The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-21
ramnIaints of Canned Beef.


oo,i' ,57,anraee of the native beef so far as
keeping goes.
complaints of Canned Beef.
ON Miles said the first complaints on
II, aimed roast beef he heard at Tampa
IN come of the Rough Riders and then
IN aboard the Yale when the men de-
Led they could not eat 1t. Again he
- compIaints of it in the trenches at
Santiago ...-.,
n the matter was the reports OF officers
that the whole Fifth Corps was weak and
nros,rated. This was in August when the
question of a parade through New York
- preached Gen. Bates at that time
rsnorted that only about one-ffth of the
rosn at Montauk Point were in condition
10 march through New York. Gen. Miles,
said This seemed to him remarkable as
there was no yellow fever at the Point, and
he thought the men certainly ought to be
over their malaria He, therefore, order
ed an inquiry into the beef about which
there had been so much complaint.
Not Required to Do So.
Did YOU report this matter at the time
TO the commissary generals Officer" asked
Col Davis.
cen. Miles leaned forward, drawing his
broWs to a furrow, and replied forcefully:
81 am not required, sir, to report to the
commissary general"
Wen. did you report 1t to the Secretary
Of Warp asked Col Davis, pleasantly.
Gen Miles in reply went at some length
into an explanation of the routine of army
headquarters, showing why he preferred
10 conclude his inquiry so that he might
have something tangible to present to the
secretary. Finally he issued his orders
10 officers to report upon the quality of
beef furnished. He did not report directly
TO the Secretary TO War because, under a
rule Of 1890 the order should go from the
adjutant general TO the secretary.
His attacks upon the canned and refrig-
Grated beef before the war commission
were then taken up specifically. Goa.
Davis read testimony from the command
ing general in which he referred to 1t as
"embamed beef. and said it had been
sent as "a pretense of experiment.
His Language Unfortunate.
Gen. Miles was asked if he knew when
war began that canned roat beef was
part of the army ration. This question
brought out a partial explanation Of his
using the phrase "pretense of experiment"
He said he did not know that canned roast
beef was a part of the army ration, though
in 1883 an order had been issued including
canned corned or fresh beef. He did not
understand the canned beef now in ques-
ton was meat. When his attention vas
finally attracted to the canned roast beet,
recently issued. he assumed, he declared,
that lit was being issued as an expert
ment" since it was not understood by him
thai canned roast beef was a part of the
REGULAR ration.
Continuing this eXplana ton, in answer to
a question of Col. Davis, Gen. Miles said
he thought his use of ''pretense of expert
ment,' was unfortunate, and he disclaim-
ed any intention 10 mpute fraud 10 any
ore.
SO far as indicating frauds" he said
Il wish to state that no such inference
was intended It was perhaps an unfortu-
nate expression, and had my attention
been called to it, l might have amended
II to say, on the theory of an expert
ment As matter of fact, it was an
experiment, and a very costly one"
As to Chemical Treatment.
Replying to a question, Gen. Miles said
he hrSt heard complaints against refriger-
aLed beet at Ponce. The first direct state
ment that 1t had been treated chemically
came, he believed, from DR.. Daily. who
presented it late in September and appear
eo subsequently, before the war commits
sion
He said he did not reconeet whether DR..
lazy report was volunteered or whether
he had been ordered to investigate and
report on the meat.
1t was general talk among the officers
d. romeo, Gen. Miles continued that the
teIIlgerated beef must have been sub
yeC'ea 10 some chemical treatment to make
keep FOR seventy-two hours.
zen. Miles then read long summary
u Nv letters received by him at army
ng,HVquarters, giving the various terms m
1TH'cn lhe army meat was characterized
Ingse included "embalmed," ''decompos-
the like pe"' an"
IN aodluon he showed summary of re-
po'ts on refrigerated beef condemned ana
VloMh overheard from transports. c. c.
1'liIaHs' from the Yosemite. reported the
on ion OF 5000 pounds Lieut.. Col
YEA OF the steamship Chester 1000
rounds; Col James Hamilton Lewis IN ;.
Wl pounds. "'' w.
Miles Had Eaten Some of 1t.
o, Go-' Gillespie took a hand in the in
iS "heh Gen. Miles finished. descrih-
nS me nauseating Qualities of the can
"l ana refrigerated beef.
b Dn you, general, ever eat any of tbis
COL Gillespie asked.
presume | did about the time We
sor, az romeo said Gen. Miles with
'Tt hesitation. Yes, 1 presume I did >.
sr,h " ei SAID Col. Gillespie 1T has NOT
nit vo,, eflspe qualities as would per-
"N you TO- detect if off hand?o
van Horne Said 1t Was Bad.
on zen. Miles then left the witness chair
Ieon+i lieut.: Col. Van Horne of the Thir-
Wa. l' n infantry was sworn. He said he
tho the tue outbreak of the war major of
IWenty-second Infantry. and went
' Wt the entire Cuban campaign.
c "Ilness said he had used an kinds
e d''i'ea corned beef, refrigerated ana cam.
"a roast beef He said the criticisms '', If
Wsr, aimed Itt roast beef began early and
sco, 1 o[ten. It was objected to on the
ami t' us lack of nutriment, its taste,
so M'j ness did not reconect that the large
g,s l'st Of his regiment in Cuba had been
a' the time to the canned meat When
@ Ielrlgerated beef arrived. a large
t. ,, 9l II was spoiled and the men con-
,"1 10 use the canned meat. The spoiled
tISerated beef was laid out on the hin
i io' The buzzards. Several issues were lost
III this way. "@'e VS.