The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1899-02-25

! ! ! :; !; !; T !;
AS TO ARMY BEEF
MILES COURT OF INQUIRY HEARS
THE TESTIMONY
OF tho General and Other witnesses.
= Former Condemns the Quality OF tho
~ Meat and Submits Complaints Made in
,syRsgard TO Chemicals-Did Not Intend
to .lmpute Dishonest Motives to Any
.s,On,cer Of the Army-Makes Qualified
Denial Of Certain Interviews Accredited
to Him.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 91.-The Miles
court of inquiry at its first days session
examined General Miles, Lieutenant
Colonel Van Horne, Lieutenant Colonel
Miner and Major Henry Jackson. Gen
eral Miles testimony, of course, was the
feature of the days proceedings, the
other witnesses merely giving corrobo-
rative evidence regarding the quality Of
the beef furnished.
As indicated by letter of the adju-
tant general, read by the recorder for
the information Of the court, the scope
Of the inquiry was limited to the allega-
tions of General Miles before the war
commission as to the quality of the
army beef "and the matter purporting
to have been furnished to the public
press by the same official"
When he was asked about an alleged
interview, which appeared in the New
York journal Of Dec. ~, whether it
represented completely or in part what
he said, General Miles read it, and said:
Always Slight Inaccuracies.
II do not recall anything in that in
terview that had not been given in my
testimony or transmitted in my reports.
You will observe it contains a number
of my destinations to name officers or
my authorities and refusals to answer.
1t must, therefore, bc incorrect in its
representation"
He then commented upon the general
slight inaccuracy of newspaper inter.
views, owing to the dependency OF
writers upon their memories. Hardly q
day in SIX months had passed that an in
terviewer had not applied and because
of the Kindness of the press to the army
and especially the enlisted men, he had
endeavored to give them such inforlna-
ton as he thought wise and safe, but
never, he said, with view to prejudic'
ing any one against any person or de-
partment. Finally General Miles said
that he did not think that The Journal
interview represented correctly what
was said, because its contents should be
taken in connection with all that was
said; his silence upon some points and
speech upon others.
This Interview Was Fictitious.
Then being asked about the interview
from the New York Herald of Feb. 1,
he said:
II have letter from the gentleman
who, understand, wrote this, in which
says he is willing to swear that l de-
clined to be interviewed, and that
thinking something had been given out
he had proceeded to write what he
knew were the facts"
He then pointed out that the inter
view was erroneous, in that where il
represented him to have said that hi
had overwhelming evidence that the re
frigerated beef was treated with chem
icals, the fact was that his only evi
dence was what was contained. in the
reports of officers and statements of 1ner
who claimed that the beef had the odol
of an embalmed body, that they had
seen fluid injected into beef, and othe,
indications Of chemical treatment. He
declared the interview an erroneous
presentation of what he could possibly
have said.
Admits He Used tho Wrong Words.
Referring to his charges that the beei
was chemically treated General Miles
said his use of the phrase ''pretense Of
experiment" in speaking of army beel
was unfortunate. He disclaimed intend
ing any inference of fraud and said he
should have said the refrigerated beef
issue was "on the theory Of an expert
ment," and ga very costly pne,"
It was general talk among the officers
at Ponce, General Miles continued, that
the refrigerator beef must have beer
subjected to some chemical treatment
to make it keep for u hours. DR.
Daly's, however, was the first officia
report.
General Miles then read long sum
mary of 100 letters received by him al
army headquarters giving the various
terms in which the army meat was
characterized. These 'inefpded ':em
balmed," " "decomposed," ''injected,
"spoiled," and the like.
Ate Some Of tho Beef Himself
He said that he should fix Sept. 81
(the date Of Dr.. Days report) as about
the earliest at which the question oi
chemically treated meat had been
brought 70 his notice So as to command
bis full attention.
Colonel Gillespie took a hand in the
inquiry when General Miles finished de-
scribing the nauseating qualities Of the
canned and refrigerated beef.
"Did you, general, ever eat any Of
this beefT' Colonel Gillespie asked.
II presume l did about the time We
were at Ponce" said General Miles with
some hesitation, ~yes. presume did,
"Then," said Colonel Gillespie, lit
had not such characteristic qualities as
would permit you to detect 1t ofhandr'
"No, SIR"
General Miles then :. left the witness
chair Z" 81 '''' ''s'
veg ~. --
ALL CONDEMN 1T,