Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-02-13
OUT AT LAST.
War Commissions Conclusions
Take Sixty-Five Thousand
Words to Express.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF ITS VIEWS.
No Proof of the Charges of Corruption II
High Places-war Department Lacking
in Grasp of the Situation, However-De-
cIares the Rations Good and Wholesome
Criticism OF the Inspector Generals
and 0uartermaster Generals Depart
ments.


Criticism OF the Inspector Generals
and Ouartermaster Generals Depart
ments.
Washington, Feb. 13.-The report sub
mitted to the president last Wednesday
| by the commission appointed by him to
| investigate the conduct of the war de-
partment in the war with Spain was
made public last night. The report is a
unanimous one, all the members of the
| commission having signed it except Col
onel Sexton, whose death occurred Feb.
1. At its close il says: 1T is with pro-
found regret that the commission re-
ports that during its later session Col
onel James a. Sexton was prevented by
sickness from being present and on the
4th day of February our loved colleague
closed an honored and active life The
report is a voluminous document con-
tanning about $1,000 words. An official
abstract containing several columns
was given the press for publication.
No Proof of Corruption.
After recounting its organization, etc,
the commission says:
ANY charge Of corruption or intimi-
dation. OF fraud or bribery. in connection
with the letting of contracts, even
hint of wrong doing, has been carefully
investigated. 1t may be said now. at the
beginning of this report, that there has
been no evidence before US that any one
in or connected with the war department
has dishonesty received a dollar We
have made persistent efforts to secure
the attendance of persons to whose
names rumor had attached an allegation
that they knew of corruption of officials
in the war department, but these men
have either denied the statements at
tributed to them or have maintained
silence when invited to tell what they
knew"
Before proceeding to a specific de-
scription of the conduct and manage
nent of the war the report gives COM
ment and suggestions touching certain
matters which came under consideration
as a logical consequence of the inquiry
pursued by the commission.
Response Was Prompt.
The report then takes up the war de-
partment and its various chiefs of sub
divisions, beginning with the secretary
of war. 1.-The records of the war de-
partment. which haYe been laid before
US. show that the secretary of war ex-
tended to all chiefs of bureaus cordial
and full support. and promptly re
sponded to every proper demand made
upon him by commanding officers. No
testimony has been presented showing
intentional neglect CT duty nor any at
tempt to serve personal interests The
charges made that the secretary of war
was pecuniarily interested in contracts,
purchases and other transactions of the
war department have been thoroughly
examined and found baseless.
Grasp OF the Situation Lacking.
I'm the judgment OF the commission
there was lacking in the general admin
istration of the war department during
the continuance of the war with Spain
that complete grasp of the situation
which was essential to the highest ef-
ficiency and discipline of the army"
THE, commission has carefully in
vestigated the subject of the condition,
quality and quantity OF the food sup
piled to the army. Almost without ex-
ception IL has been shown by the testi-
mony taken that wherever the troops
were ordered, whether TO the various
camps in the United States or in Porto
Rico, Cuba and Manila, the rations
prescribed by law were on the trans
ports and at the camps with the SOL
diers."
Rations Were Good to Eat.
The commission also finds that the
rations were good and wholesome, and
decides that there was no "embalmed
beef" The canned meats are also up
held and the fact that the deaths were
less than 1 per cent. of the forces en-
gagged is cited to show that the soldiers
were welI-fed and taken care of.
In brief the report on the subject OF
subsistence is an elaboration of the
summaries given in these dispatches
last week.
WHERE FAULT WAS FOUND.