Evening star., 1899-04-15
Testimony Toono,erning = Beef on the
Hoof for the Army.
GOOD WATER, GRfSS and ROOM IN CUBA
Gems. Breckinridge and Gilmore and
Col. Barr Positive Witnesses.
NILES CASE, SUPPORTED

Important developments in support of
Gen Miles contention that cattle on the
hoof should and could have been supplied
the army in Cuba and Porto Rico as well,
were brought out at the session of the
| court OF inquiry today. Three distinguish
ed of1cerS of the army emphatically SUD-
ported the view of the major general COM
iiiaiiuiiis' and also drew particular atten-
'ioh 10 the fact that refrigerated beef was
not supplied and did not reach the men in
Euoa until after the fall of Santiago
| III general way, it can be stated, Cen
| Hiiiiore said that cattle could have been
landed without difficulty. Col Barr was
Oh the opinion that refrigerators should
| nave been erected in Cuba and Porto Rico
ana the cattle slaughtered and stored there
| MaJ. Gen. breckenridge declared that cat
tie could have been landed In the rear of
| the army. as there was plenty of water,
grass and territory. He stated that he
| hheW or the unfit character of the canned
| roast beef and declared that it must have
peen known to all the commanding gem
| erais and common soldiers at the same
| time IN Cuba. He took no individual ac-
| tlon then, as he was in active service as a
| commanding officer and because he had
no reason to presume that matter of s1lch
general gossip and report had not been
| Drousht already to the attention of the Of
| tails. w.
AS several witnesses called by Mai Lee
| nave not responded, and as the court has
| consented to their appearance, it is un-
| llkeiy that the hearings will come to an
end before Monday or Tuesday next
| Col. Smart said he. would not consider the
| TACT that the canned meat became putrid in
an hour or two after it had been opened
any indication that 1t was not a good food
| LOT the soldier. Adjournment was ordered
| at this point. a
Gen. Gilmore Testifies,
General Gilmore was the first to take the
stand today. He was questioned as to the
testimony given by, Capt. AspinwalI, who
commanded the Manitoba, which carried a
| cargo OF meat to Porto Rico last summer
II mas been charged that much of this
meat spoiled before it reached the men, and
| 1t has been limited by several that it had
been chemicalized.- Capt. AspinwaIrs eyi-
dence was that Gen. Gilmore, who was on
BOARD mad suggested to him when the Man
1toba stranded at Ponce, that the beef
should be thrown Overheard and If ueces-
Sary, he would SO order.
After hearing the record read Gen. Gill
! the other officer.
i don't remember word of it. l am
positive" satd7he. ~ would not have told
him to do it. dofftt recall any such CON
Versation and L am not given to such re-
marks. In case the. e.destruction of the beef
mad been contemplated an order would have
been given"
| Gen. Gilmore said he has looked over his
Office records since the date of Capt As
| pinwall's testimony and he could not dis
cover any report from the latter on the sub
| @ect. He said Pc Thought cattle could have
been taken with the army and landed in
Cuba without difficulty.
Difficulties I'M transportation.
The succeeding witness was Col. Barr of
| the fquartermaster generals Office. who tes-
tilted that he had charge of the rail and
| water transportation facilities for the
! army He described the difficulty he had
| in procuring the required ships to trans
port the stores and soldiers. At first the
understanding with the ship contractors
was that the vessels were to run between
| Port Tampa, Key West and points near
| Havana. They were not prepared or fitted
| out for the long journey to Santiago. The
best ships and all that were available at
| the time were secured by the government
| Col. Barr said it is his opinion that re-
| frigerators should have been erected In
| Cuba and Porto Rico. Cattle could have
been taken there, slaughtered, and put in
| cold storage. He regarded this as the
proper and cheaper course to have been
| pursued.
| said it would have been practicable for con-
| tractors during the war to have trans
| ported cattle from points along the Allan
| tic coast to Cuba and Porto Rico, and
| LANDED them there for the use of the
| army. He thought also that it would have
been possible to have erected refrigerators
at or near all the camps in Cuba and Porto
| Rico He said he did not think any effort
was made to send refrigerated beef to Cuba
until after the surrender of Santiago. He
| admitted to Colonel Davis that he did not
| think 1t would have been practicable to
| have landed the cattle If the only territory
controlled by the Americans was under the
| fire of the enemy's guns
Inspector General Breckfnridge Tes-
tiies.
| Major General Breckenridge, the inspector
general of the army. was next in the order
| of examination. With one hand in his
pocket, the other gloved, he sat white
| bearded, spick and spap, the clearest type
| of a general officer. Much of his testimony
| in beginning has bean given before and
was descriptive largely of the landing OF
| the troops in Cuba and the difficulty in get
| ting the horses and mules ashore.
'In your opinion and experience" said
Maj. Lee, "do you think it would have
been practicable to have landed cattle in
Cuba for the army during it's active opera
tions?"
Gen. Breckenridge replied carefully and
thoughtfully that 1t is his opinion that
cattle could have been landed in the rear
of the army. There was plenty of room,
plenty of water and plenty of grass. He
said. Give man something good to eat
and he will find way to cook it." He
described the facilities which could have
| been employed for the purpose of trans
porting the cattle and the route that could
have been taken by rail and water
Couldn't Give the Beef Away.
Questioned by Mai. Lee on the subject of
| canned roast beef, Gen. Breckenridge said
it was unpalatables eaten either alone or
mixed with vegetables. He said he tried to
give it away apd found nobody who want
ed it. 81, - cg--
He said there was1very little complaint,
as the soldiers wereddisposed to accept the
hardships of tie campaisns with military
fortitude, and TtheX regarded the canned
roast beef as part of them. He gave it as
his belief that this beef furnished the army
was an unfit article for issue as food.
The statement was made by Gen. Breck-
inridge. replying t9l Gen. Davis. that he
canned roast beef ali early as June %. He
officer that thk tropps were being fed on
what was "a pretense of food" Pressed to
disclose why he had not acted the witness
said to Gen Davis that all the commanding