The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-05-12
THE BEEF INQUIRY.
The Report of the Wade Military
Court Made Public.
IMPORTANT POINTS OF THE REPORT.
The Court Adverse to Any Further Pro-
ceedings In the Matter Gen. Miles
Refuses to Express His Opin-
ion of the Report.

Washington, May s.-By direction of
the president, who approves the find
ings, Acting Secretary of War Meikle-
john made public the report and find
ings of the military court appointed to
investigate the charges made by Maj.
Gen. Miles, commanding the army,
that the beef supplied to the army dur
ing the war with Spain was unfit for
the use of the troops. The most inn
portant features of the report are:
The finding that the generals finding
that the refrigerated beef was treated
with chemicals was not established:
that his allegations concerning the
canned fresh or canned roast
beef were sustained as to its
| unsuitability for food as used
on the transports and as a long
continued field ration; ccusurc Of Gen.
Miles for error in failing To promptly
notify the secretary of war when he
first formed the opinion that the food
was unfit; censme of the commissary
general (thcu Gen. Eagan) for the too
extensive purchase of the canned beef
as an untricd ration: censure of Col.
Maus. of Gen. Miles staff: the finding
that the packers were not at fault and
that the meats supplied To the army
were of the same quality as those sup
| piled to the trade generally. and the
recommendation that no further pro-
ccedings be taken in the premises.
The conclusion of the court adverse
TO further proceeding based upon the
charges is as follows:
/ II has been developed iu the course OF the in
quiry, as rectcd in this report, that ia some in-
stances some individuals failed 20 perform the
| fun measure OF duty or TO observe the propric-
ties which dignity high military command. but
the court is OF the opinion that the mere state
ment in the ottcial report OF the facts developed
meets the ends of the discipline and that the
interests of the service will bee best subocrycd
/ il further proceedings he not taken.
There is more or les, criticism of
Gen. Miles in various parts of the re
port. Probably the most direct in
stance is the one which states that.
beyond the criticism of officers found
elsewhere in the report,
| The court finds thIt against none of the
officers commanding corp, divisions, brigade,
| and regiments uud their staff officers should %
! charge of guilty hc brought. Tho court also
/ finds that the major general cJmmuudiup the
| army had no -ulnc.cu; Justification for alleging
/ that the refrigerated beef wa, ombllmed or was
/ unfit for issue % troops. IL also finds that he
/ committed ana error u thlt, having belief or
/ knowledge. as claimed On % ia" food WIS unit.
that 70 caused 81 liu PISS and distress. that some
I of IL was supplied under The pr'tnusa of expert
meut, that other beef WIS cnb l.m' !, he uid not
/ Immediately rcplr. such lulwlalte or belle,
/ 10 the secretary ot war 90 the end that % proper
/ remedy might nc promptly applied.
The ccueurc of Col Maus, inspector
general ON Gen. Miles staM, is based
, upon his failure to call attention to
charges concerning the beef at Chiclta-
manga. contained in report of inspcc-
/ ton made 10y Dr. tor Mai,) DAILY on the
1 10Th of October last, in which hc stated
/ his belief that the beef was chemically
treated. THE silence of Col. Maus,"
says the court, "un So important a mat
ter rs the chemicalizcd beef reported
by Maj. Daily, and personally known
to himself, is most remarkable
Speaking of the ration rs whole,
the court says:
As to the effect OF the food supply having re-
gard to both suHicency and quality it seems
be clearly established that the army ration as
| supplied, without modification, to the troops
| serving In the West Indies was 10y no means
adapted for use in tropical climate. II
! this hc true the unttness Of the ration should
/ have manifested itself by its failure to keep the
| troops which suDsiStcd upln it I'm the best pos
siblo condition for service in hot climates, This
in the opinion of the court, is fully established
in evidence. The insu1cicncy Of the food sup
ply IN Cubu and the irrcgularity attending upon
It's distribution, due primarily to II marked de-
tcicncy iu transportation facilities and TO the
! conditions of the weather and the roads, ap,
pear to some extent as causes Of sickness amonl
the troops who were thus inSumciently and ir
regularly subssted.
Gen Miles, when asked last night
whether he had any comment to make
upon the beef report, replied that h,
had read it, but have nothing tc
say" he added, either about the re
port, the method of testimony or the
conclusions reached