The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-02-09
The Former for His INDIGESTION
and the Latter for His
CttelanceS.
Main Trouble Alleged to St
Due to Lack Of Proper
Organization.

New YORK, Feb. "a dispatch t
The Herald from Washington says
President Mckinley will receive. prob.
ably before night. the war investigation
commissions report on the conduct OF
the war.
The commission directly criticizes tn,
secretary of wal for lack of firmness il
his administration of the war depart.
ment. No specific illustration of the
secretary's weakness is given by the
commission, but through its reports thu
evidence of this fault of the secretary
will be found. particularly in the mat.
Miles. The commission has determined
not to dwell upon matters of strategy
and for this reason has left out all ref
erence to the action Of General Miles in
going to Santiago. of the secretary's per.
mission for him to do so, Of his dispatch
to General Shafter that he was not tc
be supplanted in his command by the
major general commanding.
General Miles is severely criticized
and the president will find ample mate
rial, from the standpoint of the com
mission. to take action against the
major general commanding.
Miles Severely Criticized.
The commission devotes an important
chapter of its report to General Miles
charges concerning the beef and meat~
generally, furnished to the army. an0
finds that they are practically withou;
foundation. 1t reports that the beet
was not chemically prepared. that j,
of the use of chemicals in the beef prob
ably grew out OF the fact that -four
quarters of experimental beef Were
placed on board "A transport at Tampa
by Mr.. Powell, inventor Of a preservira
process which he desired to test.
This meat was thrown overheard by
direction of General Wood. No chemi.
Gals, according TO the commission, Were
employed i'll the preparation of the
canned meat. but it is found that that
meat was unfit for use in the tropics.
| because of the climatic conditions,
which made It unanpetiziny in appear
ance. though 1t was perfectly good *
cept in those instances where the cans
had been accidentally punctured or inn
perfectly soldered, nus allowing the
air to enter.
Attention is called to the fact that OF
the IL officers whose reports General
Miles submitted for the purpose of
showing that the beef supplied to the
Porto Rican army was bad, not one
served Oh that island. 1t is also shown
that General Miles vas responsible for
the selection of a number Of camps al
Chickamauga and Miami, and that this
latter recommendation was made not.
withstanding the protest OF the score.
tary of war.
Defective Organization.
According to the commission. the
primary trouble lies in the defective
army organization. A recommendation
Is made that the inspector generals de
partment be radically reorganized and
the report sharply criticizes General
Breckenridge tor a~bdicating his Office of
inspector general to accept a commits.
sion as a major general Of volunteers.
The secretary OF var is cleared of re.
sopnsibility for the transport horrors,
but Colonel c. F. Humphreys, now or
General BrOoke's staff, who had charge
OF the fitting out of the transports and
officers OF the quartermaster's depart.
ment in charge of them, is held to be
responsible. The conditions which ex.
listed at Camp Thomas prior to it's re.
moval are censured and attention Ii
called to the fact that Major General
Brooke was in command Of the camp at
the time.