Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-24

gle case. apparently in good order, was
sent to enc company for trial with pota-
the cooking accessories of complete mess
outfit. at Tampa. This experiment, be It
said. was at the instance of a distinguished
olilreT of the SubSlsterc e department. The
error was an honest one of Judgment, caus-
ed perhaps, in some measure. by the pres
sure of his duties; but the adoption of this
canned roast beef a material component
OF the meat ration in place of fresh beef
was responsibility belonging to higher
authority. Be this as it may, the SUBJ
siStence department. without adequate test
in the hands of troops; without it seems
any proper reference to or consultation
with commanding generals. purcha sed this
Objectionable ration by the millions of
pounds. Probably nearly a million pounds
were sent with that army to Cuba to be is
sued. and it was issued. a travel ration
and as a field ration. and it is pretty clear
ly shown in evidence that after the first at
tempted meal not case of it would have
been taken by regiments if the men on the
firing line had been in Il position to have
insured their ready choice of something
else-bacon or fresh beef. We venture the
assertion that there are enough abandoned
cans around Santiago, left there by the
heroes who charged San Juan Hill and Ell
Caney, to erect monument sacred to the
memory of every packing house in Chicago,
Omaha and Kansas City; and in years to
come the line of march and of battle can
easily be traced by the discarded Helmet
Brand" which did not protect and by the
Prize Winner" which won nothing in the
fight for humanity and ArmOurs Prime
Roast Beef" which was in fact roast"
on the soldier who tried to eat it.
Testimony OF the soldiers.
How. then. did the soldier find it? What
does he swear TO? And he of all men on
earth, must know. Some swelled and We're
thrown away without opening; others Of
fensive to taste and smell, when he tried to
swallow 1t because of sheer hunger, and
even an apparently good can became rot
ten refuse between meals" Has any one
here in Washington tried eating can of
this beef under similar conditions? Has
any one i'll Chicago, Kansas City or New
York tried making a palatabie stew or hash
with appeuzing condiments of a of this
so-cahed prime roast beef that was a
little suspicious? OF the thousands of cans
abandoned as worthless around the heights
of Santiago, have the packing companies
made good one dollar to the government
to the taxpayer. to the soldier? Let them
answer. Of the many cases and cans
thrown overheard at sea and condemned by
boards 81 survey and consigned to the gar
GaSe teams, and thrown into the surf at
montauk, has the subsistence department
hfulcted the packers for the loss to the
United States or to the soldier? Let the
RECORDS answer. Are there any records
fuII ana complete, of spoiled or defective
cans, or are they so adjusted between com
Inissaries and packing companies that there
of 1,al1
delinquences?
Inspections Perfunctory.
what of inspections? Why, it appears in
evidence before this court that some of
these inspections, SO called, We're so per-
IuHctory mat canned meats were accepted
Oh the reputation of the packing firm?"
since "hen nave gigantic corporations and
trusts, doing a business of from $40 ono nnn
"A
that ClCSe scrutiny that would he ann',cd
10 d dtaler OF moderate means? The day
nGs NOT YET come in this land we hope
MnIh Sredt establishments shall be exempt
rom the rules, regulations and laws re-
Huif2nS careful inspection of tbei, nrod,,cts
Whtn purchased for the American soldier
H. IKE the king. they can do no yyrnrp,
ILL@l iet the Agricultural Department with
itH It's hundreds of inspectors from the
packing houses and give them free ccona
LVt rtputaionS sake, and save the naonIe
1HS expense OF looking after those whose
without it. 0-- as vi Gu
According to the Testimony of ono ,,,.o,,.:
n'lt representative of a large packing con-
pdIls NOT 4 can of sO-calIed canned 49,
nFtt was rejected by the purchasing Officer
~ ne army of the United States during the
ltte war, and as far as can nov, h a,1 Ia
l"t Speclhc rejection of more than a few
cans was ever made at the time of nurcbasa
- WIS a1ter the purchase that the com
he
nhIiDnS or pounds had passed .tinto ~,
n1IHs Of receiving officers in the field after
- 70 the troops. that the material
me unhtness for food was discoy-
Ieu' 40 S~eileFs nor nail holes seem to
nave been observed in the packing bonsae
II tEe lime OF purchase. The inspection and
condemnation of over 81. 900 pounds at lack
SuhFIiIe by Lieut.. Col Guild failed To raT,aa1
WHO was the purchasing officer that receiv-
Ell Il as good. On repackinp there nv Ar
mpuf agent hundreds of cans were as q
sanitary measure. burned up in a crema-
tory, and at Kansas CITY nearly pnn ad5i
uOnal cans had become 81 offSnsf,e r.
they mad TO be rejected. This is hut one IL
iGStraIon of what was found cIsewhere-at
Iaflpa. Santiago, Porto Rico Montauk and
Dn me SnEa2eS to and from the West Indies
The testimony shows that every can tbaf
could be gathered from far and near was
unioadtd on the army: that thousands of
NtS'7 from EUROPE were recalled and tha
oId Stock at Staten Island and Locust Point
baltimore, the latter having been in storasre
from TWO TO four years. was received and
rushed forward to meet the demands Man
utacturers ran their establishments almost
night and day to fill the orders, and in
many Instances. this was rushed forward
without the usual inspection"
MAJ Lee then quoted from the Chicago
tribune as to the increase in price of can
ners. showing that there was boom in
cow prices after the big contracts were LEI
by the government, and said that this grade
OF cattle. Gamers. was the cheapest in
tiie mar ret. ne Sdlu tfat from June 4 n
July 20 mot a pound of fresh beef was sup
pied by the subsistence department TO the
troops in Cuba: that the unfftness of the
so-called roast beef and its nauseating and
injurious character are Conclusively shown
by the official reports now before the court
of not less than 80 per cent of about $40
regimental and company officers who were
at the front.
In regard 10 refrigerated beef, he SAYS;
Refrigerated Beef.
Here, again, as in the case of the So
called canned roast beef, was undertaken
another experiment. new and novel in the
extreme, Of attempting to supply an army
in the field in a campaign with refrigerated
beef. The methods which had in all pre-
vious wars been fully tested and of ap-
proved efficiency, were discarded for this
hitherto untried experiment. Various pro-
posals We're asked for. and among them
one STIMULATING that the refrigerated beef
should keep seventy-two hours after issue
or delivery to the army. AS represented by
correspondence and testified to by wit
neSses, this stipulation involved what was
regarded by many experienced men as i'm
possible of satisfactory fulfllment A pre-
servadNe process. in addition to the ordi-
nary refrigeration. seemed sine qua non
and in discussing the subject with Gen