The Somerset reporter., 1899-02-16
The War Commission.


last Wedbe-dtt, by III. eam'ns.-for ap-
pointed by hJm To inve-tigatr tn cor
duct Of tho War Impairment in the "ar
with SPAN, ia. been made public. The
report is "a uuanioou- one. all he MOI.
befs Of he comm sion having sizard II
except Col. Sexton, Whose death occur
red February al.
The report is lengthy on sua make.
no serious criticism upon the manags-
ment Of army affair. during The spanish
war. The war department lacked con-.
pete grasp Of the situation 1t Wa. %
suddenly thrown into. The quarter.
masters department was neither phy.ic.
ally or financially prepared Tor hi In
meuse labor and sponsibilitY thrust
upon it and in spite of every etf5rf made
there were occasions when troops suf-
fered from poor tentage aud lack Of
clothing. At Santiago. the difficulty the
commissioners say was caused BY lack Of
transportation from the landings 70 The
front. The Coz jested condition Of rail-
roads at Tampa showed an almost inex-
cusable lack Of executive ability on the
part Of those having in charge the load
ing, unloading and handling OF trains.
This was also the case at Chickamauga
park and Camp Wkof.
The report reflects upon the inspector
generals department, stating 4rhere
th hav. -
authority by which in pections were To
be ordered On at least one occasion,
May II, the secretary of war instructed
the maior-gentrll commanding the army
to inspect certain camps The msior-
general did not act upon such instruc-
uons, stating it to be his place 70 order
inspection. The organization in the
field was ample and the Inspectors made
reports to the commanding officer, 10
whom they had been assigned. Those
reports were often not noted upon aud
were not forwarded TO the war depart
ment."
The testimony of Gen. Miles in rela
ton to "embalmed beef aud that Of Dr.
DAILY, major and chief of the medical
staff, L. ). v, on Gen. Miles staff. who
stated tina; at several inspections made
by him at Tampa. Jacksonville. Chicka.
manga and Porto Rico, he found the
fresh beef to be apparently preserved
with secret chemicals" were reviewed
and the report states that "Immediatcly
upon hearing the testimony of DR.. DAILY
on the 2Olh of January, kilograms wee
sent 10 all issuing Comnissaries in Cuba,
Porto Rico and at the various home
keamps occupied by the troops asking
hat samples of refrigerated beef be Al
| once taken, placed in glass jars, sealed
and forwarded to the commission Tor
analysis
In % eases the result Of this analysis
they say, failed to show the presence Of
boric or salicyic acid or other deleterious
chemicals.
The commissions report shows that a
number Of officers testified that the
canned beet WAS uupalatable Il i, also
elected thar in a tropical country. where
it is subjected TO intense heat, the meat
presents a repulsive appearance at first.
Furthermore it transpires that occa-
sionally an inferior article is found.
But the records Of the army prove that
canned beef has been used for many
years and endorsed by the adiutant ger
erals department.
The work of the medical department
is dwelt upon At length and the eopcIu-
sion reached, that notwithstanding al
the manifest errors OF omission rather
than commission, vast deal of good
work was done by medical officers, high
aud low, regular and volunteer and
there were unusually few deaths among
the wounded and sick.
The report upon the camps was
favorable except Camp Thomas, Camp
Alger Camp Miami, and they say Camp
Nikoff was occupied long before il was
ready.
The divided authority of the secretary
of war and the commanding general,
both the appointees Of the president. [,
alluded to, aud Gen. Schotield is given a.
authority for the statement that iIr re-.
garded himself as acting a. the chtf Of
staff af the secretary Of VAT and tie
President when he held the position IF
commanding general.
The report closes thus:
In concluding lis labors it is with such
pleasure that the commission report
that notwithstanding the haste with
which the nation entered upon the wa
with Spain, the resulting and almost in
rvitable confusion in bureau and camp,
the many difficulties of arming. assem-
bling and Transporting large bodies of
hitherto unframed men. the carving on
of active operations in Two hemispheres.
the people of the United States should
ever be proud Of its soldiers Who co.
operating with its sailors in less than
three months put an end To Spanish
colonial power, enfranehised oppressed
people and taught the world at large the
strength and the nobility of great n
public.
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