The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-11

washington, April b.-Ine secretary
Of state has announced the construc-
ton Of the United States delegation to
the disarmament congress, which will
meet at The Hague in the latter part
of May. The delegation consists of
Andrew White, United States ambas-
sador at Berlin; Mr.. Newell, United
States minister to the Netherlands;
President Seth Low, of the olum
university, New York; Captain Crozier,
ordnance department., United States
army, and Captain "A. T. Mahan, Unit
ed States navy, retired. Mr.. FREDERICK
Hollis, a lawyer of e York, will be
secretary of the delegation. The Amer
! lean commission as a whole is regarded
as an exceptionally strong body, being
made up of men Well-knoWn, not only
in public and political life, but in the
world of letters and international af-
fairs. They are all men of scholarship,
fine Iinguists and those attachments
helpful in a congress representing the
nations of the world, conducted under
the diplomatic usage, which makes
French the accepted language.
ARMOUR'S BEEF PREVENTATIVE.
In the army beef court of inquiry to-
day the letter of Messrs. Armou & Co.,
proposing to use the Powell process for
the preservation Of beef, was submitted
as evidence by Major Lee, acting for
General Miles. It was addressed to the
cOmmissary general, dated at the firms
Washington office, July 13, 1898, and
read as follows:
a supplementary and explanatory
to our bid to supply dressed beef IN
Cuba we wish to say thai We have the
nvaJIIcirr, nntrn of tho pnu-n11 JnrnnoCc
for preserving fresh meats and that this
process has been tested at Tampa, Fla.
the test having been completed with
most satisfactory results.
This test was made under the SUI
pervision of Colonel John Weston, of
your department, who has advised you
of the results. We are advised, how
ever. that he received four carcasses of
beef which we sent him from Chicago,
duly refrigerated and treated accord
ing to the Powell process. Part of
these carcasses were envelOped in sacks
or canvas and part were not. These
carcasses were distributed to the Third
cavalry, the Sixth cavalry, batteries of
artillery and the medical department,
and were hung in the air on the upper
deck of the transport tr~Oopships lying
at the wharf in the hot sun, without
any benefit of the fresh air or move
ment of the ships. The pieces not
wrapped fermented in less than seven
ty-twO hours, while the pieces that
were covered or wrapped kept about
100 hours.
These practical tests made under
the supervision of your own officer
show that by means Of this process,
wrapped pieces of carcaSseS can be kept
longer than the fsventy-tWo hour re-
quired by your specif cations.
we believe that We may safely say
such results have never before been
accomplished in the history of the
fresh meat business. In view of the
tests which we have made in the past
and of the result Of the tests made un-
der the supervision of your own Ottl-
GER. we believe that we are absolutely
safe in the assertion that this is the
only process or method which will Sc
cure the results required by your specl-
ficatiOns."
Mr.. William a. Decaindry, who has
been chief clerk in the office of the
cOmmissary general of the war de-
partment for twenty years, related his
connection with the work of letting the
beef contracts. He gave some of the
particulars concerning the trial of
the Powell preservatiVe process IN
Florida. He spoke of a letter of Ar
mour 81 Co., in which they argued that
they should be awarded the contract
because they controlled this Powell
process, Notwithstanding their bid was
somewhat higher than that of Swift
< Co.
What became of the letter." asked
Major Lee.
"A portion of it is in the files said
Mr.. Decaindry, but the bulk of it was
returned to the writer at his request.
The portion returned was the last
page, containing the endorsement of
the secretary of war and the commits
sary general. An office copy was, how
ever, retained"
-@ rO>-r
GOMERY'S CRUISE.