The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-26
OPINIONS OF SOLDIERS
COLONEL GARLINGTON,s REPORT ON
CANNED ROAST AND FRESH BEEF.
Views of 376 Officers and I63 Enlisted
Men-Many Condemned AIMED
Beef, but Praised Fresh Meat:

WASHINGTON. April 25.-The report Of
Colonel Darlington, of the commissary de-
| partment of the army, which was yesterday
presented to the Wade court Of inquiry, but
not accepted as a part of the record, was
made public to-day. 1t covers almost a num-
dred typewriter pages and is a careful re-
view of the subject. Colonel Darlington
claims TO have collected the opinions of $40
officers and 163 enlisted men concerning the
canned roast beef, which he Classics as
follows: Twenty-three officers and one man
pronounced it good or excellent twenty
five officers and two men, good or fair with
EXCEPTIONS" twenty-six officers and eleven
men, mostly bad or unfit" thirty-two Off
GERS and 149 men entirely bad or unfit" He
at some length on thus giving the
various terms used to indicate the feeling Of
officers and men in regard to ii, but says
that where cooking was possible and vege-
tables and condiments available and the
beef prepared, seasoned and mixed with veg
etables. complaints were lessened and mod
flied and some even praised it as a substitute
for fresh beef"
Colonel Darlington refers to the fact that
the issue of canned beef was authorized as
a part of the army ration as early as 1890,
but says that the use of the canned roast
or boiled article appears to have been very
limited before the beginning of the Spanish
war. Referring to the Chicago purchase
of canned roast beef for the Spanish war,
Colonel Darlington says: There was no in
spection OF 1t other than of the samples Sc
lected by the various packing houses and
delivered to the commiSsary officer from
time to time" Colonel Darlington directs
attention to the fact that none of the cans
bore any label giving the date of canning
and he comments thus: How long the beef
that was sold to the government had been
In storage is a matter of conjecture as the
question of age does not seem to have en-
tered in making contracts"
Colonel Darlington mentions the fact that
the first complaint of the war concerning
the quality of the canned beef was made by
Colonel Weston, of the commissary depart
ment, in a telegram dated Tampa, June 3,
and directed to Col. o. NJ. Smith, at Chi
cago. In it he said: Some of the beef is
Objectionable and cans here and there are
fermented." The record shows that this
complaint received prompt attention, that
Colonel Smith asked that the name of the
packer be given and that Colonel Davis.
assistant commissary of subsistence at
Washington, gave immediate instructions to
investigate the complaint and mot to send
more until further orders"
Colonel Darlington found it impossible to
definitely determine the amount of canned
DeeI destroyed. out ne c0llected consider
able data on this subject, showing that at
least 1O4,SlS pounds were acted upon by
boards of survey or inspectors and that
Of this amount 5000 were destroyed as
worthless and 45. 744 pounds sold. He re-
fers to the fact that soldiers threw away
much of the meat, they had the alterna-
tive of eating this beef or going hungry"
Colonel Darlington groups the opinion of
officers and men on the refrigerated beef
as follows: Good or excellent rs officers
and S men; fair or good if trimmed" 135
officers and 35 men,; mostly bad" 40 Off
GERS and 26 men; bad or unfit" 8 officers
and IA men. From this summary he con-
cludes that about 10 per cent. of the opinion
was favorable to the refrigerated meat and
% per cent. unfavorable.
Colonel Darlington also devoted consider
able space 10 processes for preserving beef,
giving the details concerning the expert
ment with the Powell process. He also
gives all the facts going to show that the
commissary officers in Florida manifested
a disposition TO assist in this experiment
by having the meat tried by the troops.
The board appointed TO investigate the de-
struction of beef aboard the transport Mani
toba last summer in Porto Rico has made
its report to Secretary Alger. The report
has not been made public.