The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-04-12
sBAFTtR IESTF|Es.
aee Part Of Sickness AttrSbuteA
- Eupossre and the ExertiOas
N Active Campaign anA CHI
-ete-nefrigerateA Beef Coed.

rAHfsGTOE. April lf.-Aa5. Gen.
ere<r uas me principal witness before
-. ~ inquiry board today. Hia state
~ AfEsrec little from Iss testimony oe-
~ ~ war investigating comm saicn. He
~ eates tae canned beef cold and found
= - dsaxgreeab.e The refrigerated beef
- e ans as any be had ever eaten. The
- vho suffered for lack Of .sood-had
~ themselves 10 blame. II there had
- mistakes. congress, which provides
p, ufsens and clothing Of the soldiers
- sesponsih.e. He admitted that he had
~ref heard os canned roast beef before
- var. While II was not very paiatabls
Z lie tropics he ihcaght II would be very
n in colo climate
- took great interest In the refrigerated
- and from his Investigation pronounced
Sfectiy satisfactory. Suspicion thai i.
Fl been chemically treated was never
- suggested at that time. He att4b-
80 the immense amount OF sickness 10
nDsure. the sxerticnz Of an active cam
|nka and the climate. Ma. Les cross-ex-
nissd Gsn. Shsftes.
u report forwarded By Col. Roosevelt
- complaints were made. bus he did not
sgard them a. important. as the srnsr-
Icy has passed.
Nai. Lee read from Col. Rooseyesrs re-
|prts OF the action u July l. saying his
|te4ps had no food on that day. except
|Shat they captured from the Epaniards.
III they did not have food II was thxir
|pn fault" observed Gen. shaster. They
|uss ordered TO provide themselves with
10 days. rations."
/ ~ 10 Col. RaoseYei.'s statement ths, they
II not have adequate food or medical sup
&sz "a 5r
II their ratsons provided BY Law. II the
niions Of the Rough Riders gave ous en-
Duis To Cuba IL Was the fsul, -os their Of
mrs. who should have drawn supplies to
hkp ten days supply On hand, as he had
uttered.
From your experience do you regard
,nnned roast beef as 81 suitable meat ration
y auet a campAisUIf asked Maj Lee.
Il 90 not know OF any substitute" re-
sd Gen. ahafter. 'canned corn beef In
DRhaps. better. Possibly Ii LIS not an rood
= bacon. but that depends upon the indi-
gduals taste. ] myself think there might
ave been less meat and more beans and
Re Campaigning in the tropics was new
II W. and IL Was an experimental food.
Certainly We all recognize now that the
ptbons we're not well adapted to such q
enpaiSn. but Ii was all we had. and we
the best We could. Congress provides
= army rations.'
Gen. shafter detailed a conversation
Nh comn,issary General Eaxan about
" canned roast beef, which he (ahafter)
u hat time believed was genuine roast
~ Asked IL, after all that had occur
nd ae considered canned roast beef wor-
~ Of a further trial. Gen. Shafter reit-
eAied his statement that he knew Of no
rseiitute. His own preference would be
tx clean bacon, but while uninvfting and
~ palAtsble. he did not consider canned
mast beef unfit for food. Any canned
sAst in such high temperature that
rasn opened the grease would run OF
would BE- far from appeiixing. But he
vsHs not therefore condemn IL. In a cold
climate hs would regard the canned roas,
~ AZ very good indeed. To carry fresh
lssf on the hoof ae regarded AZ abso-
lsissy out of the question. None Of the
division commanders had compiained OF
she ration officially.
IL there has been complaints to them."
b said. II hardly think they would have
reported It. They were sensible men. II
sas all We had. Nothing could have been
Ens,"
q the refrigerated beef was tarown away.
Az The conclusion Of Gen. Skaters tes-
fmony the court took u recess.
4 A. Kirk. cook Of the Philadelphia City
troop testified az the afternoon session
tAat he saw refrigerator beef aboard the
Massachusetts, that had spoiled. In Porto
kico the troon bought It's own beef on the
soG. lie declared that one-third OF the
sasnea beef he saw vas UNIT for use.
john " Springer. OF New Cumberland.
n. who acted as commissary sergeant
q the Governors troop. OF Philadelphia,
lszaea thai fully half the canned roast
aesf was UNFIT to cat.
Lieut. Alexander Frank. of Cincinnati.
e0msnissary and subsistence officer of the
FIRST Ohio, which was AZ Port Tampa
sa1ng june and July. testified that the
canned roast beef made the men sick