Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-11
GIN. NILES COUNSEL
Discusses the Report Of the Beef
Investigators.
TITS ILLOGICAL AND UNCERTAIN

Mr.. Probasco Declares That General
Miles, Charges Were Clearly Proven,
and Blames Secretary Alger and Gem
eral Corbin For Opposing Miles.
Cincinnati. May 1.-THE Enquirer
prints an interview with Fl. r. Probas-
co. ex-United States district attorney
here, a relative of ex-senator Sherman,
and recently counsel for General Miles.
when the court convened, having
previously served General Miles as
counsel in other matters, l was asked
to go to Washington and confer with
him regarding the proceedings before
the court of inquiry. 1t was deter
mined that, inasmuch as General Miles
was not in the attitude of one accused,
it would be i'll advised to introduce a
lawyer, and Major j. M. Lee was Sc
lected by General Miles to aid the
court and the recorder.
did you take any active part be-
fore the court?"
my only connection with the case
was comforting with General Miles and
Major Lee regarding the summoning
of witnesses and the examination OF
the most important ones"
What about the empaImed peer
Before bids were received by the
commiszf ry general he was advised
by expert cattle and beef men that
fresh fees would not hold up "a hours
after Livery from the refrigerator
in the diiL,ate that prevailed in Flor
ida and the West Indies, and that the
best couI to pursue would be the
purchase of beef on the hoof. The
day after the bids were opened attor-
neys in Washington addressed a COM
munication to the secretary of war,
making the argument that notwith-
standing their clients bid somewhat
higher than the others they ought to
be awarded the contracts, because OF
their ability to perform their contract
by means of the Powell process for
the preservation of meat, which they
controlled.
CDR. Days testimony that he
had found by chemical analy-
sis of meat furnished the soldiers that
it contained chemicals was in no wise
contradicted Three witnesses, Ser
geant Mason, Lieutenant Gampher and
DIR. Castle. testified that the agent at
Lakeland, Fla, had told them that
they had found it impossible to COM
ply with their contract to deliver fresh
meat which would remain sound and
sweet for 70 hours after delivery from
the refrigerator without the means OF
a chemical process.
"Has there been any change in the
manner of supplying troops fresh meat
since the criticism was first nader"
Indeed there has. Cattle on the
hoof are now being delivered in Gu
ba. slaughtered on the island and de-
livered to the troops the following
day, and no complaint has been made
Furthermore. so-called canned roast
beef was dropped as a meat ration
some time, | think, during last Au-
gust or September. all of which shows
that General Miles reference to the
method of supplying the troops with
meat was an experiment was correct
and that his opinion that beef on the
hcof is the only suitable fresh meat
ration for troops was well founded.
General Miles has no political am
bition whatsoever, and no more thinks
of being a candidate for president or
any other Office than | do"
Mr.. Probasco blames the secretary
of war and the adjutant general with
opposing the general commanding the
army.