The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-18

sound, sweet and proper food
After 3 discussion of General Miles
statement as TO the shOrtness Of funds
in Puerto Rico General EaSan takes up
the beef question, and declares that It
was good beef, and ANY officer, no
matter what his rank failing to use
proper supplies, does so at his own
peril and If he purchases as substitute
for the good article an inferior and I'M
wholesome one, one that he whole med
zeal fraternity of the United States VIII
unite in saying is not wholesome, gives
men diarrhoea and eysentery, then he
does SO at still greater peril.
BY General Niles own statement he
directed the purchase of native beef
ashore While this good refrigerated
beef, not embalmed beef, was there in
Ponce. It was not emDalmed beef, nor
was it treated with any chemical what
soever, for its preservation"
MILES IGNORANCE.
Discussing General Miles statement
instead of in bulk, General Eagan says
he never saw any such requests, and
if he had, he would have regarded it
';as extraordinary, for there is no such
thing as sending complete rations in
large quantities otherwise than in
bulk IF General Miles can explain to
your commission what the difference
is, he will do more than l think he or
any other man can do, and l especially
ask the commission to note this as one
of the things bearing on the entire sub
ject"
Taking up General Miles testimony
that the food was one of the serious
causes of sickness among the soldiers,
General Eagan denies this and points
out that General Miles gives it as his
judgment.
Because he merely expressed his
judgment that way, l cannot take fur
tner issue with that statement than to
dispute it"
Central Eagan declares that General
Shafter cabled his appreciation of the
character of refrigerated beef sent to
Santiago, and says: You have before
you reports of various officers describ-
ing the character of the superior ana
fine cattle 90 that Puerto Rico has
furnished to the United States at the
low price mentioned by General Miles
bulls. stays, runts, deformed cattle,
which means old work oxen-a class
and character of beef that the sub
sistence department never purchased
in this country nor anywhere else if
il could do better. certainly not if it
could get coed refrigerated beef"
General Eagan says; General Miles
testified that 327 tons of this refriger-
ated beef might be called 'embalmed
beef
EMBALMED BEEF CHARGE.
''This statement means, in effect, a
charge of dishonesty and corruption on
the part of the men who furnished it.
That is what I have to say in regard
TO calling il embalmed beef"
General Eagan says General Miles
giyes what purports to be the state
ments of fourteen officers, expressing
dissatisfaction with the canned fresh
beer. General Miles," says he, docs
not inform the investigation commits
sion how he obtained them"
General Eagan submits that such in
yitations to criticise are apt to procure
adverse criticisms and would be taken
as evidence of a desire for adverse re-
ports. He adds:
In this connection, it is proper to
say that there is what is known as an
inspector generals department in the
army, whose appropriate duty is, when
directed by proper authority, to exam
inc into a matter of this kind and
make an intelligent, responsible report;
a report that can be met and refuted
if il is false; a report that, if untrue
the author can be held duly accounta-
Bile for
General Eagan repeats his former
statement of thanl1fulness that this
land never gave and never will, thank
God, the purse in addition to the sword
TO any general, and whenever congress
-
ever he may, to control the purse as
we'll as to WELD the sword, that day
the mistake of this country will be
made, and that day designing men
with military command and the purse
of the United States at their disposal
may set themselves up and do things
that this country is and always has
been afraid to do"
EMPHATIC DENIAL.
menU' charge by General Miles, in con-
nection with the timed beef, General
Eagan says: General Miles, in say
ing this food was sent to the army as
a 'pretense for experiment he says
that which implies corruption, which
ninety-nine out of every hundred peo-
PIE viii understand to mean cOrrup-
ton, because it was a pretense of ex-
pertinent he says, not even giving
credit to me for furnishing it as an
experiment, but that I furnished it
under the pretense of an experiment
This is a serious charge, and should
not be made by any man lightly nor
without ample evidence to support it.
Taking the statement in the sense that
was probably intended the sense that
has been accepted by the press Of the
coUntry-indeed, some of that press
call for my dismissal from the army
and my courtmartial because of it
der the pretense of an experiment. nor
even as an experiment. In denying
this, content myself with saying such
statements are untrue and unworthy /
Of more emphatic denial. His state
ment reflected upon the honor of every
officer in the department who has con-
tracted for or furnished this meat, and
especially and particularly on the COM
missary general-Tny
IN conclusion. General Eagan de- |
clares, on oath, that the secretary Of /
war had nothing whatsoever to do with !
the furnishing of refrigerated or timed /
meats. nor has he in any manner what :
soeveT attempted to control contracts, /
the awards or purchases of these arti- (
Giles.
General Eagau sums up his whole |
case in conclusion. and finishes. hoping /
that his statement will Offset the /
statements made By General Miles, and |
will, in some measure at least do JUS
tice to those who have been wronged.''
BEEF WAS BAD.