The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-10
WnITEWASn is READY
WAR INQUIRY BOARD HANDS IN IT'S
FINDINGS AND IS
DISSOLVED
ONE MEMBER EXPLAINS 1T
say" 1t LIS Not Whitewash, While
Admitting That 1t ExOnerates the
Administration From Charges
Preferred-Says the Men Who
Complained Got All They Were
Entitled To.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.-The report
or the war investigating commission
is In the hands Of the president and
the commission is dissolved. All of the
members Of the commission, including
the secretary, Mr.. Weightman, and
the recorder, Col. Davis, met by ap-
po1ntment at the White house at Ais
O'Clock this afternoon, and were at
once shown into the cabinet room,
where they were received by the pres
1dent. Gen. Dodge, the chairman of
the commission, presented the report.
and the president receiving it congrat-
ulated the commissioners on the COM
pletion of their task
Seated around the cabinet room the
members went over their work in a
general way, and at the request of
the president read portions of their re-
Fort, Which covered certain points in
which he had expressed an interest.
The conference lasted about an hour
and half, and as the commissioners
were about to leave the president stat
ed that he was satisfied that each mem
Der had done his whole duty He him
self had rendered every assistance pos
sible, and said that they would bear
witness that he had not sought to in
fuence them in any manner or in the
slightest degree
Gen. Dodge, chairman of the COM
mission. leaves tonight for New York:
Col. Charles DENLY leaves tonight or
tomorrow for his home in Evansville
Ind, and will sail from San Francisco
on the 21st inst. for the Philippines
to join his associate members of the
Phillppine commission; Col. Cook goes
TO FORTRESS Munro to Join his family
now there; eX-GOv. Beaver leaves to-
night for his home in Pennsylvania:
ex-Gov. Woodbury. goes with Mrs
woodbury. on pleasure trip through
the South for few weeks. then re-
turning to his home in Vermont. about
April l: Capt. Howell will shortly re-
turn to Georgia, and DR.. Conner re-
turns at once to his home: Gen. VIII
son Will resume his duties as chief of
engineers.
WHITEWA AN UGLY WORD.
In speaking of the report today to a.
Star reporter prominent member Of
the commission said:
The report does not whitewash. It
cr1t1c1ses, but not persons or things
not warranted by the evidence before
US. We started out with the assump-
ton that the conduct of the war was
all right, and then we went ahead to
hear and call witnesses who said it
was not The report represents the
honest opinion of every member of the
commission. We were unanimous In
adopting it. I say this and 1 am of
the opposite political faith and do not
expect and do not want anything from
the administration. I know that every
line of the report represents NV in
dividual view. and If any member
tried harder than 1 did to get at and
out all the facts, I have yet to see
MIN. There was no suppression or
cOncealment, and no point brought out
In the evidence was evaded or gloss
ed over. We never met before hearing
a witness and agreed not to examine
which might turn OUT unfavora bly,.
Everything a man knew or thought he
knew was the subject of inquiry. and
l am satisfied that when the country
gets our report in full that there will
be no complaint, either as to our meth
DDS or results. The president never
saw a line of our report before he re-
ceived it officially; not a single word
Nor, indeed, has he ever talked with
any OF the commission about It,. He
has never in any way, by word or ac-
ftion,7 or messenger, 4evinced a WISH to
have us develop anything but the
truth or even touched upon the matter
of our work. We have questioned more
than 500 witnesses, and the majority
- AA%@A oOShC Colilplai1lL IlldC CnSy
wanted to relate. In mo instance can
1t be proved that we have omitted to
call any witness who has been brought
to our attention as having important
facts to disclose. But had we desired
to 'whitewash' the administration. we
could have had 5000 witnesses who
could have truthfully testified that the
conduct Of the war was all right.
SOME EVIL ADMITTED.
"Of course there were some evils. but
they were to be expected. The soldiers
In the Civil war never had hospitals
or medical attendance as good as were
given them in the war with Spain.
And their army ration then was not as
eatable as 1t Is now. The men who
complained the most of the food we
found were very generally the militia
men from the interiors of states. and
who had been allowed 81 per mead for
subsistence stores while they were in
state camps. When they went into
active fighting they expected the same
sort OF thing. In questioning these
men nearly all confessed to us that
they had always received the army
ration. They had no right to expect
any more. I can tell some very anus
ing stories to illustrate this There
were many complaints brought to us
that on their face were foolish and
false. but we went to every trouble and
expense. to inquire into every genuine