The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-13
Report Of Investigating Com
mittee Made Public.
WAS NO CORRUPTION,
Commission Of Opinion That Beef Was
Not Chemically Treated Miles Criticised
War Department Upheld.

there had not been a deficiency of one
dollar reported on the part of volun-
teer staff officer, and that he wished
to make it a matter of record that in
the distribution of many millions of
dollars during this war, there was as
yet to be made the first charge of de-
falcation against any army officer, reg
ular or volunteer.
Brig. Gen. ]. C. Breckenridge, inspec-
or general, u. S. A., in charge.
The commission finds that the inspec-
tor generals department was not as
efficient as it ought to have been. There
seems to have been question as to the
authority by which inspections were to
be ordered.
The declaration of war threw upon
the quartermaster's department an
amount of labor anr responsibility for
I financially prepared.
/ In spite Of every effort there were &C.
! casions where troops suffered from poor
| tentage or from lack of tentage and alb
sence of straw for bedding, where
clothing was scarce and troops suffered
| discomforts for lack of shoes, shirts
and other articles of apparel. With
some of the troops sent from San Fran
cisco to Manila, the deficiency in shoes
of proper size continued even up to
Aug. 81
AT Santiago the deficiency at the
| front appears to have been caused
from lack of transportation from the
coast than from the lack of clothing
and tentage, a supply OF Which was on
the transports. Great complaint was
made of lack of transportation facili-
ties at the camp at Montauk Point. N.
Y.
Great complaint was made of the
railroad congestion at Tampa, and the
absolute lack of ability to bring order
cut of chaos at that place during the
early part of the period of it's occu-
pancy by troops. The major general
commanding has stated that supplies
for TO- 900 men for 80 days were ordered
there, and the confusion on the rail-
road when he reached Tampa was
great, 1000 cars being Side-tracked
some of them as far back as Columbia,
! S. c.
1.-THE condition of the railroad con-
gestion during the early portion of the
time Tampa was occupied by troops,
seems unparalleled. showing an al
most inexcusable lack of executive
ability on the part of those charged
with the loading, unloading and hand
ling of the trains.
ter's department was for ships to tran
sport 5000 men to Cuba, and that soon
after the call was increased, the de-
mand was made for steamers to trans
port $4,000.
upon loading the vessels concen-
/ trated at Port Tampa, it was found
that their capacity had been largely
overrated, and it was impossible to
carry upon them, without great dis
comfort and danger, more than $1,000
men. with their equipments.
I'm spite of the efforts of the quar-
termaster's department, many of these
vessels were poorly equipped with
sleeping accommodations, the sinks in
many instances were inactive and in
sufficient, and some of the vessels were
; badly ventilated and filled with dis
1 agreeable odors. A sufficient number
of vessels for transporting $4,000 men
with the required lighters for their dis
embarkation, should have been prompt
j Nv furnished, even had such action rem
dered necessary the seizure of every
steamer on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts
sailing under the American flag.
Contracts covering millions of dol
lars were made by the quartermaster's
department during the period between
April / and Oct. l, and although in
definite charges have from time to time
beer made in fraud and collision, nc
evidence has been produced before the
lommlssion to substantiate these
charges, although the parties making
them have been invited to appear.
"The delay in some instances in re-
ceiving medical supplies at Santiago
seems to have been partially due tc
careleee~ oss in loading them on the
transports.
COMM to the lack OF necessary
transports, the means of land trans
nortation during the Santiago cam
paign was painfully deficient
Gen Chaffee testities that on July l
at the battle of Ell Caney, 10 days after
the arrival of the fleet there were nj
ambulances or wagons available anc
that the roads We're so horrible that
thev could not reach the front. He
adds that only filters could have beer
, used for the wounded, but even these
were not on hand as, owing to over
sight. none had been landed.
n Is plainly evident that this army
of II 600 men disembarked In the faot
Of an enemy in a hostile country, anc
rapidly thrown forward against well
armed force, was painfully deficient il
land transportation.
THE commission has carefully inyes
tteated this subject OF the condition
1Tslity and quantity Of the food sup
Sled TO the army. Almost without ex
ception, wherever the troops were or
, dered the rations prescribed by law
,,,are on the transports and at thu
carnns with the soldiers. There was
hnf one occasion that of day in from
~ Santiago, when the troops were Sc,
riously short Of rations; these haC
been supplied but thrown aside wher
the men went into action; the condi
tinn Of the roads and lack of transpor-
tation prevented prompt reissue.
+ AZ times the vegetable ration was no
Of good quality, the potatoes ah0
T,he testimony, with some exceptions
showed that the refrigerated beef ls'
i sned was pure, sound and Wholesome
on the 2fst day of December last, MAJ
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, upon written re-