The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-08
GEN. NILESON THESTAl
The Army Beef Inquiry Calls Him
the First Witness.
IMPUTED FRAUD TO NO 0N9

Nevspaper Interviews WITT, Gener
Miles Were Erroneous-He Says MOE
tauk Conditions Caused Investigation
He Presents the Reports OF his ON
csrs REGARDING the Quality of,he Bee1
WASHINGTON, D. C. (speciaD.-The ind
vestigation OF General Miles's charges re-
garding the beef provided for the army IN
the war with Spain was begun on MONDAY
by the court Of inquiry recently ordered by
the President.
The court formally organized with Major.
General James F. Wade as President. me
other members are BrIgadier-deneral
George W. Davis, Colonel George L. Gil
lesple and Lieutenant Colonel George b.
Davis, the last named being recorder ana
Acting Judge Advocate.
General Miles was presented as the nsse
witness. he was sworn, and after stating
his rank and Office, he was aaked ABOUT
his statement before the War Commission;
He said he made one. and upon Colonet
Davis submitting printed report OF tnae
statement General Miles examined ana ap-
proved 1t. -u. T.,
tervIew which appeared In the New forE
Journal Of December %, whether It repre-,
sented completely or In part wna1 ne saio-
General Miles read 1t and said:
81 do not recall anything In that inter-
view that had NOT been given In my test1-l
mony or transmitted IN my reports. You
Will observe It contains number. OF my
declinations to name officers or my autnorl
tiles. and refuses to answer. 1t must
therefore be incorrect in Its represents
tlons.' r.
Then being asked about an interview
from the New York Herald on fepruary =
he said: -
"I have letter from the gentleman who,!
understand, wrote this, in which he says
he is willing to swear that declined to be
interviewed, and that, thinking something!
had been given out, he had proceeded 70
write what he knew were the facts" =
He declared the interview ON erroneous
presentation of what he could possibly have
said.
General Miles was then questioned as to
what his idea as to the beet supply to the
army was when the war broke out. He
stated that when It was possible beef on
the hoof was the best for the army, anG
thought that Cuba and Porto Rlco were ok
cellent grass countries. However, ne uoI
derstood that our troops were receiving ~
trigerated beef.
Referring to the canned roast beef, as
distinguished from the refrigerator oeef;
Colonel Davis read a portion OF Generaf
Miles's War Commission testimony, con-
demning it in severe terms. General
Miles said the canned roast beef was issued
to volunteer and regular troops alike on;
the transports and In Cuba till the arrlVai
Of the refrigerator beef.
It was fully tested by both the regulars
and volunteers. The first complaints OF It
General Miles said he heard at Tampa.
from some OF the Rough Riders from
San Antonia, but he paid little at
tention to it at the time, not re-
slizing fully that there had been any
change from the standard ration. He
again heard OF It aboard the Yale. whenthe
men declared they could not eat 1t, and no
ordered the Inspector to inquire into II.
Again he heard OF It inthe trenches at San
tiaso, but he was still largely occupied with
the campaign, and he thought notnlng
more of the complaints than he would OK
hearing that some man was kicking
about his coffee or Of his bareback.
What finally drew his attention seriously
10 the matter were the reports OF ofhcerS
that the whole Fifth Corps was weak
and prostrated. This was in August,
when a question Of parade through
New York was broached. General
Bates at that time reported that
only about one.ffth Of the men
ut Montsuk Point were In condition
TO march through New York. General
Miles said this seemed to him remarkable,
as there was no yellow fever at the Point:
and he thought the men certainly ought
to be over their malaria. he therefore Or
dered an inquiry into the beef, about which
there had been so much complaint.
"Dfd you report It to the Secretary OF
War;" asked Colonel Davis. ~
General Miles In reply went at some
length into an explanation OF the routine OF
army headquarters, showing why ne pre-
ferred to conclude his inquiry SO that ne
might have something tangible to present
to the Secretary.
and refrigerated beef before the War Com
mission were then taken up specifically Col
onel Davis reading the testimony OF the
Commanding General in which he referred
to It as "embalmed" beef and said it had
been sent as "a pretense OF experiment.
In answer to question OF Colonel DAVIS.
General Miles said he thought his use OF
the words "pretense OF experiment. was
unfortunate, and he disclaimed any ln.en-
tion to impute fraud to any one.
GAS far as indicating fraud" he said, Il
wish to state that no such inference was
intended. It was perhaps an unfortunate
expression, and had my attention been
called to 1t might have amended It to say
well, son the theory OF IN experiment:
As matter Of fact. It was an experiment.
and very costly ONE
General Miles said he first heard COM
plants against the beef at Ponce, The
first direct statement that 1t had been
treated chemically came, he believed, from
DR.. DAILY, who presented 1t late In Septem-
ber. and appeared subsequently before the
War Commission.
Il was general talk among the officers at
Ponce. General Miles continued, that the
refrigerator beef must have been subjected
to some chemical treatment to make II keep
for ceventy-two hours. DR.. Days, now
ever, was the first official report:
General Miles then read o long sum
mary OF 100 letters received by him at Army
Headquarters, giving the various terms IN
which the army meat was characse.,seo.
These included "embalmed, "decom,
nosed nnv ""iniectsd," "poIsoned," spoiled" ~
aad the like.
In addition, he showed summary OF re,
ports on refrigerator beef condemned ana
thrown overheard from transports. y.
Yeamans, from the Yosemite, reported the
condemnation OF 5000 pounds, Lieutenant
Colonel O'Nelll, OF the steamship CHESTER,
1000 pounds: Colonel James Hamilton
Lewis, 10 900 pounds.
General Miles then described the nau'
seating qualities OF the canned ana fet1le'
This practically concluded General
Miles's testimony before the Committee.