The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21
MILES HEARD ON BEEF
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE
He said he mace one. and upon Col Davis
submitting printed report OF that state
ment Gen. Miles examined and APPROX
ed II.
Then he was asked about an alleged
Interview, which appeared In the New
York Journal OF December =. whether IL
represented completely or in part what
he said. Gen. Miles read il and said:
Il do not recall anything in that inter-
view that had not been given in my tes-
timony, or transmitted IN my reports.
You will observe II contains a number OF
my destinations to name officers or my
authorities and refusas to answer. Ii
must therefore. be incorrect in its repre-
sentation"
He then commented upon the general
slight inaccuTacy OF newspaper inter
views owing 10 the dependency OF writers
upon their memories. Hardly a day in
six months had passed that an inter-
viewer had not applied. and because of
the Kindness Of the press 10 the army,
and especially the enlisted men, he had
endeavored 10 give them such informa-
ton as he thought wise and safe but
never, ne said, with a view to prejuiicing
any one against any person or depart
think the Journal interview represented
correctly what was said. because its con-
tents should be taken in connection with
all that was said-h!s silence upon some
points and speech upon others.
Then being asked about an interview
from the New York Herald of February
i. he said:
Il have a letter from the gentleman
who. / understand. wrote this, in which
he says he is willing to swear that | de-
rlinHd 70 ir,rA 4 nj hat
ing something had been given out, he had
proceeded TO write what he knew were
the facts
Interview Was Erroneous.
He then pointed out that the interview
was erroneous, in that where it repre-
sented him 10 have said that he had over
evidence that the refrigerated
beef was treated with chemicals he fact
was that his only evidence was what was
contained in the reports Of officers and
statements of men who claimed that the
beef had the door Of an embalmed body:
that they had seen fluid injected into beef.
and other indications of chemical treat
ment. He declared the interview an er-
roneOuS presentation of what he could
possibly have SAID
Col. Davis, recurring to the statement
of Gen. Miles before the War Commits
sion, asked him what his idea as to the
beef supply for the army was when war
broke out.
Replying, Gen, Miles said while his at
tention was occupied with weightier mat
tiers of mobilization and equipment Of
troops, he feit confident that the usage OF
an hundred years would be follow ed ANA
cattle herds would be shipped to the army
in the tropics and killed there, just as
how hs Iu H.
the civil warm Arizona, Texas, and in
Mexico, where II was so hot that a soldier
could not sit upon the rocks. He under
stood Cuba and Porto Rico were excel
lent grass countries, and cattle could be
shipped and Kept In prime condition. He
reviewed his action in cabling the depart
ment t. send no moro refrigerated beef
TO Porto Rico while he was there, finding
it possible to Sc beef on the hoof.
Gen. Miles said that he understood that
our troops In Porto Rico were still being
supplied with a form of refrigera tor beef,
the country was as good grass
as any in the world, and the cat
tie there We're plenty, and the Spanish
troops drew all their meat supply from
this source. Col. Davis asked if Gen.
Miles knew whether Porto Rico exported
any cattle. Witness said 1t did to the
number of several thousand, and that
they were fine cattle. still, he understood
that our troops were not only receiving
beef at the coast but it was
being sent into the interior. The STUD
ton now, he said, was different from that
during the war. Now, there were ice ma
chimes on shore. Then, there was not ice
enough for the hospitals.
Favored Beef on the HoOf
Recurring TO the exped.ency of feeding
the troops hoof heef in Porto Rico, Gen.
Miles said he was much in favor of it.
He said native beef killed at night could
be very well fed the men next day.
DO you think" continued Col. Davis.
that the native beef would keep as we'll
as the refrigerator neef in the absence OF
cooling apparatus on shOre%'
Il am quite sure it would unless the re-
frigerator beef was chemically treated
with pres=rvatives. II it was treated so
as to keep for seventy-two hours after
coming out Of the coolers. of course 1t
had the advantage of the native beef, so
far as keeping goes"
When asked how long he was i'm Porto
Rico before he advised the department
against sending more refrigerator beef,
Gen. Miles said he had learned of the
large supply Of native cattle soon after
landing. and advised the War Department.
the next day after getting ashore. Re-
ferring to the canned roast beef as dis
tinguished from the refrigerator beef. Col.
Davis read a portion OF Gen. Miles Wa
Commission testimony condemning il in
severe terms. Gen. Miles said the canned
roast beef was issued to volunteers ami
regulars alike on the transports and in
cuba till the arrival OF the refrigerator
beef.
1t was fully tested by both the regulars
and volunteers. The first complaints OF n
Gen. Miles said he heard al TamDa frnm
some OF the Rough Riders from San An
tonic, but he paid little attention 10 II at
the time, not realizing fully that thara
mad been any change from the standard
ration. He again heard of it aboard the
yale, When the men declared they couId
not eat 1t. and he ordered the inspector m
inquire INTO H. Again he heard of In in
the trenches at Santiago, but he was still
largely occupied with the campaign ana
he thought nothing more of The ccrr
plants than he would Of hearing tbat
some man was kicking about his cofYes or
his bareback,
Weakness %. the Soldiers
What finally drew his attention serious
ly to the matter was the renorts ., %
GERS that the whole Fifth Corus use -.
and Frustrated. This was in Aug,,s,
when the question Of a parade tbrouo,t
New York was preached. Gen Patss p,
that time reported that only about one,
fifth OF the men at Montauk Point ~
IN condition to march through New York
Gen. Miles said this seemed TO him re.
markable. as there was no yellow fevsr
at the Point, and he thought the men
certainly ought TO be over their malaria
He therefore ordered an inquiry into the
beef about which there had been so mu.b
Did you report this matter at the time
TO the CommissaTy Generals Officer ask
ed Col. Davis.
Cen Miles leaned forward. drawing his
bIS"s 10 furrow. and replied forclbly:
am not required, sir, 10 report to the
Commissary General"
Well, did you report it 70 the Secretary
Of War; asked Col. Davis, pleasantly
Gen. Miles. in reply, went al some
length into an explanation OF the routine
OF army headquarters. showing why. he
preferred 10 conclude his inquiry. 80 that