The times., 1899-02-21


! will pass TO the question of refrigerated
! beef. When did you first hear complaint
1 against refr SeIated beef?
General Miles-Directly after my arrival
in Porto Rico 1t was at Ponce that /
heard the first charge that it had been
treated with chemicals.
Colonel Davis-Who made that charge?
General Miles, believe it was Surgeon
DAILY.
Colonel Davis-Was Surgeon Daly's
charge called forth by the circular which
you addressed to officers calling for reports
on the quality OF the beef or was it vol
unfairly made?
General Miles-I do not know. / cannot
recall whether this charge was made before
or after my circular was sent out.
Colonel Davis-Did any other officer make
the charge that the refrigerated beef had
been chemically treated?
General Miles-Yes. sir. 1t was common
talk among the officers at Ponce that the
beef had been subjected to preservativcs
that it might stand the contract test of en-
during exposure and remaining sound for
seventy-two hours after being taken from
the refrigerators.
General Miles presented to the court a
summary of about one hundred letters
which he had received from as many indie
pendent sources condemning the beef is
sued to the troops during the war. In these
letters occur the words "embalmed poi
soned. and injected"
Colonel Gillespie-General, did you eat
any of this refrigerated beef?
General Miles, presume / did about the
time we were at Ponce. Yes, l presume
did eat some.
Colonel Gillespie-Then it has not such
a characteristic quality would permit
you to detect it off hand, or that would
strongly impress your memory?
General Mies-No, sir.
At this point Colonel Davis announced
that he had no further questions to ask
General Miles.
The Next Witness.
Lieutenant Colonel Van Horne. who dur
ing the war was major of the Twenty
second Infantry. followed General Miles.
His testimony follows:
Colonel Davis What kind of fresh beef
did you get in Cuba?
Colonel Van Hornet was in quarters
Colonel Dayis-Was ii refrigerated beef
Colonel Van Horne-Yes, refrigerated
beef.
Colonel Dayis-Was any other fresh beef
available?
Colonel Van Horne-No, sir; We saw a
few struggling cattle, but that was all.
Colonel Davis-Was there any complaint
OF the canned beef?
Colonel Van Horne-Oh yes; there was
A complaint of its dryness its stringinesS.
its lack of substance. II did not seem to
be spoiled. There was a piece of fat in
the center of each can. The substance
seemed to have been boiled out of the
meat. / don't remember of any of il being
spoiled.
Colonel Davis-Then when it was opened
it was apparently in the same condition in
which it was packed?
Colonel Van Horne-Yes.
Colonel Davis-Was the feeling with re-
spect TO the meat attributable to sickness?
You say it was not palatable; how much
Of the lack OF palatability was due to sick
ness?
Colonel Van Horne-I could not say
Colonel Davis-What did you do to rem
edy this?
Colonel Van Horne-I could not do any
thing. There was nothing else TO get ex-
cept small supplies of bacon.
The fresh beef Colonel Van Horne testi-
fed, was nearly always spoiled when it
reached the regiment.
Colonel Davis-How close were you to
the place where you got the supplies of
beef?
Colonel Van Horne-As near as any other
regiment. The meat was spoiled and it
was thrown on the side of the hill and
eaten by the buZzards | had repeated
boards of survey. but nothing came of
them. The matter went up to higher au-
thority and that was the last heard of it.
Colonel Davis-Did you eat any of the
refrigerated beef?
Colonel Van Horne-Yes.
Colonel Dayis-Did you have any reason
TO believe it any different from that you
have seen in the United States.
Colonel Van Horne-No. none whatever
General Davis-What was the name Of
the brigade commissary2
Colonel Van Horne-Lieutenant David
son. of the Twenty second Infantry.
General Davis-Then your regimental
commissary did not go to the vessel after
the meat?
Colonel Van Horne-No. sir
The Meat Fell To Pieces.
The next witness was Lieut.. Col Charles
W. Miner commanding the Sixth Infantry
The first time he had seen an issue of
canned roast beef was after the fight OF
July l at Santiago. 1t had been used ON
the troopship a part of the travel ra-
tion. Complaints were first made about
the canned roast beef July 3 In effect
the complaint was that the men could not
eat il.
Colonel Davis-You ate it
Colonel Miner-Yes.
Colonel Davis-What was its condition?
Colonel Miner-It was stringy. When
cut with knife II fell to pieces. 1t had
absolutely no nutrment in it. The nour-
ishment was gone. ! believed then and |
believe now that that beef had been used
10 make beef soup or beef extract and il
had no nourishment left.
Colonel Davis-What led you 10 think it
had been so treated?
Colonel Miner-It had no nutrIment in
it. When eaten by the men il was re-
jected by the stomach
Colonel Davis-What action was taken
by you about it2
Colonel Miner complained 10 Major
Reade. inspector of General Kents Divi-
sion. He made report on the subject,
taking me down almost word Tor word
Mten ! returned | was called upon TO- a
report and maIe one
coianel Davis-You say it was not
sD9iled7
Colonel !:iler-No. it was not spoiled
Colonel pavis-How about refrigerated
beet
Colonel MIner-That was excellent 1t
was all right. ! received but one quarter
that vas spelled.
Colonel Giliespie-Tou received the re-
frigerated beet how long,
Colonel Miner-About fifteen days,
Colonel Giliespie-And only one quarter
was spoiled
Colonel Miner-That is all
General Davis-Did you have canned
roast beef on the transport coming to the
United States
Colonel Miner-Yes. but it was not is
sued. We would not allow it to be issued
Everything Cooked Ont of II.
Major Henry Jackson, of the Third Cav
airy, testified to hearing complaints aoout
canned roast beef as early in the cam