The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-09
UPHELD
The War Department
in Late Conflict.
MILES is CRITICISED
War Board Completes Re-
port.

Washington, Feb. S-The war invest
igating commission has now completed
its labors and it's report will be in the
hands Of the president tomorrow.
The commission held a session today
that extended well into the afternoon
going over details. Tomorrow the mem
bers of the commission will formally
attach their signatures to the original
document and proceed in a. body to the
executive mansion to inform the pres
ident that they have completed their
mission and present their report.
The commission then will cease to
exist.
The report of the war commission is
a voluminous document of $50 printed
pages. Each member has been provid-
ed With a printed copy to retain, and
arrangements have been made so that
the president will have as many printed
copies as he wishes when he makes
the document public. The report makes
an important feature of the beef issue
and dismisses. as a general PROPOSE
ton, the charges that have been fur
niShed the army.
OF the beef was such as could be
properly furnished as an emergency
ration, pointing out that the evidences
showed 1t was never intended to be
anything but an emergency ration.
1t says there was only two wit
nesses who really testified against the
beef, Gen. Miles and Maj DAILY, the
chief surgeon, who made the report, re-
garded as the most sensational for
warded to the commission by Gen.
Miles. AS to the testimony of these
two witnesses, the commission, it is
understood, goes on to point out the
mass of evidence submitted to the con-
trary 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-
ical climate in producing liquefaction
OF the fat in the meat and the con-
sequent rendering Of the contents I'M
palatable
to have been satisfactory for emer-
gency use where fresh beef or beef
on the hoof could not be procured
The criticism of Gen. Miles made pub
licly on the beef and his public express
sfons in other ways, 1t is understood
are subjected to a severe criticism
The methods and manner of loading
the transports in Gen. Skaters Cuban
expedition, are also discussed and re-
sponsibility place for the results.
The report finds that the statements
of chemical treatment made by Gen.
Miles on the authority of Maj. DAILY
are not borne out by the chemical ex-
pertS, who were also placed on the
stand. 1t quotes from Major Days
testimony and then takes up the testi-
mony of Chemists Clarke of the geo
logical survey, and Bigelow of the agri-
cultural department, who examined
analyses of the beef submitted, and
finds that as chemical expert, Maj
DAILY is not supported by other chem
ical authorities. and that therefore his
testimony is regarded as not worthy
of credence.
There are also said to be some rec
concentrations as to organization of
certain branches of the army, but, it
is stated, the concentrations are not
radical. AS to the administration and
conduct of the war, the conclusions of
the commission are understood to be
that everything possible was done by
the war department in the limited time
that it had at it's command in making
its preparations for the war, and the
report says that the conduct Of the
war not only worked out in the end
successfully, but in such a way as
to be worthy of great commentator.
The report says that the evidence be-
fore the commission shows that Sec
rotary Alger exercised proper diligence
and supervision and that his subordi-
mates also were efficient, experienced
and faithful. The commission is a unit
on it's report and there is no minority
report. At the outset the commission
divided itself into sub-commissions for
the separate consideration of designated
branches of the main subject Of in
curry. These sub-commisson reports
VIII be added to the principal statement
of conclusions handed to the chief ex-
ecutive.