Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-05-13
THE BEEF INQUIRY REPORT.
Generals Miles and Eagan Get the
Principal Censure.
PACKERS WERE NOT TO BLAME.

oAACCIAOA
Of the President, who approves the
findings, Acting Secretary of War
Meiklejohn has made public the re-
port and findings of the military court
appointed to investigate the charges
made by Major General Miles, COM
handing the army, that the beef sup
piled to the army during the war with
Spain was unfit for the use of the
troops.
The most important features of the
report are: The finding that the gen.
erals finding that the refrigerated
beef was treated with chemicals was
not esta blished; that his allegations
concerning the canned fresh or canned
roast beef were sustained as to its I'M
srlita bility for food as used on the
transports and as a long continued
field ration; censure of General Miles
for error" in failing to promptly no.
tify the secretary of war when he
first formed the opinion that the food
was unfit; censure of the commissary
general then General Eagan) for the
too extensive purchase of the canned
beef as an untr;ed ration; cen sure of
Colonel Maus, of General Miles staff;
the finding that the packers were not
at fault, and that the meats supplied
to the army were of the same quality
as those supplied to the trade general
~, and the recommendation that no
further proceedings be taken in the
premises.
The conclusion of the court adverse
to further proceedings based upon the
charges is as follows:
1T has been developed in the course
of the inquiry, as recited in this
report, that in some instances some
individuals failed to perform the full
measure of duty or TIC observe the pro-
prieties which dignity high military
command, but the court is of the
opinion that the mere statement in
the official report of the facts devel-
oped meets the end of the discipline
and that the interests of the service
will be best subserved if further pro-
ceedings be not taken"
The censure of Colonel Maus, inspec-
tor general on General Miles staff, is
based upon his failure to call atten-
ton to charges concerning the beef at
Chickamauga, contained in a report of
| inspection made by DIR. Tor Major DAILY
on the Goth of October last, in which
he stated his belief that the beef was
chemically treated.
THE silence of Colonel Maus," saws
the court, ION SO important matter
as the chenicalized beef reported by
Major DAILY, and personally known to
himself, is most remarkable"
The remark is also made that Gen
eral Miles failure to draw special at
| tention to this report is ''unex-
planned
Commenting upon General Miles
testimony that he had first formed
the opinion last August that the re-
frigerated beef had been processed.
the court remarks: Whatever the
date on which he formed belief, or
reasonable suspicion. that the health
of the troops were being impaired by
the use of deleterious food, it was his
bounden duty, in the opinion of the
court, instantly to take the most
effective measure within his con-
troll to ascertain the actual fact
and to correct the wrong, if any
should be found 1t would have been
practicable to obtain samples of the
beef then being supplied to the army
by contractors and to have submitted
these samples to chemical examine
ton which would have resulted in the
detection of the presence or absence
of boracic or salicylic acids or any
other chemical agent that may have
been used as preventative agent.
Yet no such precaution as that sug-
gested was taken by the major general
commanding at that time or at any
subsequent time, so far as has been
learned by the court
A chapter of the report is devoted
to the consideration of the cause of
the sickness in the army in the Santi-
ago campaign, but 1.-The court finds it
impossible to conclude that either the
canned fresh beef or refrigerated beef
appeared to any appreciable extent as
causes of intestinal disease.
General Miles, when asked whether
he had any comment to make upon
the beef report, replied that he had
read it, "but have nothing to say,
he added, ''either about the report.
the method Of testimony or the con-
illusions reached"