manner
no. authorized by the Secretary OF Wharf.-The proper
authority-about things that are passed
1.-THE senior Major-General of the Army and the
Inspector-Genera of the Army" he continued. DO
not seem to be content or satisfied that win per-
feet propriety and within the law. and as contem-
plated by regulations, samples OF everything lur-
nisbed the Army now in existence can be obtained.
examined analysed and every statement Tor or
against the food furnished verified. This Is enough
have not felt at liberty to object TO this methoo
Of procedure for the reason that my objection
bovcver we'll founded. however well based on law
and regulation / feared would be given TO the
world as an evidence that and my Department
feared ar inspection. and this, too, when and while
and the whole Department courted IT: but we did
no, court ex parte reports MADE at the instigatoh
Of people well known TO be hostile-parties whose
octions already and whose statements here before
your committee show but too plainly what animus
is behind 1t all"
Referring to Inspector General Breckinridgcs In
yestlgation. General Eagan pointed out various re-
rorts OF offccrs that have been published ana
Quoted a telegram he received on January from
1,,,,.r.,t Colonel A. J.. Smith, depot quarter
master at Havana. as follows;
Commissary General. Washington:
Guild Inspector Seventh Corps. ordered ny
pracLinr,dee TO inspect and report on all meat and
reonest samples I will without further instruc-
lions decline to recognize Brecknridges authority
~, viii personally show all stores desired unoffl-