The record-union., 1899-02-09
For Comment Upon the Beef Furnished the
Army During the War.
Secretary Alger Will be Exonerated
From Any Blame, the Reports
Going to Show That He Exer-
cised Proper Diligence and
Supervision, and That His SUI
Experienced and Faithful.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8. The War
Investigation Commission has now
completed its labors, and its report will
be iE the hands Of the President to-
lnorrow. The committee held a session
to-day that extended well into .ha
afternoon, going over details. To-mpr-
row the members of the commission
will meet at their offices to formally at
tach their signatures to- the formal doc
uments, and proceed in body to the
Executive Mansion, inform the Presi-
dent that they have completed theif.
mission, and present their report. The
comm; ;sison viii then cease to exist.
The commissions quarters will be va
Gated Immediately, and will be taken
possession of by General Kennedy and
E-ajor Watkins, who hold the newly
c. Gated offices of advisers to the War
Department on colonial affairs.
The report of the War Commission
IS voluminous publication of 100
printed pages The report makes All
important feature of the beef issue, and
disnlisses as a general proposition the
charges that have been made against
the beef furnished the army. 1t finds.
1t Is understood, that most of the beef
was about such as could be properly
furnished for an emergency ration,
pointing out that the evidence showed
it never was intended for anything but
an emergency ration.
1t says there We're only two witnesses
who really testified against the beef,
General Miles and Major Daily, the
Chief Surgeon, who made the report
forwarded to the commission by Gem
eral Miles, and which was regarded as
the most sensational. As to the testi-
mony of these two witnesses, the COM
mission, it is understood, goes on to
point out the mass of evidence submit
ted to the contrary, as offsetting this
testimony
AS to such of the canned beef as was
found to be Objectionable, the commits
sion points out the effect of the trop-
ica1 climate in producing liquefaction
OF the fat in the meat, and the conse
queaT eaTssrenAe ring of the contents unpal-
atahle. Most of the beef, though, was
found to have been satisfactory for
emergency use, where fresh beef or beef
on the hoof could not be procured.
The structures of General Miles made
public on the beef, and his public ex-
pressions in other ways, it is under
stood, are subjected to severe criti-
ciSm.
The methods and manner of loading
the transports in General Skaters Gu
ban expedition are also discussed, and
responsibility placed for the results.
The report finds that the statements
of chemical treatment made by General
Miles on authority Of Major DAILY are
n hnr o11f !, fha
who We're placed on the stand. 1t quotes
from Major Dalys testimony, and then
takes up the testimony of Chemists
Clark and Bigelow, who examined
analysis of the beef submitted and
found that as a chemical expert Major
naly is not supported by other chem
ical authorities, and therefore his tes-
tiEnony is not worthy of credence.
There are also said to be some recon-
mendations as to organization of GER
tain branches of the army, but it is
stated that the recommendations are
not radical.
As to the conduct of the war, the con-
clusions are understood to be that
everything possible was done by the
department in the limited time it had
at its command in making preparations
for the war, and the report says that
the conduct of the war not only worked
out successfully, but in such a way as
to be worthy OF great commendation.
The report says that the evidence be-
fore the commission shows that Secre-
tary Alger exercised proper diligence
and supervision, and that his subordi-
mates were also efficient, experienced
and faithful.
The commission is unit on its re-
port, and there is no minority report.
Al the outset the commission divided
itself into subcommittee for the sep
arate consideration Of designated
branches of the main subject of in
quiry. The sub-report will be added to
the principal statement of conclusions.